Except this is the exact scenario as marketing Linux: XMPP is a building block to federated messaging, just as Linux is a building block to an operating system. You don't very often see a heavyweight company advertising the concept of Linux-based operating systems to the public. There are marketing efforts such as one group doing the branding project of "Snikket", and there's also plenty of material being pushed out there, but nearly everyone instantly writes it off based upon their past experiences. Nearly everyone just chases after hype, new projects, new VC-funded platforms, and seldom bother with mature and non-controversial projects. Once hype faded, it's always attention diversion to "the next big thing" even though much of what's come about in recent years is just reinventing the same thing over and over again.