Xara Marketing - Will they EVER get brains ??

[Wolfgang]

Hi everybody,

long time users of TG will probably remember me as a looong time user of Xara products.
Lately, I've not been here very often, but I am still using Xara X1 on an almost daily basis.

A couple of weeks ago, I browsed through the topics and found some info about a "new" version of Xara X(1) from Charles and a lively discussion about it.
Okay I thought, knowing about the past, this will take a while anyway ...

Just today, I read in a magazine Blog (!!!!) that some Xara Xtreme was available and that it was going to be Open Source and everything.
I checked xara.com and found that to be true.
Then I checked TG and saw threads about it as well.

And like sooo often in the past, once again I get to ask myself: Why do they employ monkeys in marketing instead of real people who know their work ??
Charles, do you really wonder, why your software - excellent that it really is - is selling so badly compared to the "big names" ??
It's because your marketing stinks and it always did !!!

I get your regular "newsletters", weeks after things had happened and they are always trying to sell me needless crap (sorry) like Webster, Menu Maker and whatelse.

Now that a new version of your flagship product is available, I need to read it in a Blog instead of getting informed from you right away ???
Will I get a "newsletter" in a month, telling me about the great and mighty new Xara Xtreme??

Did you ever THINK what marketing and newsletters are for??

As a long time user and BUYER of your products, can't I expect to get burning hot info from Xara before everybody else does??
Can't I expect to get an exclusive upgrade offer right at the moment the product is launched?? And I am not talking about another price, just about timing!!

Please Charles, PLEEEEAAAASE, start to think !!!!
Making good software is a nice thing, but you need to sell it as well.
And with those sleeping pills you employ in marketing you never will the way you could !!!
What's the big problem in sending an E-Mail newsletter to your customers right away??

Sorry guys, but I had to spew that out, I can't understand that they repeat their mistakes over and over again ...

Wolfgang

P.S.: Of course, I already bought XX like I always did before. I just would have prefered to find out about it in another way.

[bcire68]

Hi Wolfgang,

I'm not sure if you knew this or not, but Charles posted a trial version for download to everyone on the TG forum, a week before the actual launch.

I know that isn't the same as getting the email Advertisement, but the "burning hot info" as you put it was available to anyone who checks out TG at least once a week.

Grusse,

Eric

[jens g.r. benthien]

The info about the new Xara version(s) is available almost everywhere, especially in Germany. Even c't magazin had a feature article (online, but I guess it will follow in the printed issue as well).

At least I don't care how the news will reach me - RSS newsfeed, mail, article, snail mail, pidgeon, speedboat - as long as I get and can use it.

On the other hand I **know** that you will receive an email very soon via the Xara distribution list. If you would have checked the forum more often, you would have had the chance to get the news a bit earlier. **If**.......

just my two cents...

[John Rayner]

I have to agree Xara marketing is not as sharp as the developers... Maybe they should let em out of the dungeon once in a while. Too many inbread marketing ideas...

[Wolfgang]

@Eric&Jens,

I already mentioned that I saw the threads about XX here.
And there may have been info in magazines as well for all I care.

But that's not the point.

I am talking of the most basic priniples of marketing here.
Inform your existing customers, keep them happy.
You can sell your product with almost zero effort and get valuable feedback from people who already know what they are talking about.

Am I asking for a multi-million-dollar campaign to do that ??
Am I asking that Charles calls every user personally ??

No, I am talking about a simple E-Mail like they are sending out already. But just IN TIME for a change. That's all.

The guys at my garage are sending out E-Mail reminders for the upcoming annual inspection-badge for my car - weeks before it's too late. And whoop - 35 Euros for them for an E-Mail.
The company that services my heating system sends out just two reminders a year. One that "winter is coming" and they would check the heater and one that "heating season is over" and they would clean everything for perfect function next year. Bang - 200 Euros for them, just for sending an E-Mail IN TIME !!

And while it sure is fun, I don't consider reading TG or magazines as my "duty" to get informed about updates.

But as I said before, Xara marketing ALWAYS has been lousy. Yeah, maybe thes *should* let them out of the dungeon once in a while.
But maybe even better, don't let them out at all and get people who know how to do it.

Once again, this is no offense against the products!
I played around with XX yesterday and while there are no groundbreaking news for me, the PDF export alone is worth the money!!

Wolfgang

[Jon G]

Perhaps I wouldn't put it quite like Wolfgang, but I definitely agree with him.

There should have been an e-mail with upgrade instructions and info about all this open source thing. I'm a bit disappointed, because I found out about the upgrade after stumbling upon a news item on a Finnish computer mag's site telling me that a software that I paid for has went freaking open source.



1. Create the hype - tell existing users about an upcoming update.
2. Make the hype real - reveal some major improvements and give an estimated release date.
3. Let existing users in a public beta test to iron out the bugs.
4. Let them upgrade first. If it's good, they'll tell the world how good life is.
5. Publish it.

[Daniel]

It's ironic for me: there are two British software companies developing graphics software, just 100 miles apart.

Serif phones me every couple of months (I tell no lies, they phoned this morning), sends an email slightly more often, and post leaflets and letters a couple of times a year. Xara seem to be virtually mute if you don't visit this forum!

Today is the Technology supplement in The Guardian (national newspaper), I thought that there might have been a mention - I'm sure Xara did try though, there are lots of mentions at http://news.google.co.uk/news?source...ra&sa=N&tab=wn but nothing mainstream.

[JohnLogan1973]

Today is the Technology supplement in The Guardian (national newspaper), I thought that there might have been a mention - I'm sure Xara did try though, there are lots of mentions at http://news.google.co.uk/news?source...ra&sa=N&tab=wn but nothing mainstream.

Thx for this link I subscribed to it to keep me up to date.

JohnLogan.

[jens g.r. benthien]

Jon,

after stumbling upon a news item on a Finnish computer mag's site telling me that a software that I paid for has went freaking open source.

Huh? Who told you that GPL or Open Source software is or has to be FREE?

The GPL policy clearly states what is free and what has to be paid for.

Only the parts of a software that had been developed with Open Source tools must be published for free, that means Xara can still charge for the proprietary core they have developed with other tools.

Is Artstream free? Is LinuxCAD free? Is the SolidWorks clone for Linux free?
No!

So be prepared to pay for your Linux licence as well...

[hillsy]

Only the parts of a software that had been developed with Open Source tools must be published for free

In fact, this is not correct. You can charge as much money as you want for GPL software. But as you have to distribute the source code, charging is a bit pointless.

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html