OCS Collateral Strategy

why collateral?

• marketing collateral for OCS needs to be developed in order to raise awareness of the issues behind colour and colour standards
• help designers realize what they are buying into
• inform designers that they have the power to have options
• get designers interested in helping to develop new options
• get them thinking about why they use Pantone when they could have something authored by themselves and accessible to everyone

what collateral?

• posters for use at design schools, offices and other places where designers congregate
• postcards for use at events like conferences where many transient designers are in attendance
• website for providing more in depth information on alternatives to Pantone
• ads, similar in intent to the posters, for use in design-centric magazines like Print and Azure

where collateral?

• anywhere designers can be found in large quantities, in physical space, internet space and media space

how collateral?

• target designers where they congregate
• engage them with some kind of hook
• feed them new information that they may never even have considered before
• drive them to find out more
• mobilize them, with hopes of creating community around OCS

who collateral?

• designers, largely those who deal in print media, but also others
• print professionals
• those who deal in textiles, plastics, markers, paints and so on...

conclusion
I have some serious market research to do. Who are these people? Where can I find them? Do they have any interest at all in community built systems, or are they just loners content to buy Pantone chip books every year? Can they be harnessed? How much do they already know about colour? Do they have any spare time? Do they know anything at all about Open Source? Would they be interested if they did? Can they be made to care?