Ad exec: Microsoft as 'victim' doesn't work
While acknowledging Microsoft is in a tough spot in trying to recast Windows after years of attacks from Apple, one ad executive said she is highly skeptical of Microsoft's new approach.
Ad agency CEO Kathy Sharpe said that casting the PC guy as a victim doesn't work for her.
Microsoft's latest ad, which starts running tonight, features a Microsoft employee who looks very much like the PC guy from the Apple ads, saying "I'm a PC and I've been made into a stereotype."
"Casting Microsoft as a victim still doesn't work for me," said Kathy Sharpe, CEO of New York-based interactive ad firm Sharpe Partners. "They aren't victims. Apple just is smarter about this sort of thing."
The PC guy in Microsoft's ads, by the way, is Sean Siller, who has been with Microsoft since 2005 and works as a senior program manager for networking in the Windows Core Operating System Division.
Sharpe said she does like the notion of showing the PC as diverse and used in many different ways, suggesting potential if that's where the campaign goes from here.
Sharpe was also skeptical that Microsoft really intended to end the Seinfeld bit so abruptly. She said that if, as Microsoft said, it didn't film more Seinfeld ads, it's probably because the first ads tested poorly. Microsoft insists that the shift was always part of the plan and the initial ads were simply an "ice-breaker."
Whatever the case, Sharpe said the Seinfeld bits clearly missed their mark.
"The first two ads and their variants were a very expensive way to build buzz--and not necessarily positive buzz," she said. "I don't know who they thought they were targeting in those ads."
Sharpe suggested that what Microsoft needs to be doing is appealing to the under-30 set, which she said is a tall order given how many of them carry iPods or iPhones and perceive Apple as cool.
And Apple's "Mac vs. PC" ads have been very effective, she said.
"Somehow the Mac always wins but they do so charmingly," Sharpe said. "It's just a very well done campaign."
If you want more from CNET News' Ina Fried, check out her Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/inafried or follow her @inafried.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
That's the diff between sitting on laurels (MSFT) and innovation (Apple). ;)
New Windows Ad.
Man walks into a "store" and asks to buy an "apple". What kind? I have many, says the shop keeper. The man says a Mac. Keeper: I only have fuji's, gala's, pippins. Man: How much? Keeper: $2599. Man: I'll take one.
...
Later, Man arrest at school for breaking windows.
by nojava.
Having said that, I shy away from OS X because of the price associated with the hardware as well and would be happy to install in along side my Windows/Linux installs on hardware of my choosing. If Microsoft keeps losing market share I predict Apple to stall due to the high prices eventually and see Linux starting to get a real market share.
That said, Apple couldn't afford to do that - it would dilute the brand, and cause them to lose sales to their competitors.
Now if Apple started competing at the lower level (say, a $700 laptop comparable to those sold by Dell and HP), they'd make a killing. The only trick is to do it without sacrificing quality (which Dell and HP have a hard time with).
New product that Apple needs to make
$400 Apple Netbook
$800 Computer that has xfire/sli
$500 Mac Desktop that uses Desktop Components, not Laptop ones
IMHO, when most people watch the Mac ads, its not the Mac guy beating PC up, or making PC look dumbPC is doing it to itself. MS is proving that again, rather than innovating and coming direct to the issue showing how great the product is and what it can do, it seeks to somehow answer with a real life person that looks like a satirized PC from the Mac ads. Sad to say, but i'd take the expert's opinion on this any day over a rant from a random responder on a blog.
Personally, the Mac ads annoy me since they're essentially bad mouthing a competitor directly rather than showing what they supposedly can do. Lots of the things they say are basically lies from a technical perspective. I've respected Microsoft for not outright badmouthing Apple and I hope they don't start doing that now, but I'm looking forward to seeing what their response is.
For what it's worth, I've used Windows for years, but have recently started using Linux at home and only keep a Windows machine for games. I'd like to try OS X sometime, but can't justify it since it doesn't do anything else I need that Linux does for a comparable price.
MS is a marketing machine, not a technology company, and they have failed.
2200 for an iMac when I can build something with the same specs my self for 1k
few people really needs the all in one design, some do, the iMac's for them
ther est of us are better off with Hackintoshes
A balanced media doesn't mean that they have to parrot lies.
Sound terrible.
Now, go back to using the Apple stuff you bought the way they tell you to use, on what they tell you to use it.
Now, I have had to re-install Vista on our computers from time to time, but that is usually from me poking about and trying to 'speed the computer up'. After the last time, I beat my head on the desk and said "No more, Christopher.... NO FREAKING MORE!"
And, message to CNET: Stop advertising. This is SUPPOSED TO BE journalism, no? Reads like an ad.
Oh, it is better at spying on you as well.
1. Try and play a DVD. Most of the time, I can't on a new windows PC. There simply isn't any pre-installed DVD player. The hardware's there but there's no software, unless I pay or download. I popped a DVD into a Mac an all of a sudden it starts playing. Isn't that a dream?
