mount pinatubo erupts shooting ashes several kilometers high, then floating to blanket many other towns hundreds of kilometers away
Showing posts with label microsoft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label microsoft. Show all posts
Friday, April 10, 2009
3rd microsoft "laptop hunters" - lisa and jackson for $1500
Laptop Hunters $1500 – Lisa and Jackson get a Sony VAIO with just $1500 to spend, Lisa and Jackson find their perfect laptop – a Sony VAIO FW with Blu-ray and a big screen.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
new microsoft tv ads - microsoft concedes it ain't cool but its cheap
can't find the actual ad on youtube yet, but here is the write up on microsoft's new tv ads. based on the article, the new microsoft ad continue to copy the apple/mac ad line and ad campaign of "i'm a pc" which microsoft already used in their 2nd round ad cammpaign after the failed gates/seinfeld ad campaign.
the ad positions the microsoft/windows/pc as a cheap in price brand, a value brand. it's a good message to put across given the recession that's eroding the US economy and as more US consumers get hit by it. it's also a good strategy given the fact that macs continue to be at a premium pricing. the cheap brand positioning separates microsoft/windows/pc from macs.
good value positioning can be relevant in times of economic hardships. we just don't know if good value positioning works well on computers. good value positioning may work well for food products, but it might not work for high priced lifestyle products like computers.
the part that is unusual is that the ad concedes microsoft/windows/pc is not a cool brand/product. the ad is about real people (not talents) who were asked to buy computers (read details on article) and that was the conclusion of the woman in the ad who went into an apple store but was unable to find a mac that fit her budget and her needs. in one of the ads, a woman leaves an apple store unable to buy a mac and says: "I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person."
a brand not being cool may be the truth for some brands (like microsoft/windows/pc?) but its not necessary to admit that in the advertising. to admit outright a computer brand (or any product) is not cool may mean the death of that brand. people who buy computers will hardly admit they are not cool. in fact people who own computers think they are cool given the fact that they own a computer. being cool is part and parcel of buying a computer, it's a key mindset.
the basic idea behind advertising is you put your best foot forward for consumers to admire and appreciate the brand and from there you get them to buy the brand. positive motivation from the product quality and performance is what works best in advertising. you intentionally leave out the negatives or weaknesses of your brand. weaknesses are exposed by competitors, is what apple did to windows vista in their "i'm a mac" ad campaign. this one does not hide it at all, it declared the brand's weakness.
it's a weird thing to do for an ad.
the other school of thought, which microsoft's ad agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, seem to like to do (this ad agency has done this before for other clients) is to admit the fault or weakness of the brand outright and get the consumers to decide if they can get over the negative and buy the product just the same.
so now we have microsoft/windows/pcs saying they are cheap and they are not cool. it's a brand character that is neither here nor there. in fact, it can be seen as negative or unlikeable brand character.
at minimum, that kind of positioning can be polarizing - some people will love it but some people will hate it. it's always risky to release an ad that has the potential to polarize your target audience. the thinking is you release the best ad you can make and that usually entails you are 100% the ad is perfect and will be loved by your target audieence. the risk you take in releasing polarizing ads is that the negative might eventually overpower the negative and you end up more people disliking the ad and brand being advertised than liking it.
the other weakness of this ad is the continuing use of the "I'm a PC" line microsoft copied from the apple/mac ads. we have not seen the tv ad but it appears that is the case based on this article.
microsoft should have just developed their own, unique advertising line. it does not serve the microsoft brand well if they keep reminding people it is copying something from apple in their own tv ads. those apple ads where microsoft copied were the ads that hurt the windows brand badly and has caused it's deterioration in stature. why remind the people of it further?
what is the point of reminding people tiny apple was able to beat giant microsoft in the advertising war? what? further increase windows users inferiority complex?
----
I'm a PC, and this time Microsoft's buying
By Jessica Mintz, Associated Press
SEATTLE — Apple's Macintosh computers may be cool, but Windows PCs are easier on the wallet.
That's the recession-sensitive message Microsoft is pushing in a new series of commercials that debuted Thursday. The ads also continue Microsoft's work to reclaim the "I'm a PC" catchphrase from Apple Inc. and undo the stodgy image its competitor has bestowed on the Windows operating system.
To shoot the ads, Microsoft's agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, recruited unwitting subjects by posing as a market research firm studying laptop purchasing decisions.
It picked 10 people who answered a call for volunteers on Craigslist and other websites and sent them out with a camera crew and budgets ranging from $700 to $2,000. If they found a computer that fit their criteria, they could keep it.
In the first 60-second spot, a red-haired recent college grad named Lauren is on the hunt for a speedy laptop with a 17-inch screen and a "comfortable" keyboard, all for less than $1,000. She strides into an Apple store; then, the scene jumps to her walking out empty-handed, telling the camera that the only laptop in her price range has a 13-inch screen.
Back in the car, she sighs and says, "I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person."
read in full here: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/software/2009-03-26-microsoft-ad_N.htm?csp=usat.me
Monday, February 16, 2009
memo to microsoft: how to make windows 7 succeed
recent news reports says microsoft has hired a vice president whose task is to set up retail stores for microsoft. first time i read it, i imagined it would be a store full of windows OS and windows office. that could be a real boring retail store. they can of course add their gadgets, but considering their gadgets are really going nowhere, it would by logical inference a store full of boxes and boxes of windows OS and windows office.
we don't know that the details are and we also don't how it will be exactly. the guy they hired for the job will only report middle of this week, but it looks like the last paragraph, above is the real reason for microsoft's venturing into retail stores - they want to give potential buyers of windows 7 a venue where they can experience windows 7.
that means the retail store is a marketing tool for them. it's not meant to make them any money, perhaps contribute slightly to building market share but its really more to give consumers a chance to get some positive experience on windows 7. people will see windows 7 operate well inside a controlled environment with the assistance of a very biased sales clerk.
building equity, in this case recovering a destroyed brand equity is a good thing to do, its what microsoft needs to do now. and doing it via the retail stores can be a viable thing to do, but is it the smartest way to do it?
we think there is a much better way of doing this - microsoft should GIVE AWAY FOR FREE their windows 7 software to all vista users.
why will that work?
the above will work on the assumption that windows 7 is a great as what microsoft is saying it is - that it does not have the porblems of vista and that it performs much better than vista and XP. if they are not sure of any of those, they should not do it then. in fact, they probably postpone thee luanch of windows 7 until they get it to that level.
"The purpose of opening these stores is to create deeper engagement with consumers and continue to learn firsthand about what they want and how they buy," Microsoft said in a statement.the second paragraph, above, is what i am referring to - boxes upon boxes of windows 7, windows live and windows mobile. sounds exciting.
