Microsoft's Bing decides on bribery
The new Bing Dynasty desperately wants you to love it.
And it understands you so well in these times of penury and desperation that it knows you have certain vulnerabilities that might be worth exploring: the vulnerabilities that lurk in the area around your pocket.
Therefore Microsoft has launched its first-ever TV ad for Cashback, a nifty system that gives you a little money when you buy something vital--such as sneakers or a camera--through a Bing search.
It does seem like splendidly commercial bribery. However, I do wish that the ad might have been a little less prosaic and a little more inspiring.
You see, if you're a decision engine rather than a search engine, you have to aspire to higher goals. It really isn't enough to produce an ad that might have been the work of JC Penney or KMart in one of their more awkward moments.
I would have preferred something that stirred the emotions, rather than something that feels like it's going through the motions.
Bribery should be alluring, not merely an everyday solution to an annoying practical problem.
Still, you know that even with this mundane execution, it won't be hard for some to decide that binging for your supper is better than singing for it.
Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. 
Sorry, but I use a search engine to, you know, search for stuff... not as some ginormous coupon-factory.
The hyperbole is in the fact that Matyszczyk calls this a Bing "bribe." That's utter nonsense. Skilled writers know that a bribe is "making illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence." Microsoft is not doing that at all. It is simply supplying people with an incentive to use Bing. Such incentives are perfectly legitimate and done every day in business, from store coupons to cash for clunkers.
Maybe Matyszczyk's premise is all wrong. The commercial may not be alluring because it is not a bribe. It is just information for those who want to search and save.
Nearly every mainstream reporter writes this way.
Microsoft = dynasty, desperately, bribery, vulnerabilities, lurk, KMart, awkward, mundane
If it were Apple it would be words like revolutionary, breaks barriers, incentive, consumer empowerment, forward thinking, etc.
I hear you. I just think misdirection should be left in the hands of magicians, not writers. Heavy-handedness--to the point of misinformation as we see here--is a character flaw, not a writing perspective, in my view.
What you have to say for, google checkout when they were throwing $10 just for using them?
Additionally Microsoft discriminates against rural Americans. I live out where there is no mail delivery. I MUST have a PO Box
(BTW of course so do all our GIs overseas)
You cannot register for cash back with a PO Box. Even if it is the only address you can have.
Even the IRS and courts are required to make an exception.
As far as gaming these places are very small post offices where the postmaster probably has the entire system memorized. They are usually one person post offices.
I don't always use cashback feature but I at least check it out. Sometimes I can get the lowest price with cashback but I wish they had more advertisers.
Commercial is cool, what is the song?
I've been using Bing for a couple of months now. Don't miss Google at all.
I am so TIRED of Microsoft IGNORING their core business to chase GOOGLE CRUMBS ... where is the "great innovator"? Copycat is more like it ...
So basically you are complaining about something you have never seen or intend to see and wonder why you haven't seen any inovation where you've never looked.
I have heard Seattle/Redmond weather is very good.
How about your side? I mean in hell :)
*sarcasm*
Sad.
Hmm. Dunno that this would make any difference at all in my search behavior as I don't use search for shopping online at all- as in I don't so *any* shopping online. I do this strange thing of buying things from local stores and businesses.
Does Burger King give you Sunday off? Really? Come on...is it okay to like something and not be accused of being a MS insider?
Sorry boss, you said I had to work thsi weekend. Would you please quit texting me with your world domination plans through the use of iPods and Cottage Cheese?
As for you making more in a day than most people do in a week- is that in Peso? :)
I was thinking about this promotion and wondered how exactly si this different from any other promotion? Since THS is a strong Apple proponent, perhaps you can explain why Apple was giving away iPod Touches if you bought a new Mac for college? Isn't that bribery as well? And considering the price of an iPod Touch, that is pretty high bribery too. Most people would consider that just a package deal, but you seem to believe more in the bribery angle so... how is this different?
I won't even go into the time involved to get it all sent out and done (which means that for some of us, it's actually a money-loser if per-hour payrates were applied to the process...)
You've got it exactly. Companies count on people like you who give up and take the easy way out. They get to keep the money then. Now then, who is the loser in that situation?
Your point? Be ready to condemn your own Holy Apple if you are going to cast about stones.
No... but they do have to tive out their persoanl information including social security and other identification to a third party company to verify their student status, then if found to be lacking or quit school before the term is up, forced to pay the full 100% retail price of the products instead of any discount.
That fine print will get you every time. I had plenty of time sitting at the Apple store waiting to get helped to read the brochure and the terms/conditions associated. 45 minutes to get a sales clerk to sell me an iPhone. They had lots of staff present, but only two were authorized to actually make sales. Sheesh.
No you don't give your SSN or anything beyond your address and phone number. Also, you can use Paypal for your rebates and recieve them faster than the 60 days everyone seems to be stating. You deal directly with the merchant you are doing business with and Bing Cashback is a go between. The merchant gets your business because it was found with Bing, presumably MSFT charges for that "click thru", but then passes it to you the consumer.
I just signed up to see exactly what was involved and a simple Live or Hotmail account and then a couple of fields to identify your physical location and that's it. Really minimal amount of info, which I would think is needed to actually get the rebate to you.
