Microsoft employee Kirk Allen Evans has a go at Microsoft’s marketing efforts:
I am so completely and utterly sick, as an employee and a Microsoft shareholder, of seeing empty spending on crap like "People_Ready". Remember the completely ridiculous Office Dinosaur spots? C’mon, marketing, grow a pair… let’s see some results. No, I don’t want to see a retort ad making fun of the "I’m a Mac, I’m a PC" goons. That ship has long since sailed. Let’s see what all that Microsoft money and some of the smartest people in the world can come up with.
He’s right. So are the comments to his post, observing that marketing isn’t the only problem, or even the core problem.
Still, Vista is now actually better than its reputation. That’s a marketing issue.
The link is broken, sorry.
Fixed now, sorry Clyde.
Tim
They have created themselves a whole host of technical and public relations problems, and so far they seem to be still digging.
You know, if we are just talking marketing, those Mac ads are pretty funny. Mature, clean, witty, with a touch of relateable common experiences. They ultimately work, because currently Apple has the goods to back them up.
And, what sort of thing does MS do. Have you ever seen the MSN superheros? You pay thousands of dollars for “professional”, “mature” software, and they send you little creepy rubber dolls. I kept waiting to see some sort of stop-action movie parody (i.e., Mr. Bill) online. I think the usb coffee warmers were also a sign. Argh
MS needs to concentrate on producing good software, quality documentation, and good support. Perhaps that’ll only come with new leadership, because the ones they have now keep doing the same thing over and over again.