Microsoft indicated that it wants to use the stores as a platform to hawk its forthcoming Windows 7 operating system. "This is an exciting time with our strong lineup of upcoming product releases including Windows 7 and new releases of Windows Live and Windows Mobile," said Kevin Turner, the company's chief operating officer, in a statement.
source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h_wsZ3ujT_uUqmXumH3ChOsGGcCAD96AE3NO0
"I am excited about helping consumers make more informed decisions about their PC and software purchases," Porter said in a news release, which added that his first task would be to decide when, where and how to open the Microsoft-branded stores.
source: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-microsoft14-2009feb14,0,6850234.story
we don't know that the details are and we also don't how it will be exactly. the guy they hired for the job will only report middle of this week, but it looks like the last paragraph, above is the real reason for microsoft's venturing into retail stores - they want to give potential buyers of windows 7 a venue where they can experience windows 7.
that means the retail store is a marketing tool for them. it's not meant to make them any money, perhaps contribute slightly to building market share but its really more to give consumers a chance to get some positive experience on windows 7. people will see windows 7 operate well inside a controlled environment with the assistance of a very biased sales clerk.
building equity, in this case recovering a destroyed brand equity is a good thing to do, its what microsoft needs to do now. and doing it via the retail stores can be a viable thing to do, but is it the smartest way to do it?
we think there is a much better way of doing this - microsoft should GIVE AWAY FOR FREE their windows 7 software to all vista users.
why will that work?
- what ails misrosoft now is the product failure vista. the failed vista has caused damage to microsoft's brand image. windows 7 is supposed to remove the pain of vista from the minds of consumers and the brand. giving away windows 7 for all vista users does that in one full sweep.
- the above will certainly generate a lot of goodwill among vista users who will benefit from the miracle of windows 7. this will square things out with "disappointed" vista users.
- they should do this a few months ahead of the formal launch of vista to give vista users who now use windows 7 time to enjoy and heap praises on windows 7.
- one of the selling points of windows 7 is that it is a much better vista, this will prove that once and for all. there is no better testimonial from a former vista user heaping praises for windows 7. it will totally eradicate the fear and questions on exactly how good windows 7 is. you will now have an army of endorsers of windows 7.
- the business cost will be high but i don't think it will be as high as setting up retail stores across america and the rest of the globe. giving away windows 7 is a one shot deal, something you can do in a couple of months, retail stores is a forever thing. the cost of giving windows 7 away free to vista users will be much cheaper in the long run. it is also much less complicated.
- the real target market of windows 7 are actually the users of XP who did not switch to vista and new users. XP users still account for a large percentage of the market, 60%. they did not switch to vista because they got spooked by vista. we think the most effective way to convince XP users to switch to windows 7 is to get vista users to convince them that windows 7 is not vista and is a much better product.
- if microsoft does this, they need to take stock and prepare for what they are facing : vista users will be over-critical and over-sensitive, so microsoft need to double-up and triple-up customer service when vista users start calling to ask for help on windows 7. microsoft do not want complaints to languish and keep boiling over. they need to address them in a much faster fashion than they have done it before. this needs to be industry leading kind of customer service. remember that thinking is these vista users will be next army of endorsers for windows 7
- rather spend a lot of money on the retail stores, they should just put all of it on advertising. and these converted vista users could be source of some great materials for windows 7 ads and consistent with what they are running now. it shouldn't be what they have know, but they can find a way to make a good transition to new material coming from where they are now.
- an army of satisfied ex-vista users will be a much more potent and effective than all the retail stores microsoft will be able to put up in selling windows 7.
the above will work on the assumption that windows 7 is a great as what microsoft is saying it is - that it does not have the porblems of vista and that it performs much better than vista and XP. if they are not sure of any of those, they should not do it then. in fact, they probably postpone thee luanch of windows 7 until they get it to that level.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
10 Ways Microsoft's Retail Stores Will Differ From Apple Stores
just too good not to publish here:
(source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/159521/10_ways_microsofts_retail_stores_will_differ_from_apple_stores.html)
10 Ways Microsoft's Retail Stores Will Differ From Apple Stores
Brennon Slattery, PC World
Microsoft announced plans to open retail stores, hoping to boost visibility of many of its products and its brand. The move seems to be an effort to mimic the success that Apple has had with its retail stores. The news is just too tempting not to have some fun with. So here are some yet-to-be-officially-revealed details about the Microsoft stores.
1) Instead of Apple's sheer walls of glass, Microsoft's stores will have brushed steel walls dotted with holes -- reminiscent of Windows security.
2) The store will have six different entrances: Starter, Basic, Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. While all six doors will lead into the same store, the Ultimate door requires a fee of $100 for no apparent reason.
3) Instead of a "Genius Bar" (as Apple provides) Microsoft will offer an Excuse Bar. It will be staffed by Microsofties trained in the art of evading questions, directing you to complicated and obscure fixes, and explaining it's a problem with the hardware -- not a software bug.
4) The Windows Genuine Advantage team will run storefront security, assuming everybody is a thief until they can prove otherwise.
5) Store hours are undetermined. At any given time the store mysteriously shuts down instantaneously for no apparent reason. (No word yet on what happens to customers inside).
6) Stores will be named Microsoft Live Retail Store with PC Services for Digital Lifestyle Enthusiasts.
7) Fashioned after Microsoft's User Account Control (UAC) in Vista, sales personnel will ask you whether you're positive you want to purchase something at least twice.
8) Xbox 360 section of the store will be organized in a ring -- which will inexplicably go red occasionally.
9) DreamWorks will design a scary in-store theme park ride called "blue screen of death."
10) Store emergency exits will be unlocked at all times so people can get in anytime they want even if the front doors are locked.
(source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/159521/10_ways_microsofts_retail_stores_will_differ_from_apple_stores.html)
10 Ways Microsoft's Retail Stores Will Differ From Apple Stores
Brennon Slattery, PC World
Microsoft announced plans to open retail stores, hoping to boost visibility of many of its products and its brand. The move seems to be an effort to mimic the success that Apple has had with its retail stores. The news is just too tempting not to have some fun with. So here are some yet-to-be-officially-revealed details about the Microsoft stores.
1) Instead of Apple's sheer walls of glass, Microsoft's stores will have brushed steel walls dotted with holes -- reminiscent of Windows security.
2) The store will have six different entrances: Starter, Basic, Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. While all six doors will lead into the same store, the Ultimate door requires a fee of $100 for no apparent reason.
3) Instead of a "Genius Bar" (as Apple provides) Microsoft will offer an Excuse Bar. It will be staffed by Microsofties trained in the art of evading questions, directing you to complicated and obscure fixes, and explaining it's a problem with the hardware -- not a software bug.
4) The Windows Genuine Advantage team will run storefront security, assuming everybody is a thief until they can prove otherwise.
5) Store hours are undetermined. At any given time the store mysteriously shuts down instantaneously for no apparent reason. (No word yet on what happens to customers inside).
6) Stores will be named Microsoft Live Retail Store with PC Services for Digital Lifestyle Enthusiasts.
7) Fashioned after Microsoft's User Account Control (UAC) in Vista, sales personnel will ask you whether you're positive you want to purchase something at least twice.
8) Xbox 360 section of the store will be organized in a ring -- which will inexplicably go red occasionally.
9) DreamWorks will design a scary in-store theme park ride called "blue screen of death."
10) Store emergency exits will be unlocked at all times so people can get in anytime they want even if the front doors are locked.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
windows 7 originally had 7 versions, took out 1 to simplify, now 6 versions
thought they had learned their lesson with vista? one of the complaints on vista was they had too many versions that consumers found it difficult and confusing to choose what is best for them.
we also thought microsoft will make an effort to recover from the vista failure and do better. looks like they also forgot that part.
of course, the idea behind proliferation of SKUs is aside from wanting to confuse consumers, it allows them to sell some versions at a premium and therefore bigger profits. profits versus consumer confusion? we know which one won here.
