[Mageia-dev] Art, Logo and Branding

Thu Sep 23 15:59:40 CEST 2010

On Thursday 23 September 2010 14:00:22 Graham Lauder wrote:
+> The artguide and logo guidelines are seriously incomplete and 
+need a lot of
+> work.  Free software projects have a history of rushing into 
+branding that
+> they will be stuck with for a very long time, from logo to colour 
+scheme to
+> pallett.  If it's not thought through and given the consideration it 
+needs,
+> it can turn into a millstone around the projects neck or a chaotic 
+round
+> of ever changing looks that confuses the market.
+> 
+> The project needs to get it's branding process it's organised.  Until 
+then
+> everything should be fluid, even the name should be seen as a 
+"Working
+> Title".
+> 
+> So therefore:
+> 
+> We need to identify our vision,
+> Identify the way we want the world to see us.
+> We need to identify our target market
+> and then come up with a Brand to suit that market.
+> 
+> The brand does not have to be out there until the announcement 
+of the first
+> release.
+> The brand that is created now, will shackle the Marketing team for 
+all
+> time. The marketing team will only hang around if the brand is 
+good. 
+> Hackers need the tools to do their job, if the IDE they are forced to 
+use
+> when making code is a pile of shit then they'll go elsewhere.  It's 
+the
+> same with marketers, give them a good brand and they'll come in 
+droves to
+> be part of it.
+> 
+> Ubuntu's strength was in that initial marketing, targeted at 18 to 
+35 age
+> group with warm a comforting and attractive pallett (Browns Reds 
+and
+> Yellows) and a slightly zany way of doing things (Warty Warthog and 
+so on)
+>  They identified a market of young people of  above average 
+intelligence
+> who were not satisfied with the cold clinical professional brand of
+> principal market leader.
+> 
+> This group had several advantageous facets to them.
+> 1) They were leaders and early adopters of new technology
+> 2) They were rebellious to a degree
+> 3) They had a very positive view of themselves
+> 4) They felt that they deserved to be noticed and that the world 
+should do
+> stuff for them.
+> 
+> So Ubuntu's branding is aimed directly at that market and very
+> successfully.
+> 
+> The problem that many projects suffer from is that they come up 
+with a
+> branding that feels good to their own community, while ignoring 
+the market.
+> And make no bones about it, much of the reason that Ubuntu 
+gets lots of
+> developers is because of it's wide user base.  That makes it sexy, 
+the
+> opportunity to be famous:  "I am part of that.."
+> 
+> Now there is a good argument to be made for going after the 
+same market for
+> all of the above reasons.
+> 
+> We can learn some lessons from the way Ubuntu did things.
+> 
+> They leveraged their location, used a local language and 
+traditions to give
+> them a name and a story:  Ubuntu = Humanity to Humans and a 
+logo that
+> reflects and enhances that story.
+> 
+> For me, for this project, I think it's untapped branding strength is 
+in
+> it's Latin South American Heritage. Connectiva.
+> 
+> Connection,
+> Computers are about connecting with others and when the world 
+thinks about
+> South America and connecting they think Dance, .. Tango.  If it was 
+my
+> project in these circumstances I'd be calling it Tango-Linux. The 
+name
+> even immediately evokes the branding colours and the pallet, Bold 
+Blacks,
+> Fiery Reds  and silvers, the colours of passion.  Tango evokes 
+passion,
+> rebellion but at the same time precision and teamwork.
+> 
+> Unfortunately there is already a Tango Linux, not to mention the 
+Tango Icon
+> project, but you get the idea.
+> 
+> 
+> To conclude: my point is that there needs to be much more 
+consideration
+> given to the branding elements at this point before we start voting 
+on
+> logos and the like and I would like to see everything up for 
+discussion,
+> name included, we are brand new, the world is watching, this is 
+our unique
+> opportunity we need to stamp our mark boldly but with serious
+> consideration of our goals.
+> 
+> Of course the communities desire maybe just to stay as a small 
+minor player
+> in the desktop universe, but if that's the case this is not the 
+Mandrake I
+> knew back at 8.0 when It was on every other computer magazine 
+cover CD,
+> and it was going after the market in a big way, not worrying about 
+the
+> Ubuntus and Redhats but out to take down the Redmond machine.  
+Personally
+> I think that spirit is still there.
+
+A large number of the posts on these forums have really been about 
+fairly trivial issues compared with this one.
+
+Graham's contribution is thoughtful and serious and if taken up now 
+could have a fundamental impact or otherwise on the succces of this 
+distribution.
+
+Now we really need someone with marketing expertise to drive this 
+issue forward.
+
+Question is WHO?
+
+Peter Watson
+-------------- next part --------------
+A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
+Name: not available
+Type: application/pgp-signature
+Size: 198 bytes
+Desc: This is a digitally signed message part.
+URL: </pipermail/mageia-dev/attachments/20100923/95ce556c/attachment.asc>
+