How Microsoft got its marketing groove back on track
For many people, Microsoft is the old guard – an old-fashioned company stuck in its ways and plodding along. And maybe that’s true to some extent, certainly when compared to the young, vibrant, and fresh Apple. But things are changing, and marketing is the key.
For many years Microsoft either didn’t bother marketing itself and its products or did it badly, taking a bad concept, spending as little money as possible on it, and then chucking it out there to see what stuck. Most of the ad campaigns were labored, tired, and far too traditional to appeal to the younger generation. But things change quickly in tech circles, and Microsoft has recently got its game back.
CNET has an amazingly in-depth article looking at how and why Microsoft has got its marketing back on track recently. It focuses on the story of Sean Siler, a Microsoft executive who was chosen to play “the real PC” last summer. The other PC is the character played by John Hodgman in Apple’s ‘Get A Mac’ adverts, otherwise known as ‘PC vs. Mac’.
Siler, who in real life oversees the Windows division’s adoption of new Internet connectivity software called IPv6, auditioned for a part in Microsoft’s new advertising campaign for Windows and became a star when it was noted how similar he looks to John Hodgman. Siler’s ad sparked what has since become a very real fightback for Microsoft in the ad stakes.
Microsoft had to fight back against Apple because although the latter is really only small-time compared to Microsoft, its ads constantly banged on about how terrible PCs are. Positively advertising your own product is one thing but negatively spinning the ads against your competitors is quite another.
We’ve since had the ‘I’m A PC’ campaign, ‘The Rookies’ campaign, and the ‘Laptop Hunters’ campaign, all of which are considered successes. Sure, they didn’t all work – Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates being chummy – but the majority have, and they’ve taken the steam out of Apple’s faltering campaign at the same time.
Microsoft clearly didn’t get marketing for years, and didn’t really find it necessary when it had the market sewn up. But with Apple there constantly rattling its cage Microsoft has had to sharpen up its image. Apple might end up ruing the day it pushed Microsoft far enough to fight back.
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August 31st, 2009
The jury is still out whether Microsoft’s marketing is “back on track.” I agree Microsoft’s latest attempts have been more effective from a messaging point of view, but those messages (some of which are in fact really just HP laptop ads, not Windows ads) have been too easy to undermine by Apple’s latest efforts. Once Windows 7 is out, Microsoft can focus its message on what *Windows* as an operating system offers. Only then will we see if Microsoft’s marketing is back on track.
August 31st, 2009
Microsoft has little need to market, at this point. As Simon pointed out, PC manufacturers have a much bigger hit to take from Apple than Microsoft does.
Windows is a platform to run other Microsoft products, including hooking into their server products and Office. While Apple is justifiably praised for their excellent products and marketing, unless they decide to market OSX for non-Macs or stupidly attempt a real server line (settle down, I mean really try to serve the enterprise) Microsoft has little to fear from Apple.
10% of OEM license revenue is something Microsoft would like to have but it’s hardly crucial. Most of the revenue isn’t from Windows, it’s in other areas besides the Desktop.
Open Office and Linux, if the community ever decides to stop beating on the desktop and goes back to the server uses, are much bigger potential drains.
September 1st, 2009
“Siler, [...] became a star when it was noted how similar he looks to John Hodgman.”
So Mr Siler became a “star” because he “looks similar to John Hodgman”. It’s clearly the same old Microsoft, trying ever so hard to catch up by playing “follow the leader”.