User:Dispenser/2012 calendar

From Meta, a Wikimedia project coordination wiki

This proposal is for creation of a calendar for the US market to be sold by Wikimedia New York City for chapter fundraising purposes and/or Wikimania 2012. We want to sell things that are actual value added and can’t be duplicated in 20 minutes

Why merchandise?

Most national chapters raise money by localizing fundraising messages and collecting the revenue by generated under their non-profit status. Wikimedia New York City, a sub-national chapter, has not been a granted partnership for obvious reasons. This removes the primary revenue-raising source as used by other chapters.

PediaPress has cornered the market for printed Wikipedia articles, only doing the conversion and outsourcing the on demand printing. They are also competing with a number of Amazon sellers. However, Wikimedia Commons remains relatively untapped.

Timeline[edit]

  • 13 June – Launch market research survey
  • 27 June – Initial image selection (6 weeks)
  • 4 August – Amazon pre-order ready for Wikimania 2011
  • 12 August – Final Proof and Printing (14 businesses days: 10 turnaround + 4 shipping)
  • 30 August – Delivery of calendars
  • 17 October – Google AdWords campaigns begins
  • 1 November – Fundraising 2011 begins
  • 25 November – Black Friday push
  • 15 January – 40% off remaining inventory
  • 15 January – Chapters may requests reminding inventory at cost of shipping
  • May 2012 – Prepare next calendar, assume competition from clones

Features[edit]

  • Image size of 12”x12” or 3,600 x 3,600 pixel (300 dpi)
  • QR Codes and Bit.ly or Goo.gl URL shortener with analytics for the photographers
  • Chapters are granted ad-hoc permission to use Wikimedia Foundation trademarks. We may not be allowed to use any.

Inside cover[edit]

Pictures that missed the cutoff flowing into the tail end of the Commons logo. Excise the Logo if we’re unable to clear the trademark rights.

“Work still needs to done (despite having X million images), articles are missing illustration, Bird need to photographed and recorded, Battle map need to be drawn and illustrated, and importantly open source software to make this easy needs to be written.”

Bottom: “WM-NYC would like to thank our partners” followed by GLAMs who pre-ordered for their gift shop

Outside back[edit]

Only the “Wikimedia New York City” logo at the bottom

Survey[edit]

A survey linked from the watchlists will provide insights into what Wikipedians expect and are looking for in a calendar and it helps us projects sales quantities. At the end of the survey, a link will be provided to receive email notification when the calendar is available and a link to a talk page.

Tell us a little bit about yourself[edit]

Gender [male/female/unspecified]
Year of birth (unspecific - leave blank) [number fill in, or drop down with year ranges]
I a user of the following services? [Facebook, FourSquare, Identi.ca, LinkedIn, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Twitter]

[Explain the situation -- Wikimedia NYC is looking to produce a 2012 wall calendar for fundraising this year. To manage costs efficiently we need to better know our customer base. ]

Financial[edit]

  • My preferred wall calendar size? [11x8.5" (11x17 unfolded), regular 12x12 (12x24 unfolded), oversize 17x11 (17x22 unfolded); include images on dates? desirability/ranting scale on each?]
  • I prefer _____ binding. [Saddle stapled or Wire-o]
  • I would be _____ to buy this in a gift shop? [likely scale]
  • I would be to pay for the above calendar: [12.49, 13.99, 15.99, 17.99, 19.99, 21.99, 24.49, 27.99]
  • I would be willing to pay _____ extra to customize the calendar: [Dropdown $0-$15, I do not want a customized calendar]

Design questions[edit]

  • Weeks should start on? [(select one), Saturday, Sunday, Monday]
  • Interest in calendar themes: [desirability scale, Come up with more]
    1. Wikimedia Commons — Featuring great images with short commentary to each.
    2. Military history — Showcasing images not normally seen, feature descriptions and alternative angles in the margins
    3. U.S. Road — See and read roads (both active and historical) each month, includes map with QR code GPS points.
    4. Faces of Wikipedians — It is undeniable the impact that Wikipedia has had. This calendar feature evocative images or photographs of the impact on the world. Mondays and Thursdays are filled with donor quotes.
    5. Photo mosaic — Every month is composed of different pictures each numbered to a certain day’s trivia
    6. Trains
  • Moon Phases? [desirability scale]
  • Major US holidays? [desirability scale]
  • Wikipedia holidays and events? [desirability scale]
  • QR codes to the Wikipedia article [desirability scale]
  • Ability to write on dates in pencil : [desirability scale]
  • Color images / B&W images [desirability scale]