IF they need to have several SKUs, then we think all they need are 3 versions : (1) starter edition for netbooks, (2) premium version for everyone and (3) professional/enterprise/business would be the last.
the simpler, less number but feature packed versions is also a way to make amends, make peace with the consumers they angered and frustrated with the failed vista.
Monday, November 10, 2008
apple exploits a product failure and bad consumer experience on microsoft vista
good ads are those that use the most simple of words and delivers the most simple of thoughts. combine those to a powerful message and it can be magic. this apple ad will most likely not win awards, but the ad uses simple words, simple thoughts and a very competitive message and that combination means it can be very effective. add to that list - relevance and meaningfullness as the consumer experience on vista's product failures that are being told in the ad are actual consumer experiences.
Friday, October 31, 2008
microsoft's new dirty word : v#$@!$&!
well, yeah, come to think of it - microsoft's "i am a pc" ads do not mention v(blip) by name. in fact they just say "pc", not even windows. its strange because all of these is being caused by v(blip)'s failure to impress users and gain the market share they wanted it to do. i suppose microsoft is just hoping these ads will give a halo effect on v(blip).
and now, apple makes use of that omission in its ads. we are impressed with apple - they are able to see even small things such as the omission of a brand name in an ad.
which makes us wonder even more - why did microsoft omit v(blip) in its tv spots? is that word so dirty that they are afraid if they mentioned it in the ad, people will automatically tune off? that it's mention in their ad might weaken the ad?
read other posts on this topic here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
and now, apple makes use of that omission in its ads. we are impressed with apple - they are able to see even small things such as the omission of a brand name in an ad.
which makes us wonder even more - why did microsoft omit v(blip) in its tv spots? is that word so dirty that they are afraid if they mentioned it in the ad, people will automatically tune off? that it's mention in their ad might weaken the ad?
read other posts on this topic here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
apple ads that bite on vista
it's really very hard not to love these apple ads. it's not just that they do a great job at biting vista, they are very amusing but direct to the point, you know exactly what they want you to understand and remember.
it's very amusing at the way they it exposes the weaknesses of vista. being very competitive and combining that with humor is not very easy to do in advertising. but in these ads, it comes very naturally.
the bonus is that it sustains the image of mac as a very cool and hip brand and product. if there is one element in the mac brand equity where it is clearly superior over vista/microsoft, it is in being hip and cool.
it's no surprise that even microsoft admitted that aside from product problems on vista, the apple ads hurt their business.
Give Up On Vista
Leopard Better And Faster Than Vista
Emergency Refresh
PC News Wire
it's very amusing at the way they it exposes the weaknesses of vista. being very competitive and combining that with humor is not very easy to do in advertising. but in these ads, it comes very naturally.
the bonus is that it sustains the image of mac as a very cool and hip brand and product. if there is one element in the mac brand equity where it is clearly superior over vista/microsoft, it is in being hip and cool.
it's no surprise that even microsoft admitted that aside from product problems on vista, the apple ads hurt their business.
Give Up On Vista
Leopard Better And Faster Than Vista
Emergency Refresh
PC News Wire
Thursday, September 25, 2008
microsoft - apple advertising war - what's coming up next?
apple started it and they started it very well. so well that together with vista's product problems, windows' brand image took a dive. so much to the level that microsoft felt the need to ante up a $300M ad campaign to save themselves from the hole.
now that microsoft's ads are out, what's next in this advertising war?
probably more of the same from microsoft. new ads that they will find the need to explain what they mean. and ads that they will say this isn't it yet, this is just a start, more to come. well, ok microsoft's 3rd ad is better than the first two, so taking that as a trend, microsoft's new ads will most likely be again, baby steps ads - ads with teeny weeny bit improvements from the previous.
what is most worth watching out for would be the new apple ads.
the "i am a mac, i am a pc" apple ads are just great ads. with microsoft's ads, it gave the apple ads a lot of legitimacy and credibility. in the process, microsoft's ads may have enhanced the power of the apple ads. it's interesting that this brand with a tiny market share has defined the agenda in this advertising war.
apple will need to respond and these new apple ads may be nuclear in strength in the next round. the microsoft ads gave apple a lot of new material to play with. they can now be more competitive and sharper against microsoft.
apple now finds itself in a position of greater strength and clearly in the lead versus microsoft. microsoft's lousy ads told apple they are on the right track and gave them the best motivation and inspiration to be even more competitive. it's the best gift any adman can have - one from your competition.
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
the wuzzies versus the coolies - can it work? or is it just silly and idiotic?
this is next in WAWAM!
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
Friday, September 19, 2008
3rd microsoft tv ad, "i'm a pc" - tells us what we already know, restoring pride in windows
what we do know is that jerry seinfeld is in the first 2 microsoft tv ads. the first two suffered from ADS Sindrome, so we were looking forward to the third one. we told ourselves forget the 
past, move on and wait for the third one. after failing twice, we were expecting microsoft will come out with a great ad with seinfeld, finally!
what we didn't know, something that we just found out now, is that seinfeld will no longer be in the microsoft ad. well, at least in this third one. with a $300M ad budget, there cane be a gazillion more tv ads coming our way.
with seinfeld not in the ad, we know this ad is not about humor. what it did was tell us something we already know - that a gazillion people already use microsoft windows. and as the ad showed, we knew these gazillion people are of different shapes and sizes, including shoe sizes. oh, wait a minute that is the 1st ad. when i meant was eye glasses.
the other part we know, actually what this 3rd ad confirms is that microsoft's new ad campaign IS A direct answer to the apple ads. this 3rd ad opens with a look-alike of the pc character in the apple tv spot.
ads that tell us something we already know are not really bad or weak ads. it's not the ideal, they are not just as potent and hardly an agent of attitude change. we were assuming that microsoft embarked on a $300M ad campaign primarily to change attitudes of consumers towards windows. windows has suffered massive declines in brand image with the endless problems with vista plus the relentless picking on done by apple's tv ads that poured salt into microsoft vista's open wounds.
having to say what we already know about windows may not be the most ideal weapon to change consumer attitudes towards a declining brand image, but what this ad does is it tries to restore pride in the windows name. seeing all those people, someone just like us and seeing many others better or worse than us does that.
i think the main point of this ad is that - to restore pride in the windows brand name. and that can be a good thing.
given the things microsoft's marketing heads have been saying about their ad campaign, they seem to do things in a very slow manner, involving multi-level, multi-stage, chapter by chapter approach to brand image reshaping.
that's how they explained the first ad. they said the ad was meant to be like an intro or a teaser where all they wanted to do was to get people to start talking about microsoft again. they were saying - yah, we know the first two ads are boring, but hey, we got you thinking and talking about it. wait for the third one! at least that is what they want us to believe.
this 3rd ad could be employing the same multi-stage strategy. it's saying what we already know, it's just restoring pride and that sets the stage for the real thing for the 4th ad --- an agent of change that will improve the sagging brand image of windows.
can't wait for the 4th ad! (there you go, i'm once again waiting for the next great microsoft ad!)
