Marketing we can live with

For years I’ve lampooned Novell for its marketing, or lack thereof. So you can imagine my chagrin when I look at Novell’s new series of ads – and find myself liking the campaign!

Last time out I criticized Microsoft and IBM for their current advertising campaigns. A few months ago I jumped all over Apple for its “switcher” series of ads. For years I’ve lampooned Novell for its marketing, or lack thereof. So you can imagine my chagrin when I look at Novell’s new series of ads – and find myself liking the campaign!

If you haven’t seen the TV ads, the print ads, the billboards or the Web banners yet you can view them at www.novell.com/advertising/ (click on the area of the world where you live).

These ads are aimed directly at the executive suite – they play to CxOs but they don’t insult the techies in IT. That’s a real balancing act, and one that IBM, for example, can’t pull off (Microsoft never has figured out how not to insult IT). Previous Novell marketing efforts were either aimed at IT executives or aimed at no one in particular.

The premise is simple: redefine standard computer terminology (RAM, browser, cursor, ERP, etc.) in a way that shows a problem (for example, “Browser: someone you never worry about when your systems are secure” while picturing someone peeking over a cube divider) then identify Novell as the right place to find the solution to the problem.

Novell honcho Chris Stone and Chief Marketing Officer Debra Bergevine deserve lots of credit for bringing forth a marketing campaign that tells the right story to the right people – and does it in the right venues. Unlike the previous Novell marketing ads (the so-called fish bowls campaign), this one didn’t debut during Monday Night Football.

Unless you read The Wall Street Journal or watch CNBC you might not see the current ads – but your company’s executives probably watch, or read, those media outlets, and they’re the ones that Novell wants to reach.

So now it’s time for all of you Novell resellers, consultants and network managers to put up or shut up. For years you’ve begged for decent Novell marketing. Now you’ve got it, get out there and use it.

For the first time in almost 20 years I’m saying nice things about Novell marketing. You should be, too.

Tip of the week

Full Armor has released another tool for its Fazam Active Directory policy management suite. Fazam Auditing provides real-time monitoring and alerting of live Group Policy and Active Directory security settings so that you don’t have to constantly worry about them.