Costs[edit]

Cost break down
Stapled Wire-O
Item Cost Unit Cost Unit
Printing (5,000) 6,495 1.30 12,028 2.41
Shipping to Amazon 1,545 0.31 1,545 0.31
Amazon Storage ($0.60/ft³ × 6 mo.) 750 0.15 750 0.15
Initial costs 8,790 1.76 14,323 2.86
Amazon Listing 18,713 3.74 21,743 4.35
Amazon Fulfillment 4,600 0.92 4,600 0.92
Pro Merchant ($39.99 × 6 mo) 240 0.05 240 0.05
100 gift calendars 1,595 0.32 1,999 0.40
Random expenditures (+20%) 5,029 1.01 5,716 1.14
TOTAL COSTS 38,967 7.79 48,621 9.72
Revenue 79,750 15.95 99,950 19.99
Profit 40,783 8.16 51,329 10.27
Break even 887 1,091
Margin 51% 51%

The table on the right was calculated with a MSRP $19.99 and 15.95 and with more expensive printing options. A $16 price point may equally viable with cheaper printing options.

  • Printing costs: Both suppliers I looked at had similar pricing for a 28 page (Cover = 4, Inside = 24) for a 12”x12” calendar. I configured with standard option, high quality paper, predrilled holes, a run of 5,000. I’ve avoiding print on-demand as they are (usually) smaller, more expensive, and cost extra for customer shipping
    • Free Proofs
    • Turnaround is 6-10 business days + 4 day shipping
    • Ask for a sample calendar
    • Cardboard inserts and shrink-wrap?
    • What colors are spirals? White?
  • Amazon Fulfillment is a keystone in this project. In the future, we may want to run our own system. Until then we aren’t worrying about:
  • Gifts
    • Wikimedia Foundation, 50 calendars (57 employees)
    • Photographers, 36 calendars (3 each)
    • Wikimedia NYC, 14 calendars
  • Possible Gifts
    • United Nations
    • US Congress (100 Senator, 435 represntative, +3x Staffers)
    • US President and Cabinet (2 President/Vice-President, 15 Cabinet, 6 officers)
    • NYC/DC mayor and city council
    • Any chapters may requests the reminding inventory after Jan 15 at cost of shipping
  • Google AdWords or Facebook Ads, November/December $500. This will need to be played by ear.
    strong objection to facebook ads. --Jeremyb 07:06, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Resellers[edit]

Wholesaler pricing
Stapled: $15.95 Wire-O: $19.99
Qty Price Unit Price Unit
100 750 7.50 1,000 10.00
150 990 6.60 1,410 9.40
200 1,220 6.10 1,800 9.00
250 1,450 5.80 2,150 8.60
300 1,650 5.50 2,490 8.30
500 2,500 5.00 3,800 7.60
1000 4,500 4.50 7,000 7.00
Price are subject to change

We would like to give an incentive to organizations who work with the community, defer financial responsibility, while avoid the image of "selling out". So GLAMs who are actively collaborating may apply to become authorized resellers. This gives you the ability to purchase the calendars at the wholesale rates (right table) for your gift shops. A special acknowledgement inside the calendar may also be given if you order early.

Special signage may need to be created. We’re bypassing Amazon so the margins are 60%+.

Legal[edit]

We probably want a lawyer to check over everything before we do this.