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
source of picture : http://i.usatoday.net/money/_photos/2008/09/19/microx.jpg
past, move on and wait for the third one. after failing twice, we were expecting microsoft will come out with a great ad with seinfeld, finally!what we didn't know, something that we just found out now, is that seinfeld will no longer be in the microsoft ad. well, at least in this third one. with a $300M ad budget, there cane be a gazillion more tv ads coming our way.
with seinfeld not in the ad, we know this ad is not about humor. what it did was tell us something we already know - that a gazillion people already use microsoft windows. and as the ad showed, we knew these gazillion people are of different shapes and sizes, including shoe sizes. oh, wait a minute that is the 1st ad. when i meant was eye glasses.
the other part we know, actually what this 3rd ad confirms is that microsoft's new ad campaign IS A direct answer to the apple ads. this 3rd ad opens with a look-alike of the pc character in the apple tv spot.
ads that tell us something we already know are not really bad or weak ads. it's not the ideal, they are not just as potent and hardly an agent of attitude change. we were assuming that microsoft embarked on a $300M ad campaign primarily to change attitudes of consumers towards windows. windows has suffered massive declines in brand image with the endless problems with vista plus the relentless picking on done by apple's tv ads that poured salt into microsoft vista's open wounds.
having to say what we already know about windows may not be the most ideal weapon to change consumer attitudes towards a declining brand image, but what this ad does is it tries to restore pride in the windows name. seeing all those people, someone just like us and seeing many others better or worse than us does that.
i think the main point of this ad is that - to restore pride in the windows brand name. and that can be a good thing.
given the things microsoft's marketing heads have been saying about their ad campaign, they seem to do things in a very slow manner, involving multi-level, multi-stage, chapter by chapter approach to brand image reshaping.
that's how they explained the first ad. they said the ad was meant to be like an intro or a teaser where all they wanted to do was to get people to start talking about microsoft again. they were saying - yah, we know the first two ads are boring, but hey, we got you thinking and talking about it. wait for the third one! at least that is what they want us to believe.
this 3rd ad could be employing the same multi-stage strategy. it's saying what we already know, it's just restoring pride and that sets the stage for the real thing for the 4th ad --- an agent of change that will improve the sagging brand image of windows.
can't wait for the 4th ad! (there you go, i'm once again waiting for the next great microsoft ad!)
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
source of picture : http://i.usatoday.net/money/_photos/2008/09/19/microx.jpg
microsoft's new "i'm a pc" tv ad - finally an ad in english that we can all understand! what happened to seinfeld?
TAGLINE : WINDOWS. LIFE WITHOUT WALLS.
finally, microsoft launched a tv ad that is in english, something we all understand what it means. this is one is focused on showing people from all walks of life, ages, passions and achievements saying "i am a pc". it's a direct answer to the apple tv spots and shows how pervasive and wide microsoft is, showing the brand's dominant market share.
what happened to jerry seinfeld? he is nowhere in this ad. seinfeld together with bill gates were in the first two tv spots of microsoft. the first two ads to me were completely out of this world and i mean that in a bad way.
the first two ads were saying a lot of things, it had copy and storylines but the words didn't seem to mean anything. it didn't make a sale of any sort and it's humor completely unremarkable that only the writer seem to understand it's funny. well, actually nobody is certain if it's supposed to be funny. we just assume they are because seinfeld is in the ads.
it is very strange that seinfeld is no longer in the latest microsoft ad. they did make a big deal about signing seinfeld. being a great fan of the seinfeld, the tv show, we were expecting gang-buster ads. that didn't happen so it seems. the only thing that has happened so far is that seinfeld got busted in this 3rd ad.
finally, microsoft launched a tv ad that is in english, something we all understand what it means. this is one is focused on showing people from all walks of life, ages, passions and achievements saying "i am a pc". it's a direct answer to the apple tv spots and shows how pervasive and wide microsoft is, showing the brand's dominant market share.
what happened to jerry seinfeld? he is nowhere in this ad. seinfeld together with bill gates were in the first two tv spots of microsoft. the first two ads to me were completely out of this world and i mean that in a bad way.
the first two ads were saying a lot of things, it had copy and storylines but the words didn't seem to mean anything. it didn't make a sale of any sort and it's humor completely unremarkable that only the writer seem to understand it's funny. well, actually nobody is certain if it's supposed to be funny. we just assume they are because seinfeld is in the ads.
it is very strange that seinfeld is no longer in the latest microsoft ad. they did make a big deal about signing seinfeld. being a great fan of the seinfeld, the tv show, we were expecting gang-buster ads. that didn't happen so it seems. the only thing that has happened so far is that seinfeld got busted in this 3rd ad.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
microsoft turns porn friendly? a lesson in communications
this is an interesting study on communication, specifically branding or naming. that's on the marketing side. if this was our personal lives, we can probably call it any of these : 
"tsimis" (rumor), "paninira" (destroying reputation), dirty minded or good intentions maligned. choose one or a few.
microsoft announced a new privacy tool to be incorporated in the next internet explorer re-transformation - IE will automatically delete passwords, cookies and browsing histories on close down.
microsoft calls it "inPrivate", a privacy tool, but others chose to call it "porn mode". so what is your take on it : tsimis, paninira, dirty minded or good intentions maligned?
-------------
Microsoft adds privacy tools to IE8
So-called 'porn mode' tools to debut in IE8 Beta 2 this month
August 25, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. today spelled out new privacy tools in Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) that some have dubbed "porn mode" in a nod to the most-obvious use of a browser privacy mode.
A privacy advocate applauded the move, calling it a "great step forward," while rival browser builder Mozilla Corp. said it is working to add similar features to a future Firefox.
Slated to appear in IE8 Beta 2, which Microsoft's former chairman, Bill Gates, promised will release this month, the three new tools share the "InPrivate" name, which Microsoft filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office several weeks ago.
The most intriguing tool, and the one that has prompted the "porn mode" label, was dubbed "InPrivate Browsing" by Microsoft. When enabled, IE8 will not save browsing and searching history, cookies, form data and passwords; it also will automatically clear the browser cache at the end of the session.
article parsed, read full article here : http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=knowledge_center&articleId=9113419&taxonomyId=1&intsrc=kc_top
"tsimis" (rumor), "paninira" (destroying reputation), dirty minded or good intentions maligned. choose one or a few.microsoft announced a new privacy tool to be incorporated in the next internet explorer re-transformation - IE will automatically delete passwords, cookies and browsing histories on close down.
microsoft calls it "inPrivate", a privacy tool, but others chose to call it "porn mode". so what is your take on it : tsimis, paninira, dirty minded or good intentions maligned?
-------------
Microsoft adds privacy tools to IE8
So-called 'porn mode' tools to debut in IE8 Beta 2 this month
August 25, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. today spelled out new privacy tools in Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) that some have dubbed "porn mode" in a nod to the most-obvious use of a browser privacy mode.
A privacy advocate applauded the move, calling it a "great step forward," while rival browser builder Mozilla Corp. said it is working to add similar features to a future Firefox.
