Posts Tagged: windows 7

microsoft / strategy / technology — 7 Comments
12
Aug 10

Microsoft goes Mac-sniping

After playing the part of punching bag in the Apple’s long-running Mac vs. PC campaign, then fighting back with a peashooter in its own I’m a PC campaign, Microsoft is on the warpath. With a new section in their website entitled PC versus Mac, they’re turning the volume all the way up to 7.

Before we pause to read, let us enjoy the accoutrements. While most web pages display a window title, Microsoft actually crams a mini-ad into that tiny space — complete with a double-dose of “more.” You can almost hear the marketing chief exhorting his troops, “Make every pixel on this page sell!”

As you can see above, the navigation area atop the main image does a perfect job of differentiating PC from Mac. It’s a mess. We get two navigation bars (awkwardly spaced), four tabs, a “Were you looking for?” pop-up and an ill-placed, barely noticeable “PC versus Mac” title. Appropriately, the woman’s face seems to be saying, “No, really, I’m glad to see you — I just didn’t have a chance to clean up.”

Well it’s August, maybe the web designers are on holiday. Let’s just skip directly to the content. Like Apple’s Why you’ll love a Mac pages, Microsoft breaks its story down into bite-size chunks. Do they pass or fail?

1. Macs might spoil your fun.
Microsoft makes a point that in the universe of PCs, you can find models that have Blu-ray, TV tuners, 3G wireless, and the ability to connect to Xbox and TV. Can’t do that on a Mac. Fair enough. Pass.

2. Macs can take time to learn.
This section boldly states, “The computer that’s easiest to use is typically the one you already know. While some may say Macs are easy, the reality is that they can come with a learning curve.” It’s been a while since I’ve seen logic as lame. This is like telling the stick-shift owner that automatic transmissions are easier, but they come with a learning curve. Of course they do. Everything in life has a learning curve. Once you learn, it might just make what’s left of your life more pleasant. Fail.

3. Macs don’t work as well at work or at school.
This isn’t just a scare tactic, it’s at odds with Microsoft’s own business. Here we are warned that it can be difficult to share files with PC users if you use Apple’s productivity suite. No mention that if you use Microsoft’s own fabulous Office for Mac, you get seamless compatibility guaranteed by Microsoft itself. Ugly fail.

4. Macs don’t like to share.
 I never knew it was hard to share on a Mac until I read this. I share things instantly and effortlessly all day. Whatever setup was required was so insignificant I don’t remember it. Fail.

5. Macs might not like your PC stuff.
Here, we discover that files from Apple’s productivity suite won’t open on a PC. Hey wait a second. Didn’t they just say that? Oh, and if there is a Mac version of the software you want, you’ll have to buy it again and relearn it. Uh… buy it again, yes. Relearn it, no. Double fail for redundancy.

6. Macs don’t let you choose.
This section starts by saying “PCs give you a lot more choice and capabilities for your money.” Interestingly, they never mention the money part again, even though it’s probably their strongest argument. Instead, it’s all about Blu-ray, TV tuner (didn’t we already discuss this already too?) and all the colors you can choose from besides Apple’s white or silver (watch it pal, that’s aluminum!). Fail.

The beauty of Apple’s famous-but-now-defunct Mac vs. PC campaign was its tone of voice. With humor, it delivered a very aggressive message without making Apple sound nasty. On Apple’s website — then and now — the comparisons to PCs are presented positively (“It’s designed to be a better computer,” “It’s compatible with your stuff,” etc.). Microsoft’s tone is far less appealing — you might even say whiny and threatening.

I don’t knock Microsoft for creating these pages. They have a business, and they need to stop the growing number of defectors in their tracks. However, I will say that some artful writing would have helped. A lot.

They might have waited till the designers got back from vacation, too.

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advertising / strategy — 10 Comments
9
Nov 09

Astroturfing with Microsoft

astroturfAnyone familiar with the term astroturfing? It’s what happens when a company or organization tries to create a grassroots movement — using fake grass. That is, they scheme to give their cause the appearance of a popular movement, when they’re actually out for themselves. Sound like anyone we know? We’ve been analyzing Microsoft’s efforts one by one, but when you zoom up for the aerial view, the pattern is pretty darn clear. Microsoft is on an astroturfing tear:

Look at the Laptop Hunters campaign — featuring real people searching for the perfect laptop. Oh. They’re actors.

Look at the Windows 7 launch parties — using you to enlist your friends and relatives into the revolution.

Look at the Microsoft Stores hype — promoting concert ticket giveaways to help build that frenzied crowd on opening day.

Look at the new Windows 7 campaign — portraying the new OS as a product “built by the people.”

One little problem: you can’t start a grassroots movement for a company that owns 95% of the market.

Microsoft knows that people don’t like them, so their solution is to, uh … show people liking them. There’s logic to this, but only to the terminally unimaginative.

In stark contrast to Microsoft’s astroturfing, Apple uses real customers in their ads only rarely — yet they’ve created super-passionate advocates. They don’t use other happy customers as a lure, they simply present their products in a variety of interesting ways. They strike a chord with current and new customers alike.