2. Write a document/spreadsheet. This is where both machines kind of fail... why? Because most of the time, you have to pay more for Microsoft Office (by the way, I have no idea why they changed everything on 2007. 2003 was perfectly fine) and both systems actually have to start with something unconventional like text edit or note pad.
3. Import and edit video content. No one makes it easier or better (from an average person's perspective) than iMovie. Yeah, you go play with your windows movie maker.
4. Organize and edit your pictures. iPhoto can do that. Windows.. has paint. At least windows can draw and make funny memes on paint... and that's about it.
5. Set up a printer. (remember, no installing or downloading) Most of the time a Mac will understand what is being plugged into it. It may not have the software necessary to scan, but it'll still print off of whatever you plug in or connect to. Windows will stare at the printer and try to download the drivers necessary or you will need to install a disk that came with the printer (try not to lose that thing when you buy another computer down the line).
6. Organize/Schedule personal activities. Unless you're still using that notepad to write everything down to remind you on the PC, there's iCal on Mac that schedules everything like a dream.
Sorry to be a walking ad, I understand I mentioned a lot of apple products and what have you, but I had to laugh when you mentioned that you can do more on a PC running Windows than a Mac. Of course you could trick out your PC to do whatever you want it to do, but from an average computer user's perspective who doesn't want to mess around with anything that much and keep everything straight forward, then they'll choose the Mac.
A lot of people make fun of the Mac for "only being able to do one thing." What's funny is, how many things did you have to download/install on your PC before you actually got it to do what you wanted it to do?
he dials up all settings to very high b/c my $1000 rig can do it, his $2200 iMac can do it better (supposedly), so he bumps up the resolution
very unplayable framerates
he said I'm lying that my system could play Crysis
true story
Macs can't do everything that a PC can do
Faster?!? As in booting up faster? As in 'how-many-clicks-does-it-take-to-get-somewhere' faster? As in 'rebooting' faster? PUH-lease!
Efficiency is something that Apple customer doesn't have high on his list of priorities. If I want a toy, I'll buy an Apple. But if I want to communicate with the rest of the civilized world who are not apple-users, and do business with them in an efficient, cost-effective way, I'll go the "Better and Faster" route.
Plus, if you buy a Mac, you can now run Windows natively, or virtually. So it's truly the best of both worlds. As an EX MS employee now migrated to the Mac, I find it funny responding to trolls like that, but go figure.
I didn't have to buy it though
the desktop tower will be faster than all in ones or desktops that use laptop components
The only Mac that could see ever being cheaper than an equal PC is the Mac Pro, and the laptops
When innovators no longer run a company, and the sales guys take over, this is when you reach the complacency stage of business. It happened to Apple in the late 80's through the 90's and it is happening to Microsoft now. The only way to turn it around is to make dramatic, bold changes in leadership to someone who is a visionary, a charismatic innovator. These people are usually "strange", but they lead with vision and direction towards a goal.
Time to change the top brass at Microsoft.
8 cores on a Mac Pro sound awesome
PC had it first
I can go up to 16 in one system using parts
couldn't find a mobo with 8 sockets on Newegg
processors go that far though
I wish Apple would copy the desktop tower
Vista is grrrreat!
Vista is sold on >90% of the new computers so everyone knows it's grrrrreat!
Then why is Microsoft so insecure as to feel compelled to invest in these ads?
BTW, Apple is not really worried that much about the desktop war, Microsoft already won that. Jobs even admitted it years ago. The mobile computing space is the next big thing for them. As long as Apple gets a percentage point or two every year, Apple will be happy.
Jobs has managed to leverage everything they've learned with the desktop, with OS X, with the iPod and with the iTunes music store to take a dominant position in the mobile computing space. That's where the action is going to be for the next ten years.
Microsoft (and Palm and Sony) started in the mobile space years before Apple but they haven't figured it out yet. (I'm not counting the Newton.)
BS is GREEAAATTTT!!!
- by Kontracnet September 19, 2008 2:47 AM PDT
- The ad agency behind "Windows. Life Without Walls" is Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Their principal tactic in a number of recent ad campaigns has been the notion of perception reversing.
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
Showing 1 of 2 pages (56 Comments)[...]
Therein lies Microsoft's problem. Perception reversing by appropriating your enemy's words can work only if your insurgency has an identifiable goal. Witness Apple which effectively used its insurgent status to barge into the consumer desktop, digital music and cellphone businesses and changed them in alignment with users' shared aspirations.
Microsoft, one of the most lucrative monopolies ever, however, is no insurgent. Its enemy is smaller, cooler, better liked, more nimble, more creative and more aligned with users. So Microsoft has to not only show "it's OK to use Windows" but tell us why it's better and show us a goal that we can all identify with that the enemy cannot provide.
Microsoft "I'm a PC" ads are channeling Apple's "Crazy Ones"
http://counternotions.com/2008/09/19/crazy-ones/