29 May 2008
Download Day, the brainchild of Mozilla, is a very smart piece of marketing and you have to admire the company. It's a campaign that works on several levels and it seems guaranteed to succeed. Read on to find out why...
Two weeks ago Bigmouthmedia reported on the latest version of Mozilla's web browser, Firefox 3. The official launch of the new browser is now expected in mid-to-late June and Mozilla has a big publicity stunt up its sleeves.
Download Day is an attempt to set a Guinness world record for the most software downloads in one twenty four hour period. Mozilla is encouraging people to "Support Download Day by hosting a Firefox 3 party, by inviting your friends to participate or by placing our buttons on your site." and hope this will inspire people to download the new software on the release day. Mozilla has set up a spiffy new website to help promote Download Day.
It's certainly a clever ploy by the foxy browser. Firefox is at a disadvantage compared to its main competitor, Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE). IE comes installed on almost every PC sold and is marketed by the most powerful software company in the world. Mozilla must rely on computer users making a conscious decision to download and install Firefox.
Mozilla hopes to expand the Firefox user base through word of mouth. Banking on the belief that they have a better product than their competitor, goodwill generated by internet communities and clever marketing ploys. Download Day harnesses all three of these strategies.
Mozilla plans to create a buzz about Download Day on the internet, through blogs, forums, websites etc. This is one of the best forms of advertising there is, millions of people displaying your adverts for free and chatting on-line about the event. There may be logistics issues with "a Firefox 3 party" but the enthusiasm is infectious.
Setting a Guinness record ensures media attention from outlets besides the internet too. You can be sure the story will hit newspapers and our TV screens on the release day. What's more, the discussions of people installing the free browser are sure to add to the deluge of free publicity.
Now, here's the really clever bit. What happens if, for example, the servers crash under the weight of millions of people trying to download at once, what about the Guinness world record? Surely it would be a PR disaster to fail after all that publicity?
That's all taken care of. The Guinness record doesn't currently exist, Mozilla plans to set it. It is aiming for 1.6 million downloads but as long as people are enticed to give it a try it doesn't necessarily matter how many actually manage on the day - they'll be setting the Guinness world record anyway. Genius.
Firefox Download Day announced
Download Day, the brainchild of Mozilla, is a very smart piece of marketing and you have to admire the company. It's a campaign that works on several levels and it seems guaranteed to succeed. Read on to find out why...Two weeks ago Bigmouthmedia reported on the latest version of Mozilla's web browser, Firefox 3. The official launch of the new browser is now expected in mid-to-late June and Mozilla has a big publicity stunt up its sleeves.
Download Day is an attempt to set a Guinness world record for the most software downloads in one twenty four hour period. Mozilla is encouraging people to "Support Download Day by hosting a Firefox 3 party, by inviting your friends to participate or by placing our buttons on your site." and hope this will inspire people to download the new software on the release day. Mozilla has set up a spiffy new website to help promote Download Day.
It's certainly a clever ploy by the foxy browser. Firefox is at a disadvantage compared to its main competitor, Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE). IE comes installed on almost every PC sold and is marketed by the most powerful software company in the world. Mozilla must rely on computer users making a conscious decision to download and install Firefox.
Mozilla hopes to expand the Firefox user base through word of mouth. Banking on the belief that they have a better product than their competitor, goodwill generated by internet communities and clever marketing ploys. Download Day harnesses all three of these strategies.
Mozilla plans to create a buzz about Download Day on the internet, through blogs, forums, websites etc. This is one of the best forms of advertising there is, millions of people displaying your adverts for free and chatting on-line about the event. There may be logistics issues with "a Firefox 3 party" but the enthusiasm is infectious.
Setting a Guinness record ensures media attention from outlets besides the internet too. You can be sure the story will hit newspapers and our TV screens on the release day. What's more, the discussions of people installing the free browser are sure to add to the deluge of free publicity.
Now, here's the really clever bit. What happens if, for example, the servers crash under the weight of millions of people trying to download at once, what about the Guinness world record? Surely it would be a PR disaster to fail after all that publicity?
That's all taken care of. The Guinness record doesn't currently exist, Mozilla plans to set it. It is aiming for 1.6 million downloads but as long as people are enticed to give it a try it doesn't necessarily matter how many actually manage on the day - they'll be setting the Guinness world record anyway. Genius.
English
German/Deutsch
Norwegian/Norsk
Swedish/Svenska
Italian/Italiano
French/Français
Spanish/Español
Latest News
Study finds Twitter hard to resist
Apple pulls iPad and iPhones in Germany
Pinterest catches up to social networks with referral traffic
Sony names gaming chief Kazuo Hirai CEO
Angry Birds boss doesn't see Piracy as a bad thing
Apple overtakes HP as biggest PC-maker
RSS News Feeds
Related Articles
Tags