Slated to appear in IE8 Beta 2, which Microsoft's former chairman, Bill Gates, promised will release this month, the three new tools share the "InPrivate" name, which Microsoft filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office several weeks ago.
The most intriguing tool, and the one that has prompted the "porn mode" label, was dubbed "InPrivate Browsing" by Microsoft. When enabled, IE8 will not save browsing and searching history, cookies, form data and passwords; it also will automatically clear the browser cache at the end of the session.
article parsed, read full article here : http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=knowledge_center&articleId=9113419&taxonomyId=1&intsrc=kc_top
Sunday, September 14, 2008
microsoft's seinfeld pool out tv spot launched, i think...
tagline : perpetually connecting
i thought this was a joke, but it's for real, microsoft has launched the pool-out of their seinfeld tv spot. the one where they intend to spend $300M on. and the one that is supposed to address microsoft's weakening brand image.
we're posting it here for everyone to view it while we sit and watch this over and over again to try to understand the ad.
this ad was developed by an award winning ad agency, with a track record of success. it must be real good. will be back soon!
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
read other posts on the jerry seinfeld microsoft tv spot : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/jerry%20seinfeld
i thought this was a joke, but it's for real, microsoft has launched the pool-out of their seinfeld tv spot. the one where they intend to spend $300M on. and the one that is supposed to address microsoft's weakening brand image.we're posting it here for everyone to view it while we sit and watch this over and over again to try to understand the ad.
this ad was developed by an award winning ad agency, with a track record of success. it must be real good. will be back soon!
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
read other posts on the jerry seinfeld microsoft tv spot : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/jerry%20seinfeld
Monday, September 8, 2008
microsoft seinfeld ad's hidden meanings discovered!
ads are supposed to be self-explanatory, not to mention they are supposed to be interesting. advertising talks about ad clutter and the fight for the attention of the audience. ads don't just fight against invisible enemies like boredom and disinterest, they also fight against a very concrete and real enemy -the tv remote control unit and the dreaded "change channel" button.
you know an ad is in trouble, that you have done a lousy ad and it's a WAWAM! when you lose on all fronts, above. the first sign and this is an absolute disaster, is when you find yourself having to defend and explain the meaning of an ad you just launched.
and that is what micrsosoft has been doing on their seinfeld tv ad since they launched their tv spot last thursday.
WAWAM! is again posting a link to this ad so that readers of this blog can watch it again.
after being in the advertising industry for a long time, i normally have to see an ad only once and i can tell if it's a good ad or not. it comes with years of training and thousands of ads that i have viewed and analyzed. i only view an ad more than once, usually 3 at the most when i need to make a formal analysis of it, something written and there is something wrong with it and need to find exactly what went wrong. this microsoft tv spot, i had to view 6 times.
after becoming a veteran watcher of this tv spot, i think i have found the secret meaning of the ad. as i have said, the power and the meaning of this ad is not obvious. it's not at all self-explanatory and that is why i embarked on a self-exploration of the tv spot.
since the meaning of this ad is not self-explanatory, i am forcing myself to draw the meanings from it :
you know an ad is in trouble, that you have done a lousy ad and it's a WAWAM! when you lose on all fronts, above. the first sign and this is an absolute disaster, is when you find yourself having to defend and explain the meaning of an ad you just launched.
and that is what micrsosoft has been doing on their seinfeld tv ad since they launched their tv spot last thursday.
WAWAM! is again posting a link to this ad so that readers of this blog can watch it again.
after being in the advertising industry for a long time, i normally have to see an ad only once and i can tell if it's a good ad or not. it comes with years of training and thousands of ads that i have viewed and analyzed. i only view an ad more than once, usually 3 at the most when i need to make a formal analysis of it, something written and there is something wrong with it and need to find exactly what went wrong. this microsoft tv spot, i had to view 6 times.
after becoming a veteran watcher of this tv spot, i think i have found the secret meaning of the ad. as i have said, the power and the meaning of this ad is not obvious. it's not at all self-explanatory and that is why i embarked on a self-exploration of the tv spot.
since the meaning of this ad is not self-explanatory, i am forcing myself to draw the meanings from it :
- the ad is about the problems of vista -- if at first install, there's a problem with it, over
time, with hard work and lots of fixing, it becomes ok. that's what happened to the shoes bill gates bought. they didn't fit at first but with some stretching and a change in size, it turned out ok. - talks about value - with bill gates himself buying cheap shoes, it tells you that windows is good value on the long term. who would imagine bill gates buying cheap shoes? there is supposed to be humor in that. please, laugh.
- the everyday-ness of the ad talks about how we use windows on a daily basis. and that it holds promise for the future. that's the last part of the ad. really, it is.
- why bill gates wiggled his behind to fix his shorts is another story all together. don't ask me about that, i don't know everything. i guess there is also humor in that? laugh, please.
conclusion - yes, it's a boring ad. it suffers from a bad case of ADS! Sindrome. i had to firce myself to pick out those meanings from the ad.
the microsoft chief marketing officer said the ad was meant to start a conversation. first time i have heard of an ad like that and i honestly do not know what he means exactly by that.
aren't ads supposed to build brand equity? build brand image? persuade people? what happened to those? does that mean this ad is really not an ad? it's like a teaser for future ads?
it seems to me its all an excuse for coming up with a boring ad. if it's just talk or discussion that is their objective, they have achieved it. people are talking about it but unfortunately for the wrong reasons. most of the talk that has occurred centered on why they don''t like the ad and asking each other what the ad means. why spend money on ad that is not really an ad?
if this is just a teaser ad for future ads, i am totally scared to see the next ones! this ad is like a sample of what is to come, a track record established and it does not make me feel excited about the next ads. if the teaser ad is this boring, how can be next one do better?
no matter how you look at it, it's a WAWAM!
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
-----------
Microsoft tries to explain Seinfeld ad
Deborah Gage
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Did you "get" the new Microsoft commercial? Apparently, some people didn't, so Microsoft officials were calling reporters Friday to explain it.
---
Nevertheless, the Microsoft officials who phoned reporters Friday said it is indeed a campaign to brand Windows, "the start of a conversation ... easily the largest marketing campaign we've ever had."
article parsed, read in full here : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/05/BU7Q12P30T.DTL
Saturday, September 6, 2008
microsoft's $300M seinfeld ad campaign has ADS? Sindrome
tagline : The Future. Delicious.
microsoft launched the much anticipated $300M ad campaign featuring jerry seinfeld last thursday. this ad campaign intends to shore up microsoft's sagging brand image due to problems on vista and as a reaction to the growing popularity of apple computers and its OS. apple has also been running ads that was chipping away on windows brand image highligthing the problems with vista.
we love jerry's seinfeld tv show because it is about "nothing". well, this microsoft ad seem to have followed the same concept from that tv show. microsoft's seinfeld tv ad is also about nothing, only it's quite literal and we don't find it funny at all. could it be because instead of having
seinfeld's 3 other friends in the tv show on the ad, we only have bill gates in it with seinfeld?
in line with the seinfeld storyline of "nothing", this is what this ad is all about - a day in the life of jerry seinfeld's walk in a mall and bill gate's purchase of a cheap pair of shoes. you know how it is, these multi-billionaires have the same lives as we do. as we cross paths with acquaintances in shopping malls, bill and jerry experience the same thing.
