Turning off Paid Adverts for Sponsored Media

[Jeremy Hogan]

On 5/2/06, Karlie Robinson <karlie_robinson at webpath.net> wrote:
>
> Both Thomas and Patrick have suggested I make my case for Sponsored Media
> to the Ambassadors.  I'm also including the Marketing group, so please
> excuse any multiple emails.
>
> The background is that I'm at a loss as to why I can't get anyone to
> sponsor media to fill the Free Media requests.  I had even gone so far as to
> pay for adverts on the Yahoo and Google ad networks.
>

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that if folks are going to  give a litte
extra, it will be to Ubuntu (who also gives away media) or another project
that doesn't have someone as big as RH behind it. We know Fedora needs it's
own fuel, but the rest of the world still sees it as being funded by, and
directed by, and for the greatest benefit to Red Hat. Which is true. And Red
Hat also doesn't need the money. Secondly, there are organizations that flat
out give media away. I don't think it's a matter of folks not getting off
their wallet, since 6-8 years ago their were more shrinkwrapped boxes of RH
on admin's shelves than open media cases in the lab. They were literally
buying the boxed set soley as a means of giving somethig back.

For example, I like PBS, when I donate $100 is it for the hat and mug? Or
because I want to help. Giving me the option of the "give $100 and you get a
hat" is just a catalyst to my giving.

It's possible that if you allowed folks to do this for any distribution,
that they'd pick up more broadly on it.

It's also possible that if RH put RH muscle behind it (e.g. in Red Hat
Magazine) more eyes would see it (or if RH matched a certain level of
donation, etc.). Or getting someone in the media or blogosphere to write
about it. You might try a free Web PR release, along with submitting product
announcements to niche sites like NewsForge and LinuxQuestions.org.

It's not a bad idea, it just needs to settle into the story we tell as a
core way of giving back, IMHO.

--jeremy
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