Mozilla creates marketing contest (and there's a cash prize)

Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, launch an open-source retention marketing competition.

Firefox is Mozilla's popular open-source Web browser. Earlier this year the Mozilla team embarked on a mission to set a Guinness World Record for the most downloaded piece of software in a single day. The marketing plan worked, and Mozilla has the record verified by Guinness.

Now Mozilla is looking to take the spirit of open source to its marketing department with Impact Mozilla, a contest where users generate a marketing plan. According to the official Mozilla Blog, the team that brought the world Firefox wants users to help make it stick.

"The specific 'marketing problem' we're hoping to address is retention marketing," states the blog. "For example, over time we know that tens of millions of people have downloaded Firefox but don't continue to use it today. How do we either win some of these users back or how do we reduce this attrition rate with future new users?"

To compete, budding marketers should visit the Impact Mozilla Website. The overview is straightforward. The competition will be conducted in two rounds. In the first round, interested parties need to submit a two-page proposal with an overview of the marketing plan. State the goal, creative and analytic strategies and propose action items. The first proposal is due Oct. 24.

The second proposal is a 10- to 15-page detailed marketing plan that should include an explanation of each strategic element, analysis and application of relevant data with line-by-line budget allocations. The proposal also needs to include team resumes, recommendations and a portfolio of past projects.

To submit a realistic plan, Mozilla is doing something it has done all along: making everything transparent and open. The Firefox creators have posted metrics on the Impact Mozilla site that provide the relevant information needed to create a retention marketing plan. From information about all Firefox downloads to Firefox downloads by locale and platform, prospective marketers should have all the information they need to formulate a plan.

The team that creates the best retention marketing strategy for Mozilla's Firefox will win a $3,000 prize.

See original article on CRN.com