Adobe Systems' striking anti-piracy direct-mailer receives unprecedented response

The responses were the result of a striking direct-mailer with a revolutionary idea designed by Wunderman Middle East, Adobe's Advertising Agency in Dubai. The direct-mailer, which sought to highlight the commercial and ethical advantages of using licensed software, was crafted on the basis of the anti-piracy philosophy promoted by Najeeb Khan, Anti-Piracy Manager, Adobe Systems.

'At Adobe Systems, we have always believed that education and awareness is the key to eradicating software piracy. As a result, Adobe anti-piracy campaigns are structured to highlight the fact that by pirating software, users will not only suffer in terms of the functionality of the software, but also in terms of loss of prestige. Pirating software is tantamount to stealing. Once the end-user realizes that, the motivation to legalize unlicensed versions comes easily. The success of this direct-mailer has authenticated our reasoning,' says Najeeb Khan. 'Adobe does not want to distress its customers by using broad brush strokes and branding good and bad alike. We try and treat our customers with respect and responsibility. In our experience, this approach encourages the customers to reciprocate in the same manner.'

'Something to hide your face in if you get caught with pirated software', says the direct-mailer, which has been designed as a brown paper bag. The mailer goes on to detail the dangers of using pirated software and suggests that the end-user come forward to legalize the software. The mailer also extends the offer of expert advice to those wanting to legalizing their software. As an incentive, Adobe offered the first 50 respondents free tickets to GITEX and a chance to win a licensed copy of Adobe Creative Suite (worth approximately US$ 800) and an Apple i-book (worth approximately US$ 1200).

The mailer was sent on September 15, 2004 to a database of 10,000 in the Middle East. Within the first two days far more than 50 responses had poured in. By September 30, the closing date for receiving replies, almost 9 per cent of those contacted had replied. This is 3 times the industry average for similar initiatives. In an encouraging end to the competition, phone and fax responses kept pouring in as late as 15 days after the last date.

'The large volume of responses to the direct mailer has reinforced our original expectations. And, while it's true that a percentage of the response is due to the excellent incentive offered in the mailer, it is still a major step for anyone to admit to an unethical practice. The fact is that most people do not realize that by buying pirated software they are doing something wrong. Instead of threatening such people with legal action, it is important to spread awareness. This was our brief, which has been translated into the very original design of the mailer,' explained Salman Mankani, Account Director for Adobe at Wunderman.

'Using licensed software is not just a legal requirement; it is what the clients and customers expect from a company. It is an ethical commitment that companies are obligated to keep; because of the trust placed in them by the market place,' explains Khan. 'In the Middle East, this message has provided excellent response because this market place generally responds well to positive ethical issues. Adobe took into account this, as well as other regional market realities while crafting this message.'

Meanwhile the winner of the Adobe Creative Software provided a resounding endorsement to the campaign. 'There are so many users who do not realize the dangers of using pirated software. A friend who had been using pirated software suffered a total system collapse, due to the spyware installed on his PC by the unlicensed version. Pirated software doesn't make sense and it is not ethical to use it,' says Anand Swaminathan. 'I have a dream of qualifying as an Adobe certified video editor. I had a demo version of Photoshop which was valid for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, I reformatted the PC and used it for another 30 days. My intention was to upgrade the PC and invest in licensed software once I achieved the certification. When I received the direct-mailer, I took the opportunity to act upon my intentions.'

In a follow-up to the direct-mailer, Grapheast, Adobe's distributor in the Middle East will be contacting respondents to help them legalize their software.