there is no mention of the word "w-i-n-d-o-w-s" in the tv ad, either spoken as a word or spelled as you read it here. and that makes sense. i take that to mean they recognize the fact that in our daily lives, we don't really say that word, specially when we are in a store buying for shoes. thank God for such brilliance.
i think what the ad seeks to do is to pull us in into the everyday life of bill gates as he buys cheap shoes. never mind that bill gates has enough money to buy anywhere from 217 to 2,170 shoe factories not only china but in every country in the world. you see, gates in his slightly untucked shirt is like everyone else.
somewhere in that ad is a consumer insight. with seinfeld in the ad, then bill gates himself and a $300M ad budget, we all expect this ad at minimum will have a brilliant consumer insight. bill and jerry, though in very different businesses, both built their fortunes and popularity on their uncanny skill at picking out consumer insights. i mean that in a most serious way.
seinfeld the tv show became the icon that it is because it was great in showing us who we are in our daily lives and make it incredibly funny. same thing with gates - he had the uncanny ability to extract what exactly we need in our current and future computer needs.
the consumer insight is there in this commercial. i will let you know as soon as i find it.
i wondered a lot when micrsosoft announced jerry seinfeld will appear in its commercials. we all know him from his tv show but the current audience know him from the re-runs of his shows. that is the biggest problem in choosing him for this ad project. on the other hand, jerry has great comedic timing, aside from being a great and funny writer. so i thought maybe seinfeld is not a bad choice. seinfeld's stand-up comedy revolves around ordinary, simple and everyday things that he somehow finds some great humor in them and we laugh with him when he says things like that. so, it could be a very interesting commercial.
then i saw this ad! i was giving myself the chance to accept jerry seinfeld in a microsoft commercial but i totally closed out when i saw the ad - i didn't expect that aside from seinfeld, they will actually use the storylines in the seinfeld tv show - all about nothing. what happened to interesting ads? smart ads? entertaining ads? if you have seinfeld in your ad, at minimum you expect him to be funny. but seinfeld was nowhere near funny in this ad. he was just nothing.
and why is bill gates in the ad? that's a separate discussion all together for another day.
by this time, you might be wondering already what is the point i am making in this post. WAWAM! is supposed to be about understanding tv ads, why they work and why they don't work.
and that is exactly it -- this is a post about nothing. the ad has nothing, what else can i say? wait a minute, it has something - it has ADS? Sindrome and that makes it a WAWAM!
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
read posts in WAWAM! on microsoft's ad campaign here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/microsoft
read about ADS? Sindrome here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/2008/08/wawam-launches-ano-daw-sabi-ads.html
microsoft launched the much anticipated $300M ad campaign featuring jerry seinfeld last thursday. this ad campaign intends to shore up microsoft's sagging brand image due to problems on vista and as a reaction to the growing popularity of apple computers and its OS. apple has also been running ads that was chipping away on windows brand image highligthing the problems with vista.
we love jerry's seinfeld tv show because it is about "nothing". well, this microsoft ad seem to have followed the same concept from that tv show. microsoft's seinfeld tv ad is also about nothing, only it's quite literal and we don't find it funny at all. could it be because instead of having
seinfeld's 3 other friends in the tv show on the ad, we only have bill gates in it with seinfeld?in line with the seinfeld storyline of "nothing", this is what this ad is all about - a day in the life of jerry seinfeld's walk in a mall and bill gate's purchase of a cheap pair of shoes. you know how it is, these multi-billionaires have the same lives as we do. as we cross paths with acquaintances in shopping malls, bill and jerry experience the same thing.
there is no mention of the word "w-i-n-d-o-w-s" in the tv ad, either spoken as a word or spelled as you read it here. and that makes sense. i take that to mean they recognize the fact that in our daily lives, we don't really say that word, specially when we are in a store buying for shoes. thank God for such brilliance.
i think what the ad seeks to do is to pull us in into the everyday life of bill gates as he buys cheap shoes. never mind that bill gates has enough money to buy anywhere from 217 to 2,170 shoe factories not only china but in every country in the world. you see, gates in his slightly untucked shirt is like everyone else.
somewhere in that ad is a consumer insight. with seinfeld in the ad, then bill gates himself and a $300M ad budget, we all expect this ad at minimum will have a brilliant consumer insight. bill and jerry, though in very different businesses, both built their fortunes and popularity on their uncanny skill at picking out consumer insights. i mean that in a most serious way.
seinfeld the tv show became the icon that it is because it was great in showing us who we are in our daily lives and make it incredibly funny. same thing with gates - he had the uncanny ability to extract what exactly we need in our current and future computer needs.
the consumer insight is there in this commercial. i will let you know as soon as i find it.
i wondered a lot when micrsosoft announced jerry seinfeld will appear in its commercials. we all know him from his tv show but the current audience know him from the re-runs of his shows. that is the biggest problem in choosing him for this ad project. on the other hand, jerry has great comedic timing, aside from being a great and funny writer. so i thought maybe seinfeld is not a bad choice. seinfeld's stand-up comedy revolves around ordinary, simple and everyday things that he somehow finds some great humor in them and we laugh with him when he says things like that. so, it could be a very interesting commercial.
then i saw this ad! i was giving myself the chance to accept jerry seinfeld in a microsoft commercial but i totally closed out when i saw the ad - i didn't expect that aside from seinfeld, they will actually use the storylines in the seinfeld tv show - all about nothing. what happened to interesting ads? smart ads? entertaining ads? if you have seinfeld in your ad, at minimum you expect him to be funny. but seinfeld was nowhere near funny in this ad. he was just nothing.
and why is bill gates in the ad? that's a separate discussion all together for another day.
by this time, you might be wondering already what is the point i am making in this post. WAWAM! is supposed to be about understanding tv ads, why they work and why they don't work.
and that is exactly it -- this is a post about nothing. the ad has nothing, what else can i say? wait a minute, it has something - it has ADS? Sindrome and that makes it a WAWAM!
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
read posts in WAWAM! on microsoft's ad campaign here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/microsoft
read about ADS? Sindrome here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/2008/08/wawam-launches-ano-daw-sabi-ads.html
Sunday, August 24, 2008
apple ad campaign to be challenged with a $300M microsoft ad campaign
a $300M war chest, now that's every adman's dream. that says a lot of things about many things. here are a few:
vista and microsoft must be hurting if not in terms of sales, it is most likely hurting in brand image as brought about the apple ad campaign. apple as a computer and the leopard as an OS is puny in terms of market share. apple sales have gone up aggressively but it's impressive run up in recent months continue to amount to a very insignificant size compared to microsoft.
the apple ad campaign couldn't be more simpler. it's direct to the point, its plain language and unfortunately for vista and microsoft, the ads speak the truth. these problems are widespread and there is no windows user, vista users specially who are alive who have not experienced any of the failures depicted in the apple ads. there can a few who have not, but they have surely heard it happen to others and they live in constant fear they may be the next.
these apple ads have been running for sometime, makes me wonder why is it only now that microsoft has decided to counter the ads. perhaps because apple computer market share have been really insignificantly low compared to the giant microsoft. they probably decided to finally respond perhaps with recent industry data that showed apple sales have grown and that consumer satisfaction was extremely high on apple and trounces vista to nowhere.
can't wait to see jerry seinfeld's tv ads for microsoft to launch. have been an avid seinfeld tv show watcher and in that show, seinfeld only uses a mac. wonder if this will be a switcher story?
