Microsoft sets up ad kiosk outside U.K. Apple store
Microsoft is taking its "I'm a PC" ad campaign directly to the people: the Mac people.
At least, that's the case in the U.K., where an AppleInsider reader spotted a Microsoft-branded video kiosk just outside a Birmingham Apple store. Microsoft employees were asking passersby to come in and record their very own "I'm a PC" video, presumably for use in a future ad.
It's not clear from AppleInsider's report whether this tactic was actually working, but it's certainly become clear this year that Microsoft is determined to hit back directly at Apple after years of taking punches delivered by the Mac vs. PC ad campaign.
For almost a year, Apple has reported that around half the people buying Macs in its retail stores are new to the Mac. Those are presumably the people Microsoft is trying to win back into its camp with these kiosks and the ad campaign.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
In the Apple ads, the two actors playing Mac and PC are NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MAC OR PC USERS! They are supposed to be the human PERSONIFICATIONS of the computers themselves!
For Microsoft to do ads with DOZENS of people saying, "I'm a PC," misses the boat by MILES. These people are not PCs.
You don't say, "I'm a PC" because you are a user, you say it if you are an actor chosen to PERSONIFY the computers themselves. (Duh!)
The good thing is, I think the public "gets" the Apple ads and understands that the two actors are the human personifications of the computers, not just ordinary users of Macs and PCs.
Once again, Microsoft has demonstrated that it doesn't know a thing about marketing --- and Apple does.
The Apple television ads will continue to be a success. (And have clearly touched a nerve with Microsoft.)
All Microsoft is inevitably doing is drawing attention to the success of the Apple Stores. Apple has "Geniuses" and now Microsoft has "Gurus." Darn copycats---still at it after 25 years.
P.S. Microsoft doesn't even MAKE PCs! (Although they might as well seeing they get a profit margin off every one sold). But it should be Dell or Hewlett Packard/Compaq outside the Apple Stores, not Microsoft!
Bill Gates has "hardware envy," and if there're one thing he wants more than money it's CREDIT. He wants credit for making PCs, and unfortunately, the unwashed masses do believe Bill Gates makes PCs.
Remember how much he wanted to show off that HP-made concept PC ("Athens"), standing next to it as if he invented it.
This wouldn't happen in the US. Too many lawyers.
The other bit that gives it away is where he says ""I'm a Mac and I can do everything a PC can and more!"
It just goes to show how Microsoft is so out of touch from its customers, again...
* a lot of folks 'making' their own videos while the Apple store in the background is busy w/ folks buying Apple products, which makes the whole thing look hollow, or...
* folks making their own videos which include a full and ugly indictment of MSFT products (e.g. "I just bought a Mac in that store behind me! Screw You Bill Gates! Whoooo!", or...
* folks who will have no idea what it's about but will use it as an analoge for, say: "Amateur Hour on YouTube!", or...
* Mac die-hards who will give the camera a one-finger salute (and worse), or...
* folks who will confuse it with an Apple campaign and start going "Oh, yeah - the iPhones are really, really cool - I can't wait to buy one!" &tc...
* ...and of course whatever obviously contrived "testimony" that MSFT can pay people (and/or their fanboy crowds) to deposit in the thing.
This would leave very little in the way of folks who understand what the kiosk is about, make a video, and honestly give a positive opinion about MSFT, let alone Vista. Yes, they will exist, but as a percentage of the whole? I wouldn't hold my breath in anticipation.
/P
Perhaps Apple will put kiosks out in front of .. um.. well, nobody else has any stores like this. Only one company has the ego to make it work.
Personally, I think people will associate it with the Apple store and not realize it's from a competitor, further diluting the difference between systems.
Apple wouldn't bother with a tactic of this nature because they have an intelligent marketing department. I'm thinking this was an idea that came from some boneheaded CxO in Redmond, not a marketing person or agency.
The reason I can say it's boneheaded? You and I both outlined them - brand confusion, low probability of result, and it's likely costing a fair bit of money to do it (kiosk rent, artwork, machinery, connectivity, people to monitor/maintain it, people to gather and thresh the results, etc.) No true marketer (I know way too many) would want such a stain on their resume.
they sure are flailing about now, aren't they?
Epic fail doesn't come close to describing the future of MS.
"I'm a PC, and I use a Mac!"
/P
Blows that point out of the water, doesn't it?
Well at least you can run a competitive OS on your MAC. Apple although its possible does not want anyone to run there OS on someone else's hardware.
Then again, why should they? OSX was made to run best on a certain hardware set (in spite of being able to run on a far wider array, as evidenced by my own Hackintosh).
You're also making an Apples/Potatoes comparison. Apple is a Computer/device company (that is, they sell whole computers and devices), whereas Microsoft is a Software company (that is, they only sell software).
I know why Apple doesn't want OSX running on non-Apple hardware - for the same reasons Windows gets such a bad rep at times - crap hardware leads to a bad opinion for the software that runs on it. Bargain-basement Dells and HP's comprise one half of the reason why most folks firmly believe that Vista sucks, after all (the fact that they carry stickers saying "Vista Capable" completes and cements the image, meaning that MSFT is culpable on that too).
/P
The point is, the Mac ads are really stupid to begin with.
Sad.
@ the others: Err, in case no one noticed, Apple is raking in customers by orders of magnitude. I suspect that for a company that only had 3% of the market three years ago and has moved to 10% now? At their current growth rates, they'll very likely have 14-15% by this time next year, 20-25% by EOY 2010, and even greater beyond that...
...meanwhile, MSFT is actually losing marketshare. At first, they've lost it slowly, but now that loss is accelerating.
On the ad front, Apple is defining the terms and tone - MSFT is only reacting. In a war, if you only react to the enemy, you almost always lose - if not immediately, then certainly over time. MSFT is doing nothing but reacting, and it's only going to hurt them.
/P
It has worked. That being said, MACs (my iMac and MacBook, intel) also frustrate me just as much as MS did. Beach balls everywhere, periodic freeze ups. Lets face it, Apple makes a somewhat better product, but in the same vein as a BMW or $150 Nikes; is it really worth it?
By the way,I hate fan boys; could all the fan boys shut up until Apple puts them on the pay roll; it doesn't make you any cooler.
I'm a VM PC on my Mac.
i won't speculate on how this kiosk tactic will work out, but i got a chuckle out of the notion of MS trying such a thing. i enjoy the "i'm a PC & I do whatever" ads as well, i just don't laugh as loud or as long.
choose whatever 'puter works for you & then get on w/ what you want to do, w/ what you need to do. life is too short for flame wars. celebrate diversity!! & even if you don't the flame wars will continue to provide people like me w/ endless entertainment!! i love reading these comment sections, always good for a laugh!!
This is what you get for $300M????? Why doesn't Microsoft just have someone outside the Apple store handing out money to people if they won't go in!
Mac= Apple computer
If you don't know the difference just kill yourself now and save us all the trouble. Thank you very much.
- by shycelticwitch November 4, 2008 11:01 AM PST
- I was a PC, now I am a Mac. I am smarter, faster, more reliable and definitely prettier.... I am also a bit more expensive, but isn't all that I just mentioned worth a few extra bucks?
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