Great advertisers have always understood that authenticity is what connects with customers. When Nike celebrates the spirit of the athlete, it’s authentic. When Mini-Cooper talks about the fun of driving, it’s authentic. When Microsoft shows off a rising tide of happy enthusiasts — we can’t help but smell the fresh plastic.

[A big thanks to my writer friend Andrew Tonkin in LA for inspiring this topic. Check him out.]

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advertising / creative / strategy / technology — 10 Comments
27
Oct 09

W7: another one of your big ideas

Why Microsoft created their secret Windows 7 commercials will remain a mystery. The real campaign broke on W7 launch day, and the final marketing theme has been revealed. Basically, it’s “you asked for it.”

I may not be a Windows or Microsoft enthusiast, but as a fan of advertising I can’t help feeling that this effort is just an opportunity wasted. A huge, unmistakable, perfect-storm opportunity served up on a silver platter. Hold that thought for a minute.

The “you asked for it” strategy is valid. Not inspiring, but valid. You’ve got a billion potential customers, many of whom felt abused by Vista, and you want them to feel some ownership of Windows 7. It’s not unlike the old creative director’s trick of presenting a new campaign to a client by saying, “At our last meeting, you said something that really got us going…” I always wondered if they believed that. I also wonder if Microsoft’s customers will believe it.

Creatively, it’s another story. What we get is mass-market, feel-good, seen-it-before pap — the opposite of aspirational. There’s little authenticity here, though I empathize with the problem. Microsoft has never succeeded in creating a brand persona, so they’re stuck with the one that’s been created for them. And the good-natured benefactor we see here is definitely not it. I guess they believe that by showing us ordinary folk, they can be “one of the guys” — but it doesn’t work that way.

It’s always a risk to show real people in a campaign like this, because your viewers, consciously or subconsciously, have to ask themselves “do I really want to be like that person?” In many of the Windows 7 spots, especially the one above, the answer more than likely is “I’d rather kill myself.”

But what Microsoft did here isn’t nearly as disappointing as their failure to do more. This moment could have been historic. Any ad person who hadn’t already sold his/her soul would have gladly done so for the opportunity to introduce the technology that will be used by 90% of the planet’s computers. Having been proclaimed “the best Windows ever” by reviewers and users for months, it’s a guaranteed hit — a no-risk proposition. If ever an advertiser had permission to be bold, to be brave, to create something truly memorable — this was it. This was Microsoft’s “iPhone moment,” the magic time that exists only because of the 10-15 years that played out before, when all the world is watching. Windows 7 is the company’s core product, and this campaign could not only have presented W7 as a landmark in computing, it could have served to help create the brand personality Microsoft has been missing. It was all there for the taking, and they chose to be harmless instead.

It’s really quite a shame. Unless you’re a Mac user, of course — in which case it’s kind of like one big Windows 7 launch party.

(FYI, there are a number of spots running in this campaign now. If you’re interested, here are the links to the launch ad and another my idea spot.)

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strategy / technology — 9 Comments
13
Oct 09

Windows 7′s bad attitude

The fixed the product, now fix the attitude

The product is improved. The attitude, not so much.

To read the pre-release reviews of Windows 7, one would think the scourge of Vista is behind us. Even WSJ’s Walt Mossberg, long a believer in Mac OS X superiority, suddenly sees OS equality.

Well, not so fast. There may be a smaller technology gap, but I’m afraid we still have a serious philosophy gap. While Apple continues to gain share by embracing its customers, Microsoft acts more like the bully being forced to shake hands with the kid he just beat up.

You can’t win the hearts of customers unless you show a little love (see earlier post). Yet Microsoft continues to treat us like a source of cash instead of human beings. For example, Windows 7 (like Vista) comes in multiple flavors at multiple prices. There are four versions this time. It’s your job to figure out which is right and pay accordingly — with Ultimate appearing at a budget-busting $320. (That other OS comes in one flavor, all features included, at one decent price.)

Inexplicably, Microsoft is making the upgrade most difficult for its biggest group of customers: those who passed on Vista and stuck with XP (that’s over half of the world’s PC users, by the way). Vista users can upgrade with a click, but those XP laggards must be punished for their sin. They’ll need to back up their data, wipe out their hard disks, reinstall their apps, re-run the updaters and restore their data. (That other OS installs over any previous system, no problem.)

And, with full knowledge that email, calendar, contact list and video player are essential to our everyday lives — Microsoft didn’t even include them in Windows 7. They’re free, but you have to go download them online. Now that’s considerate. (That other OS comes with all these apps, ready to run.)

I’m sure the boys in Redmond are frustrated as hell that Apple basks in all this love while Microsoft fails to get the credit they so richly deserve. Actually, they’re getting exactly the credit they deserve. What people want is a little respect — and Microsoft keeps forgetting to put that in the box.

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creative / technology — 19 Comments
8
Oct 09

Windows 7 as the hit of the party

When I started this blog, I knew that one day I would be tempted by the Dark Side. I might feel the urge to mercilessly slam an easy target. I might be unable to resist the lure despite the knowledge that I’d feel dirty afterward.