---------
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
view the latest apple tv ads here : http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/
vista and microsoft must be hurting if not in terms of sales, it is most likely hurting in brand image as brought about the apple ad campaign. apple as a computer and the leopard as an OS is puny in terms of market share. apple sales have gone up aggressively but it's impressive run up in recent months continue to amount to a very insignificant size compared to microsoft.
the apple ad campaign couldn't be more simpler. it's direct to the point, its plain language and unfortunately for vista and microsoft, the ads speak the truth. these problems are widespread and there is no windows user, vista users specially who are alive who have not experienced any of the failures depicted in the apple ads. there can a few who have not, but they have surely heard it happen to others and they live in constant fear they may be the next.
these apple ads have been running for sometime, makes me wonder why is it only now that microsoft has decided to counter the ads. perhaps because apple computer market share have been really insignificantly low compared to the giant microsoft. they probably decided to finally respond perhaps with recent industry data that showed apple sales have grown and that consumer satisfaction was extremely high on apple and trounces vista to nowhere.
can't wait to see jerry seinfeld's tv ads for microsoft to launch. have been an avid seinfeld tv show watcher and in that show, seinfeld only uses a mac. wonder if this will be a switcher story?
---------
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
view the latest apple tv ads here : http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/
Saturday, August 23, 2008
apple vs microsoft advertising war
Microsoft Enlists Jerry Seinfeld In Its Ad Battle Against Apple
By SUZANNE VRANICA and ROBERT A. GUTH
Microsoft Corp., weary of being cast as a stodgy oldster by Apple Inc.'s advertising, is turning for help to Jerry Seinfeld.
The software giant's new $300 million advertising campaign, devised by a newly hired ad agency, has been closely guarded. But Mr. Seinfeld will be one of the key celebrity pitchmen, say people close to the situation. He will appear with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in ads and receive about $10 million for the work, they say.
The new ad effort is expected to use some variation of the slogan "Windows, Not Walls,"
according to several people familiar with the matter. Those people say the point is to stress breaking down barriers that prevent people and ideas from connecting. The campaign, said to debut Sept. 4, is one of the largest in the company's history.
The attempted image overhaul comes as Microsoft executives privately acknowledge that Windows -- the company's most important brand -- has grown stale and has been battered by Apple's "Mac vs. PC" ads. Those ads, created by Omnicom Group Inc.'s TBWA/Chiat/Day, feature a nerdy PC guy getting upstaged by a hip Mac counterpart.
Microsoft's immediate goal is to reverse the negative public perception of Windows Vista, the latest version of the company's personal-computer operating system. Windows is Microsoft's largest generator of profit and revenue, accounting for 28% of the company's revenue of $60.4 billion in the year ended June 30.
The software has sold well, and Microsoft retains an overwhelming share of the market for operating system software over Apple. But Apple's computer sales have been rising, and Vista is dogged by the notion that it has technical shortcomings and is hard to use. Apple's latest Mac vs. PC ads take swipes at Vista. Microsoft says early problems with Vista have been largely alleviated.
While Apple's digs at Microsoft through its advertising campaign have been vexing, Apple is on a hot streak with its products that Microsoft hasn't been able to match. Apple's Macintosh computer business is dwarfed by Microsoft's share of the PC software market, but it has been gaining on its larger rival, accounting for 7.8% of new PC shipments in the U.S. in the second quarter, compared with 6.2% during the same period the prior year, according to research firm IDC. The vast majority of the rest of the market is made up of Windows PCs.
During the second quarter, Apple said it sold 41% more Macs than it did during the same period the prior year; that compares with growth of 15.3% in total PC shipments world-wide, according to IDC. Apple's desktop and notebook computers have won converts among onetime Windows loyalists.
Crucial Role
Microsoft's campaign highlights the crucial role of Windows in the company's broader efforts to expand into new areas. Money from that division is invested into other areas, such as online services that are crucial to Microsoft's long-term growth. Windows is also a bedrock product for sales of other Microsoft software, such as the Office group of programs.
"They are not seen as cool," says Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a New York branding firm. "Apple is cool. Can anyone even recall a Microsoft ad? No." Apple and its brand-obsessed CEO, Steve Jobs, have been producing distinctive advertising since its famous "1984" campaign, which debuted that year in the Super Bowl.
In an email to Microsoft employees in July, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer wrote, "Now it's time to tell our story."
He added: "In the weeks ahead, we'll launch a campaign to address any lingering doubts our customers may have about Windows Vista." He said that later in the year the company will roll out "a more comprehensive effort to redefine the meaning and value of Windows for our customers."
Microsoft's large business-to-business presence has always made for a difficult marketing mix with consumer branding. Windows is used by both constituencies.
Mr. Seinfeld is just one piece of the makeover. The campaign will likely include videos of recent consumer focus groups that Microsoft held. In the studies, participants -- who said they had negative impressions of Vista -- were shown a version of Windows called "Mojave." After trying Mojave and liking it, the participants were told that the software was actually Windows Vista.
The campaign is the brainchild of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, a Miami-based ad shop that has helped revitalize brands such as Burger King. Microsoft hired the firm earlier this year after considering several ad agencies including WPP Group PLC's JWT, Publicis Groupe's Fallon and its longtime agency Interpublic Group's McCann Erickson.
Big Test
The campaign is a big test for Crispin Porter + Bogusky. In choosing the firm, a unit of MDC Partners, Microsoft broke from McCann Erickson, which has managed the software maker's previous efforts including the 2002 "Realizing Potential" Microsoft corporate ad campaign and the "Start Something" campaign for Windows XP in 2005. McCann remains on Microsoft's agency roster working on other Microsoft ad duties such as Xbox.
While Crispin Porter + Bogusky has won awards for its Burger King ads, which highlighted the company's king pitchman, not all its pitches have hit the mark. The agency had come up short on its work for Miller Lite with its "Man Laws" ad campaign that featured boxer Oscar De La Hoya and actor Burt Reynolds. The work failed to increase sales. The two companies eventually parted ways.
Even though Mr. Seinfeld's popular sitcom stopped production in 1998, the 54-year-old comic still has major appeal with consumers, according to Davie-Brown Entertainment, a marketing company owned by Omnicom Group. The comedian ranks 41st out of more than 1,900 celebrities in terms of broad appeal, the firm's data show.
Still, after 10 years of reruns and only occasional appearances by Mr. Seinfeld in the media, keeping the franchise fresh with younger adults is a concern. Last week, Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures Television, which distributes "Seinfeld" in U.S. syndication, announced the "Seinfeld Campus Tour," in which it's sending a 60-foot "Seinfeld"-themed bus to U.S. colleges to drum up interest in "a new generation of viewers," a spokeswoman said.
