Bottlenose Dolphin: Further generation of conversation about WUaS Marketing and Business Plans (from the Stanford course: 'Startup Boards: Advanced Entrepreneurship'

http://assets.wwf.org.uk/img/dolphin_3_500_5982.jpg

Dear HP, RB and T, 

Thanks for further generating conversation about WUaS Marketing and Business Plans in Stanford's course: 'Startup Boards: Advanced Entrepreneurship'. 

Videos are on the way for the Marketing Plan, Heidy (see her message below). 

RB (see his message below), - about your helpful ideas: 

1) not be highlighting Wikipedia that much

Wiki is what distinguishes free-degree, MIT-centric WUaS from so much OER (Open Educational Resources) which is out there on the web, and also what makes it so richly generative, for people -to-people teaching and learning. I see your point, but as I see it, in the information age, competition is collaborative opportunity, plus is a very different entity, from pre-digital age company - to - company competition. So how to define WUaS's interaction with Wikipedia ahead - for a WUaS universal translator, for all 7,413 languages, when Wikipedia is in 285 - are important questions. And WUaS is doing something similar, so I see this as a complementary opportunity, potentially defined by ongoing increasing conversation with Wikipedia, something that hasn't emerged over 4+ years, rather than leading to a competitive strategy, that would play down the wondrous Wikipedia. WUaS is planning to move from Wikia to Creative Commons' licensed Wikidata / Wikibase, - which is being written with Wikipedia's 285 languages in mind with CC licensing - in the not too distant future. 

Accreditation is a long process, and commitment, for WUaS, and while Wikipedia / Wikimedia (the umbrella organization) have Wikiversity, I haven't heard about any accreditation plans there, - in years. Wiki vision is important in developing wiki resources. 

In terms of branding, with CC licensed online organizations, I think identification with MIT, Yale and Wikipedia has much merit at this stage, since they are both known and understood.

2 Good headline / title suggestions for a Marketing Plan ...

Here's further what WUaS is about: 

Here's the Admissions page for WUaS for free degrees (in many, many languages and countries): 

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Admissions_at_World_University_and_School

And here's the SUBJECT TEMPLATE at WUaS, a key to much of WUaS:

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/SUBJECT_TEMPLATE

   

And check out this blog entry in the WUaS blog: http://worlduniversityandschool.blogspot.com/2012/02/three-main-it-foci-at-world-university.html 

3.

a.) Target audience: Eventual students and book/computer buyers at

Bookstore / Computer Store (New & Used) at WUaS: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Bookstore_/_Computer_Store_(New_%26_Used)_at_WUaS

The College at World University and School: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/The_College_at_World_University_and_School

Conference Method of Teaching and Learning: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Conference_Method_of_Teaching_and_Learning

Honor Principle at World University: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Honor_Principle_at_World_University

Ph.D. Degrees at World University and School: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Ph.D._Degrees_at_World_University_and_School

World University Law School: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University_Law_School

World University Medical School: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University_Medical_School

WUaS International Baccalaureate Diploma and Programme: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/WUaS_International_Baccalaureate_Diploma_and_Programme

and 

via Speakers of all 7,413 languages - 

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Languages

and in < 205 countries - 

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Nation_States

b.) Our content Partners

besides MIT OCW and Yale OYC, 

it will be editors (volunteer editors, such as at Wikipedia), 

and the WUaS wiki policies themselves, paralleling Wikipedia's which are our content partners 

and a mass of student interns matriculated at great universities, such as Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cambridge, +

MIT and Yale are compelling selling points for academic content in much of the world, both as academic standard, and content, and also in terms of overachieving student bodies. 

c) Assurance on Quality

MIT OCW, Yale OYC, and eventually WUaS's employees

In point of fact, there have not been that many (external - i.e. not mine) edits (1,000-2,000-ish?) over 4+ years, and while a new, wiki interface will probably increase this, I think good patterns are in place for quality assurance. 

d)

Address what need of the audience we are fulfilling? 

Universal, high quality online education with free, MIT-centric degrees ... 

I think WUaS will learn about this from our own matriculated students beginning in 2014.

WUaS would like to make learning very enjoyable / fun / 'flow' experiences, as well as MIT-centric. 

The wiki will facilitate some of this. 

e.) A Punch line

Let's think further about conclusions to the Marketing Plan statement.

Thanks so much for your thoughts. 

Here's a first version of the Marketing Plan on my blog: http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2012/10/wreath-with-oak-leaves-cyclades.html . 

And here's the link to this page which you are reading, itself: http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2012/10/bottlenose-dolphin-further-generation.html.

I have many social networking site links here - http://scottmacleod.com - please add me. 

Regards, 

Scott

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Hi Team

In muy view is so important to upload a video to explain the goal of the product, is o important use the media (images) to be attractive to public.

HP

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RB, a member of World University and School Team - like Wikipedia with MIT OCW

Scott, 

Great attempt at the first page.

Team, 

My prospective for Marketing. 

1) I believe we should not be highlighting Wikipedia that much. In future, it will be a competitor; vying for time from people writing wiki pages and any revenue model for wiki(s) if we plan to raise working capital on the portal. We should only promote the service/ product as a Wiki service but not name another wiki portal in marketing portfolio. 

2) Currently we are emphasizing on a free online degree; where as the wiki page provides a lot more in respect of the content. 

Can we reword our headline; Something like "World's best universities in Your room; at the click of Your fingertip" provides more control to the target audience hence increases receptivity. 

3) A Business/ Marketing plan would address:- 

a.) Target Audience - We need to clearly identify and convey who we want to read our page. 

b.) Our content Partners - Who will help us put the content in place as content on Wiki is the primary selling point. 

c.) Assurance on Quality:- As Wiki is a freely editable portal; how we would propose to maintain the Quality and ensure there is neither anything illegal nor irrelevant. If Quality goes down; our audience will turn away. 

d.) Address what need of the audience we are fulfilling? 

e.) A Punch line, is a must to convey all with minimum use of words. e.g. World's knowledge village. or Knowledge not confined by campus walls.

Just a few thoughts I wanted to present before the group to take appropriate decisions.

Regards 

RB

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