I do have will power, I swear. But this is like putting a fresh hunk of gazelle in front of a starved lion. If you haven’t seen this YouTube Windows 7 House Party video yet, it’s worth the too-long time it takes. It’s entertaining in ways it was never intended. Plus, if you’re a creative person, it’s a primer on how to avoid jeopardizing your future.

Rather than talk about things like the one-from-every-demographic casting and creative-brief dialogue (damn, there I go), I’d like to discuss the idea of it. Because, to be honest, the planners should be first on the posse’s list. The thinking apparently went like this: “Prior to the launch date, let’s encourage people to have Tupperware parties, using Windows 7 instead of the 10-piece set of plastics. That way, each Windows 7 enthusiast will recruit and sell a whole group of customers. That’s leverage.” Only problem: it’s also an insult to our intelligence.

Even assuming that real people will be better actors than these guys, I imagine that reasonably intelligent and sociable people might find something better to do on a Friday night. To me, what’s missing from this plan is something that often gets overlooked when putting together creative briefs and/or trying to please the client: common sense. It doesn’t take great creative genius to see that this idea (and certainly the execution of it) will generate more ridicule than it does interest.

I’m sure there are people out there who will actually do this, and in fact you can find them easily enough by searching YouTube. But will this idea scale to any kind of significant numbers? Will a nation of nerds and socially desperate people rise to make this a worthwhile investment? If you were launching Windows 7, is this the way you’d use your time, money and creative resources?

I’d write a bit more, but I’m having some friends over to show them my new hot water heater.

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creative / strategy / technology — 11 Comments
29
Sep 09

A stealth campaign for Windows 7

You’re likely familiar with Microsoft’s terminally cute Windows 7 commercial featuring 4.5-year-old Kylie (see earlier post). However, an entirely different Windows 7 campaign is being held in a secret location: the Windows Videos page at YouTube. (You actually need to drill down to find the little fellas. One example is above.) It seems that Microsoft/Crispin went through all the work to conceive and produce a new crop of spots, then shuffled them off to the side while Kylie works her “magic” in prime time.

Until we get a witness under oath, we can only speculate what the plan is. I will note that some companies make a rule of producing more commercials than they end up running (much to the glee of my freelance producer friends). Intel, for example, used to take two campaigns to full finish, investing over a million bucks in a campaign that would never run. They needed to have a “backup campaign,” just in case the favorite didn’t fare well in testing. (A quick review of Intel’s last decade of creative will show you how well that worked.)

Maybe that’s the strategy here, with the added benefit that in this content-starved world, there’s no need to shelve unused ads. They can be repurposed in Microsoft’s YouTube showcase of imagination — which then, in effect, becomes sort of a home for retired creativity.

Mystery aside, are these spots any good? There’s a range of work here, most of it comfortably in the “okay” range. Some of them actually make an attempt to promote a Windows 7 feature, instead of just trying to make us feel good about Microsoft. Others, well … they just try to make us feel good about Microsoft. But at least they’re contemporary, and they don’t cynically use young children to score easy points with mainstream America. They’re not awful — but I wouldn’t start packing my bags for Cannes just yet.

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advertising / creative / strategy / technology — 13 Comments
15
Sep 09

Putting the soft in Microsoft

The marketing for Windows 7 began with a new commercial last week. I suspect this will be a frequently discussed topic around here, because it involves a favorite target (Microsoft), a favorite agency (Crispin) and a few thousand opinionated people (us). Initial take: I’m kinda stunned.

The new spot is cute — but it’s the hit-me-between-the-eyes, gag-me-with-a-spoon, give-us-your-money kind of cute.

I have to say, I’m a little surprised that Crispin would go this route, even though their Laptop Hunter commercials were an indication of trouble in paradise. It’s actually a missed opportunity: with early indications that Windows 7 will not be the kryptonite that Vista was, they have license to be creatively brave. But if there is a shred of bravery in this spot, it’s extremely well hidden. Rather than blaze a new trail, they’ve reached into a very thin bag of tricks to pull out Kylie, the too-cute star of a previous Vista commercial.

Reading off a list of positive product reviews is an easy way to go. It’s just not a terribly exciting one. Apple lapses into a quotes ad now and then, and it makes me shudder every time. I guess Microsoft/Crispin thought that using the kid (emphasis on use) would take the curse off. Unfortunately, it puts a whole new curse on. There’s a joke in creative departments everywhere to the effect that all will be well if you “just throw in a baby or a puppy.” It may work to some degree, but you will burn in creative hell for it.

If you’re going to play the cuteness card, you’d better do it artfully. Otherwise it’s just transparent, a calculation, a manipulation. This spot is born of the belief that being likable is as easy as showing likable things. It isn’t.

Should Windows 7 really be this cute? Should Microsoft actually deliver “more happy” as they promise/threaten? Should they just toss in the puppy next time? Call me cold and heartless, but I have a problem getting too cuddly with my operating system.

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