On Sunday 14 October 2007 22:34, Florian Effenberger wrote:
> Hi Graham,
Hey Florian,
We'll get there :)
>
> > I'm mainly concerned about logistics.
> > Once we've got this merchandise, what are we going to with it.
> > Who's going to pay for shipping to wherever it goes.
> > Where's it going to get stored in the meantime.
> > How is the decision to distribute and to whom, going to be made.
> > These are all critical elements that need deciding.
>
> I don't think we have to elaborate on these too much. Regarding
> logistics, I've written to @native-lang.oo.o to see what demand of
> t-shirts we have, unfortunately without many replies so far. But I guess
> that in each project there are people who can store them and send boxes
> out when there is the need to do so. Shipping is not this expensive.
That's not what I'm talking about. Once it gets to the locales it's
reasonably simple from that point because the freight costs are local.
But the merchandise has to be made somewhere...
Then shipped to someone
That someone has to pay the local Duties Excise and taxes on the merchandise.
(Ask Bernhard Dippold and John McCreesh what happens when you send this sort
of thing through German customs for instance. I sent 4 polo shirts to
Bernhard in Germany before the 2006 conf. It cost a fortune... something
like 75 Euros to clear the parcel through customs. The cut off point for
Germany I think is about 45 Euro value)
>
> Distribution should be up to the NLC projects. They can give the shirts
> away for free, or ask for a donation, IMHO.
So does this mean that the merchandise is only going to NLC projects
If not many people are asking then I would put my hand up without any problem
at all. I could use it all in a big push into the tertiary institutions here
in NZ for beginning of 2008, For that I would be happier with T-Shirts I will
admit, because it suits the demographic
>
> > It's not "just some merchandise" If that was the case and we were not
> > going for a specific campaign, then I would be going for a number of sets
> > of really good display rigs for trade shows and the like. Booth banners,
> > Table covers, CD display racks all packed in well designed roadcases so
> > they could be shipped all over. Small time stuff people can do local,
> > good professional looking Show display rigs are difficult.
> >
> > It would be a much more sensible way to use the money rather than just
> > spend it.
>
> We've been through that kind of discussions, and I admitted that it
> would have been better to get earlier notification about the money, so
> we could have planned better
>
> But, now we have 15.000 $ to produce merchandise, and it will be
> t-shirts and maybe mousepads or mugs, and we just should do something
> with the money. NOW.
Agreed, we have to do it now, never had too much of an argument with that. I
would just like to see it used in such a way so that when our corporate
partners think about this again they go: "Yes, the Marketing project
delivered a measurable result. So we feel comfortable that this is money well
spent." I don't want them to view this as a donation but as something that
will give them a measurable return.
The Trade Show Gear has been a recurring issue for years. If I had realised
that there was going to be no preliminary work done at all and that
merchandise was going to be produced with no goal in mind other than spending
the money, then I would have suggested this earlier. It is something we have
needed for years. It's something we've tried on numerous occasions to figure
ways to fund. The debriefs on just about every Trade show we have attended
have reiterated this and this has been mentioned with regard to OOo confs as
well. To me it would be much more useful to the NLC projects and the regions
than T-Shirts, mugs and Mousepads.
It would project a professional image.
It's use would be ongoing.
We would need several I'm thinking, possibly:
5 English packs: 2 US based, one UK based, one Australasia, South Africa and
1 India based.
3 Spanish 1 Euro base and 2 South and Central America
2 Portugese
1 Italian
1 Russian
and so forth.
We could get an excellent setup including a robust road case for between
$US800 &1000 plus shipping to their home destinations. Thats 15 or 16 rigs
for the money. That is money well spent. It would make it easier to get
booth people because the booth building has been already done.
Sun already has a supplier that does these sorts of rigs as does Novell and
other corporates. If we can get these setups then Local marketing teams can
go after conferences with the confidence that they will look the part.
The advantage with this type of thing at the moment is that the demographic
and methodology is almost predetermined.
Free standing Roller banners are about 2.2 metres high by about 800 wide and
that is one graphic 2 or 3 colour on white polyethylene
Wall banners for the back of the booth are probably best to be about 1.2 m
deep by 2.0 m wide and a table cover designed to drape over the standard type
of table they have at Shows. so probably 2.5 m x 1.5 m (thats 800 for table
top plus 700 for front overhang) Graphic would be 1.8 m x 600 on the
overhang part. That would allow a reasonable amount of flexibility for
varying table and booth size.
So thats Two Free standing Rolla banners, 2.2 x 0.8 full coverage graphics
One wall hanging 2.0 x 1.2 .fully coverage graphic
One table cover 2.5 x 1.5 possibly coloured all over but with
a centered
graphic on 1.1 x 0.6
Roadcase to put it all in for transporting.
That'll get the Art project going. I can have prices on those in about three
days
Only problem is, does that come under Sun's definition of Merchandise :)
Cheers
GL
Should we put it to a vote? We can set up a vote using OOoForums Voting
system or setup a webpage for voting here. OOoForum would probably be easier
and quicker. or we could do a simple vote on the mail list.
--
Graham Lauder,
OpenOffice.org MarCon (Marketing Contact) NZ
http://marketing.openoffice.org/contacts.html
INGOTs Moderator New Zealand
www.theingots.org.nz
GET DRESSED : GET OOOGEAR
Gear for the well dressed OOo Advocate
www.ooogear.co.nz
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