Mr. Seinfeld had been a spokesman for American Express, and his "Superman" commercials and Web videos in 2004 won raves. People familiar with the Microsoft campaign say that the company was aware of trying too hard to pander to youth, so didn't want a celebrity that was too hip, or a possible flash-in-the-pan.
source:
thttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB121928939429159525.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
By SUZANNE VRANICA and ROBERT A. GUTH
Microsoft Corp., weary of being cast as a stodgy oldster by Apple Inc.'s advertising, is turning for help to Jerry Seinfeld.
The software giant's new $300 million advertising campaign, devised by a newly hired ad agency, has been closely guarded. But Mr. Seinfeld will be one of the key celebrity pitchmen, say people close to the situation. He will appear with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in ads and receive about $10 million for the work, they say.
The new ad effort is expected to use some variation of the slogan "Windows, Not Walls,"
according to several people familiar with the matter. Those people say the point is to stress breaking down barriers that prevent people and ideas from connecting. The campaign, said to debut Sept. 4, is one of the largest in the company's history.The attempted image overhaul comes as Microsoft executives privately acknowledge that Windows -- the company's most important brand -- has grown stale and has been battered by Apple's "Mac vs. PC" ads. Those ads, created by Omnicom Group Inc.'s TBWA/Chiat/Day, feature a nerdy PC guy getting upstaged by a hip Mac counterpart.
Microsoft's immediate goal is to reverse the negative public perception of Windows Vista, the latest version of the company's personal-computer operating system. Windows is Microsoft's largest generator of profit and revenue, accounting for 28% of the company's revenue of $60.4 billion in the year ended June 30.
The software has sold well, and Microsoft retains an overwhelming share of the market for operating system software over Apple. But Apple's computer sales have been rising, and Vista is dogged by the notion that it has technical shortcomings and is hard to use. Apple's latest Mac vs. PC ads take swipes at Vista. Microsoft says early problems with Vista have been largely alleviated.
While Apple's digs at Microsoft through its advertising campaign have been vexing, Apple is on a hot streak with its products that Microsoft hasn't been able to match. Apple's Macintosh computer business is dwarfed by Microsoft's share of the PC software market, but it has been gaining on its larger rival, accounting for 7.8% of new PC shipments in the U.S. in the second quarter, compared with 6.2% during the same period the prior year, according to research firm IDC. The vast majority of the rest of the market is made up of Windows PCs.
During the second quarter, Apple said it sold 41% more Macs than it did during the same period the prior year; that compares with growth of 15.3% in total PC shipments world-wide, according to IDC. Apple's desktop and notebook computers have won converts among onetime Windows loyalists.
Crucial Role
Microsoft's campaign highlights the crucial role of Windows in the company's broader efforts to expand into new areas. Money from that division is invested into other areas, such as online services that are crucial to Microsoft's long-term growth. Windows is also a bedrock product for sales of other Microsoft software, such as the Office group of programs.
"They are not seen as cool," says Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a New York branding firm. "Apple is cool. Can anyone even recall a Microsoft ad? No." Apple and its brand-obsessed CEO, Steve Jobs, have been producing distinctive advertising since its famous "1984" campaign, which debuted that year in the Super Bowl.
In an email to Microsoft employees in July, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer wrote, "Now it's time to tell our story."
He added: "In the weeks ahead, we'll launch a campaign to address any lingering doubts our customers may have about Windows Vista." He said that later in the year the company will roll out "a more comprehensive effort to redefine the meaning and value of Windows for our customers."
Microsoft's large business-to-business presence has always made for a difficult marketing mix with consumer branding. Windows is used by both constituencies.
Mr. Seinfeld is just one piece of the makeover. The campaign will likely include videos of recent consumer focus groups that Microsoft held. In the studies, participants -- who said they had negative impressions of Vista -- were shown a version of Windows called "Mojave." After trying Mojave and liking it, the participants were told that the software was actually Windows Vista.
The campaign is the brainchild of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, a Miami-based ad shop that has helped revitalize brands such as Burger King. Microsoft hired the firm earlier this year after considering several ad agencies including WPP Group PLC's JWT, Publicis Groupe's Fallon and its longtime agency Interpublic Group's McCann Erickson.
Big Test
The campaign is a big test for Crispin Porter + Bogusky. In choosing the firm, a unit of MDC Partners, Microsoft broke from McCann Erickson, which has managed the software maker's previous efforts including the 2002 "Realizing Potential" Microsoft corporate ad campaign and the "Start Something" campaign for Windows XP in 2005. McCann remains on Microsoft's agency roster working on other Microsoft ad duties such as Xbox.
While Crispin Porter + Bogusky has won awards for its Burger King ads, which highlighted the company's king pitchman, not all its pitches have hit the mark. The agency had come up short on its work for Miller Lite with its "Man Laws" ad campaign that featured boxer Oscar De La Hoya and actor Burt Reynolds. The work failed to increase sales. The two companies eventually parted ways.
Even though Mr. Seinfeld's popular sitcom stopped production in 1998, the 54-year-old comic still has major appeal with consumers, according to Davie-Brown Entertainment, a marketing company owned by Omnicom Group. The comedian ranks 41st out of more than 1,900 celebrities in terms of broad appeal, the firm's data show.
Still, after 10 years of reruns and only occasional appearances by Mr. Seinfeld in the media, keeping the franchise fresh with younger adults is a concern. Last week, Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures Television, which distributes "Seinfeld" in U.S. syndication, announced the "Seinfeld Campus Tour," in which it's sending a 60-foot "Seinfeld"-themed bus to U.S. colleges to drum up interest in "a new generation of viewers," a spokeswoman said.
Mr. Seinfeld had been a spokesman for American Express, and his "Superman" commercials and Web videos in 2004 won raves. People familiar with the Microsoft campaign say that the company was aware of trying too hard to pander to youth, so didn't want a celebrity that was too hip, or a possible flash-in-the-pan.
source:
thttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB121928939429159525.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
read more posts on this microsoft and apple ads here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/i%20am%20mac%20i%20am%20pc
Friday, June 27, 2008
WAWAM! pays tribute to Mr. Bill Gates
aside from being an intellectual genius, he is also a marketing genius. WAWAM! pays tribute to Mr. Bill Gates.interesting picture on the right, with this caption :- "In 1978, the original 11 members of Microsoft: standing in back row, from left, Steve Wood, Bob Wallace, Jim Lane; second row, Bob O’Rear, Bob Greenberg, Marc McDonald, Gordon Letwin; front row, Bill Gates, Andrea Lewis, Marla Wood and Paul Allen."
----------
Microsoft Seeks Path Beyond the Gates Legacy
By STEVE LOHR
New York Times
Published: June 27, 2008
Bill Gates is retiring, sort of. He is still only 52, and he is going off to spend more time guiding the world’s richest philanthropy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He will still be Microsoft’s chairman and largest shareholder, but Friday is his last day as a full-time worker at the software giant, marking the unofficial end of his career as a business leader.
And what a career it has been. Mr. Gates has been an animating force behind the personal computer revolution, helping to build a huge global industry and engineer blockbuster products like Windows and Office, used every day in offices and homes around the world.
read the complete story here : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/technology/27soft.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1214712000&en=4026f0e3cf93a6ef&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
