Open Source Marketing is the Future - Pass It On
Open source marketing is the future. Need proof? Study how the Mozilla Foundation is building momentum behind Firefox.
Mozilla today launched a community effort to secure enough funds to take out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times. The full-page ad will include the names of everyone who supports the campaign along with a message about the benefits/features of the awesome Firefox browser. An individual contribution of $30 will get your name included in the ad ($10 student rate). eWeek has more details.
Jim Grisanzio over at Sun wonders how many marketers will realize that the future of their very profession will be based on open source community principles. I could not agree more.
This is a big sign of things to come. Eventually tons of innovative open source marketing/public relations campaigns will sprout up online. They will be owned by folks who share a common passion and goal. They will rely on the Web and best practices gleaned from innovators like Mozilla and Howard Dean. Depending on how you look at this - this is either a huge threat or an opportunity for the public relations industry.
Obviously, you know that I say it's an opportunity. The days of throwing a release on the wire and seeing what comes back are over. It's time the PR industry begins to apply the new, low cost tools that are popping up everyday; tools like Skype, PubSub, iPodder, TypePad, del.icio.us and more. Firefox is re-writing the marketing playbook and is showing the world how open source marketing can work. As PR pros, we need to begin to learn from the Joe Trippis of the world so that we build the know-how to launch such bottom-up initiatives and then guide them in the right direction. This is the future of marketing communications.
About a year ago I got religion. And I assume if you're reading this, you have it as well. Now it's up to us to spread the word. PR Week this week (story unavailable online) reports that there are some 50 PR bloggers. Why aren't there more? I wish there were. Maybe it's fear or simply just time. Scoble basically takes on the fear issue. As far as time goes, I say the more time you put into blogging and community marketing, the more value you get out of it. You're here. Your head is wet. Now spread the word to your colleagues. Evangelize.
Not fear, PR pros are just waiting to see if blogs are effective before they try it. Blogs are a lot of work, why do it unless you need to?
Posted by: Alice Marshall | Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 08:59 AM
It does beg the question: is the whole community/grassroots/open source shtick just a stepping stone to the greatness of the Super Bowl ad exposure and things more formal?
Posted by: Eric Rice | Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 11:56 AM
Eric,
I can't read the sarcasm level in your post, but I'm hoping you are kidding.
The whole community/grassroots/open source thing is the anti-Superbowl ad strategy.
Posted by: Jackie Huba | Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 04:30 PM
Jackie,
Actually, I'm not being sarcastic at all (wow!). See, open source builds buzz. That's the idea. And we somehow *feel good* that we're doing the right thing. Then, as buzz gets bigger, more attention is given from the folks with money, power, and reach.
I know we might WANT it to be the anti-Superbowl thing, but it's step one--accidental or otherwise. The idea of open source marketing, or PR for that matter, is a killer idea for ultra niche marketspaces. Very targetted. Very precise. The opposite of a drive-by shooting. The only difference is the sloppy, wide-reaching drive-by has people talking for days and days.
I can't see this changing any time soon.
Posted by: Eric Rice | Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 07:39 PM