All of this should be discussed with Jay/Geoff/Kat/etc.
  • Incorporate as a for-profit?
    very likely unnecessary. IANAL but I think the most important factor is how much taxable income (w:Unrelated Business Income Tax) the corporation generates. if it were a substantial amount then we could create a wholly owned, for-profit subsidiary of the corporation to receive that income and pay taxes. (ala the for profit MoCo is a wholly owned subsidiary of the MoFo) Anyway, IMHO, it's unlikely that a calendar sold for 5+ times our cost (now I've looked at the costs and I see the prices are worse than I expected but I still don't think it's a problem) by an all volunteer staff would be considered UBI. --Jeremyb 06:51, 3 June 2011 (UTC)
  • Which state to incorporate?
  • NYC’s sales tax is ~9%, avoid by incorporating elsewhere? (e.g. Delaware – no sales tax) We have a significant business presence.
    (again IANAL) irrelevant, we have an office in NYC, we'll be selling them to people at events in NYC. we're either exempt or we're not but if we aren't exempt we don't get to choose our own tax jurisdiction. --Jeremyb 06:51, 3 June 2011 (UTC)
    NY sales tax varies by county. Dispenser 07:40, 4 June 2011 (UTC)
    Actually it's more granular than that. Tax rates can change from one town to the next. --Jeremyb 23:09, 4 June 2011 (UTC)
  • Return policy – Wholesalers, Individuals
  • Most nonprofits usually have incoming generating business, many museums have gift shops, NPR has “gift” for their donations
  • http://en.allexperts.com/q/Nonprofit-Law-2266/Non-profit-sales-UBIT-1.htm

FAQ[edit]

Where will the initial money for investment come from?
We will need 900/1100 individuals pre-ordering or 12 wholesalers each pre-ordering 100 calendars for the initial 5,000 reserve. We can adjust the order quaintly so the pre-order quantity matches the break even point. For scale reference, Wikimania 2012 planners estimate 700 attendees. We may also try contacting Kickstarter for help. Finally, the Wikimedia Foundation may be willing to supply use with a seed fund.
I hear the Wikimedia Foundation intends open its own shop. How is that going to affect you?
Wikimedia Foundation tends to slow to move, so a new store is at least a year away. Their existing cafe press store been running for 7 years, but only has a handful of design. Plus, they have fail to take advantage of the 11x8.5" or 17x11" calendar printing there.
Why not use on-demand printing?
On-demand printing in a great technology that reduce initial investment, inventory, and allows customization. Many companies offer a fully integrated solution with store fronts and we hope to offer for niche calendars for WikiProjects. However, this flexibility comes at a higher price ($20–$25/calendar), a shipping cost ($5), and a reduced profit (<$7).
Compare with the mass-printed calendars which allow wholesale pricing and are price comparative at retail. This means over 50% prices goes to our chapter when sold online and when sold directly at events 80% goes to the chapter.
Why use Amazon?
Amazon.com is the largest online retailer and many American have an account and are aware of shipping options. So, when a shoppers looks for a calendars they will be able find ours and purchase with a familiar interface. Additionally, Amazon.com provides a fulfillment service with many inventory management features and provide quick shipping options. No website, nor warehouse, nor staff is needed. However, this doesn't come cheap — 15% cut from margin.
What is the purpose the survey?
It is market research. Beginning a project we make various assumptions of what people want. At some point before production these assumptions need to be tested. We also ask some questions about future products, so you shouldn't be reading too much into it. It is also a good way of generating pre-orders :-).


You said to make something that can't be done in 20 minutes.
Thinking beyond is currently and quickly done. What can we do to improve it? Add QR code so people can quickly look up a picture? Give the photographer analytics and three free calendars? Fill in the space with descriptive text? etc.
The If the calendars are successful, what other items are you considering?
  • Flash Drive project or iOS app: A simple reduced version of Wikipedia or a Wikipedia Offline Fact Finder. Only the infobox and the lead summary. Search infoboxes
  • Spherical puzzle globe
  • iPhone shells
  • Posters
  • Comic Guide to Reading and Editing Wikipedia (think Google chrome comic)
  • Wikipedia: Knowledge through the ages (Children’s book)


External links[edit]

Offset printing[edit]

On-demand printing[edit]

Retrieved from "https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Dispenser/2012_calendar&oldid=2680928"