Don't get me wrong, all kinds of metrics are being collected along with your IP address I am sure, but that is par for the course for ecommerce no matter who you buy from.
Check it out, you can always plug fake info in if you are concerned, you can even setup a dummie hotmail account.
Would it surprise you that Apple actually offers discounts to Microsoft employees? It does. Remember, MSFT makes Office for Mac, and it is a highly profitable business. Also recall that a few years ago MSFT floated a loan to Apple to help them out. Yes, Apple repaid and no MSFT doesn't own any significant share of Apple. As for Google and Search, well isn't having a choice good? Most of the posters on this site bash MSFT for the exact opposite. Its okay not to like MSFT, its okay to love Google, but when you follow the dollars, are any of these companies enriching you personally? So really, why not enjoy the best that each has and ignore what you don't care for. It doesn't have to be a religion. If you can bank on a rebate, whether it comes 1 day or 60 days so what? As for personal information, I can't think of anything more personal than giving a company your credit card info online. That is tied to all kinds of info about you that is bought and sold everyday.
Microsoft pays people, and they have a minority share.
Paying people to use a service basically says we don't have many customers so we will pay you for a while till we can find a way to hook you in permanently.
It looks cheap.
I don't even see why an article was written about it in the first place. Thats like writing an article for when McDonalds had that limited time sale on double cheeseburgers for a buck (i think that was it) and then saying its a cheap way just to get people to purchase their food over someone elses and they should just compete on quality.
This is a non-story.
The sad part is this - look at the comments here, look at all the people who are willing to sacrifice their respect for a few pennies. Prostitute-mart customers, each and every one I'll bet. Oooh, I saved a few cents on my purchase today, who cares if my children have a future? They are capable of saying "welcome to walmart - I love you" just like the idiot down the street. My children don't need a future, I need to save a few cents on garbage I only want and don't really need.
Pathetic. The whole lot of them.
But regardless of that fact, Microsoft is paying people to use their search engine. It's not a rebate, as the cashback program has been subsidized by money from Microsoft whenever they offer double cashback and other promotions, and not the retailer themselves. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Microsoft is using the promotion to attract people to their product, but it is what it is.
And while I personally prefer google for search, I am more than happy to accept free money from Microsoft for as long as they offer it whenever I make a purchase from a participating bing cashback retailer. Regardless of whether you dislike Microsoft or not, it's tough to argue against getting free money! ;)
I always find it ironic when someone bashes Microsoft (for good reason) that they suddenly become an Apple Fanboy. I don't own one Apple product.
I own Windows XP, LInux, and I love the Web.
I care nothing for expensive OS's that include Paint, and Wordpad. All I am interested in is booting up a browser. I am waiting for Chrome OS to be set free to use the best platform in the most efficiently way.
The best platform of course is the Web. Windows and OSX are nothing compared to it.
You have no clue as to what you're talking about and have only embarrassed yourself, but hey maybe M$ will pay you for that post anyway.
Pay me $100 and I will use it for a year on an old unused PC I have at home.
Why would you want an Acer Ferrari? Like the car, they are exceedingly expensive, very pretty to look at, fail frequently and aren't supported by the OEM beyond one year.
Are you sure you aren't talking about Windows?
No.
Please make your comments real.
Pay me $100 and I will use it for a year on an old unused PC I have at home.
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I wouldn't. Up that offer by an order of magnitude and I still wouldn't even consider it. My freedom and self respect is worth more than a few trinkets from a slave master.
Ubuntu Jaunty can use generic drivers to run on your computer well. MS, with all of its resources, should be able to do likewise.
It's money saved no matter who is doing it. It's not like using Bing is going to benefit dog fight promoters or whaling ships. I'd bet that Ben Franklin would use it.
Circuit City used to be huge about rebates... So, umm, what happened to them again?
You can't just quote a sentence and then make a completely different point. Especially if that point isn't related at all to the overall argument.
You're absolutely right to bring up Circuit City. That's an excellent example. Let's try looking at the ot her companies too, shall we?
Apple Computers.
Red Hat.
Honda
Toyota
Mazda
IBM
HP
Lenovo
Frigidaire
Sears
Boeing
Airbus
Peterbilt
Walmart
Exxon
Mobil
Barnes & Noble
Random House
Del Rey
Amazon
Ebay
I could go on if you want, but I really don't see any point to doing so. Your rebuttal is... well, rebutted. :)
Point is that Google doesn't advertise, and they are the best and have pole position.
Microsoft pay people and are a distant 3rd.
Pretty sad for Microsoft, when you consider how many people must use their search engine because IE came loaded with Windows Live MSN Hot Search Bingy.
[CNET editors' note: Personal attack deleted.]
What about "Only a fool would purchase software when there is a free alternative"?
- by 8301 August 30, 2009 5:13 PM PDT
- This has got to be the only place in the world where people will complain about a program where they can save a little money while inputting almost zero effort.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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- by Dalkorian August 31, 2009 4:26 PM PDT
- Yeah, keep selling your apparently useless soul to your cruel master for pennies on the dollar. And they say prostitution is illegal.
- Like this
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- by 8301 September 1, 2009 7:26 PM PDT
- You sure do take your search engine use seriously. I wish I could be as passionate over my choice of web services as you.
- Like this
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