Slides for a talk from ApacheCon Europe 2014.

1. SShhaarriinngg AAppaacchhee''ss GGooooddnneessss::
HHooww WWee SShhoouulldd bbee TTeelllliinngg AAppaacchhee''ss SSttoorryy
Joe Brockmeier
@jzb
jzb@apache.org

2. IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn

3. CCrraazzyy AAssssuummppttiioonnss
● You are involved with an Apache project*
● You want that project, and the Apache Software
Foundation (ASF) to succeed
● You are willing to do something different, possibly
difficult and uncomfortable, to make that
happen
● You are not, in fact, a marketing or PR professional
11/24/14 3

4. WWhhaatt WWee''llll CCoovveerr
● Why “sharing” is important
● State of Apache marketing
● Why Apache needs to improve
● How projects can take action
● Low-hanging fruit
● Slightly more difficult
● Doing the hard work
● Metrics
● Review
11/24/14 4

5. WWhhyy ''SShhaarriinngg'' iiss
IImmppoorrttaanntt

6. IImmppoorrttaannccee ooff PPrroommoottiioonnss
● What's the point in creating software if no one uses it?
● New users become contributors, committers, PMC
members, Apache members...
● Spread the “Apache Way” -- just because “open source”
has “won” doesn't mean it's being done well...
● Companies that invest in ASF projects want to see
them succeed
● Diversity
11/24/14 6

7. TThhee AASSFF''ss SSeerrvviicceess

8. PPrroojjeeccttss EExxppeecctt
● Mentoring (Incubator) and general oversight after
graduation
● Assistance with trademarks, legal issues
● Infrastructure services (e.g. mailing lists, SVN/Git
repositories, Web sites, Jira)
● Security response*
● Fundraising
● Marketing?
11/24/14 8

9. TThhiinnggss EEvvoollvvee

10. ““AAppaacchhee CCoonnssiiddeerreedd HHaarrmmffuull””
● “Apache slow to change” @rbowen
● Apache, lately, has gotten a bad rap
● We're not telling the larger Foundation story well,
nor the projects
● Companies are looking elsewhere to participate*
● We could do much better at communicating
about projects
● We could do much better at communicating
between projects
11/24/14 10

11. HHooww ttoo TTaakkee AAccttiioonn::
MMaarrkkeettiinngg@@AAppaacchhee..oorrgg

12. CCaann wwee HHeerrdd CCaattss??
At least I'm not dealing
with open source
marketing...
11/24/14 12

13. AAppaacchhee''ss CCuurrrreenntt SSyysstteemm
● We have one contractor servicing 153 (and
counting) projects
● Our current assets are underutilized (e.g. the
Apache web site, Twitter, blogs)
● ApacheCon is a great resource too many projects
are failing to capitalize on
● We are responsive to press, but not aggressive in
pitching to press
11/24/14 13

14. MMooddeesstt PPrrooppoossaall
● Announcing marketing@apache.org -- a list to
discuss marketing / promotion across all Apache
projects
● Encourage more people to participate in ASF
marketing – blogging, helping with ApacheCon,
social media, etc.
● More work in public, more collaboration
● Should Marketing be a TLP?
11/24/14 14

15. HHooww ttoo TTaakkee AAccttiioonn::
PPrroojjeeccttss

16. PPrroommoottiinngg YYoouurr TTLLPP
● Does your project have a marketing@ list? (Unless
you're CloudStack, CloudDB, or OpenOffice, no.)
● Does your project recognize marketing as a
contribution towards committership/PMC
membership? (No? Why not?)
● Does your project have a promotional strategy?
● Who writes release announcements? Social
media? Blogs? Project spokespersons?
11/24/14 16

17. LLooww--HHaannggiinngg FFrruuiitt

18. PPiicckkiinngg tthhee LLooww--HHaannggiinngg FFrruuiitt
● Grab a @Twitter handle, Google+ Page, etc.
● Start, and maintain, a project blog.
● Improve your release announcements!
● Too many release announcements fail to even
state what the project does.
● Are you pitching to relevant press?
● Do you have a project spokesperson?
● Do you have any easy-to-find materials to help
promote your project?
11/24/14 18

19. MMoorree AAmmbbiittiioouuss

20. GGeettttiinngg SSeerriioouuss
11/24/14 20

21. Taking iitt ttoo tthhee NNeexxtt LLeevveell
● Create a press kit
● 100- and 250-word project summaries
● Project facts / history / FAQ
● Quick start review guide
● Monthly or weekly news (hard to sustain!)
● Pitching third party publications, regular contributions
● User/developer surveys, providing feedback to developers
● Revising and improving documentation
● Use cases
11/24/14 21

22. MMeettrriiccss

23. FFiinnaall TThhoouugghhttss

24. TThhaannkkss!!
@@jjzzbb
jjzzbb@@aappaacchhee..oorrgg