– “Microsoft is bloated”
– “Microsoft is trying to take over the world”
– “No one likes the big guys”
– “No one likes the winner”
– “MS doesn’t care about its users”
– “Microsoft = Goliath; Google (or Apple,Linux, etc) = David”

What I’m getting at is that MS has a lot of public opinion barriers to break down, and many of these have nothing to do which any of their products.

Is MS trying to “sell us something” with these adds? No, of course not. What they’re trying to do is make sure that when they do try to sell us something, that you’re listening. They want you to look at their products with open and interested eyes (Win7, Zune, XBox, Live, whatever…). So many techies and journalists attack MS because it’s cool to do so, and then less technical users just follow the leader. Not to say that there aren’t weaknesses in MS products, but I think there is an even greater weakness in MS’s public relations. MS is focusing on what they see to be a greater weakness, that is their image. They want you to like them again, like you did back in “the good ole days”.

Cheers!

Apple has ads that always short, very simple and more to the point, their introductions are over with in the first 5 seconds, “Hi I’m a Mac. Hi I’m a PC”. Microsoft is spending millions and millions on the introduction to something that isn’t even defined. They are using Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates because they are so recognizable while Apple is using two actors who became well known from their series of ads. They don’t need to use Steve Jobs who is a sort of known figure and semi-celebrity in his own right.

More importantly, Apple focuses on things that computers do, differences between a Mac and a PC in ways that people can understand. Their goal is largely to get people to change the PC they already have on their desk to a Mac. Well defined goal so you have a well defined message. I think you know where I’m going with this.

Microsoft is trying to keep the PC you already have on your desk; keep you (and more so your office) from using some online suite (Google Docs, Zoho, etc) rather than Microsoft Office. Basically they are trying to play defense for PCs. People want to pit these ads as a response to Apple and in a way they are but, they have to defend themselves from Google and Yahoo AND Apple on a number of fronts. That is why their message is so obtuse.

It’s because of this that they are going to fail. It’s going to be a grand, expensive ($300M) failure where people are gonna see alot of these ads but, wonder what they are about, see alot of Bill Gates and like him but, not enough to buy PCs. People aren’t gonna buy Dells and Gateways and Acers because they like Bill Gates. John Hodgeman (PC) is the fan favorite in Apple’s commercials but, they are still effective. There’s a simple reason why this is…

Computers are hard. If PC vs Mac was a choice that didn’t involve alot of work to switch then it could be a likeability contest. It isn’t. People need to get things done with computers, they are difficult to understand and hard to make them do what you want. Apple addresses this head on because it is both what they are strong on (usablity – getting things done with minimal thought on “how does this work”) and what windows is weak on. They hammer that home with each commercial, “You can do more, you can understand it better with a Mac than a PC.” That’s why they are effective.

Microsoft (so far) wants you to think of computers as cakes and their moist flavors as things you can do. No one understands this and it’s on purpose. Microsoft wants you to just feel good and not know why when buying a PC, using Windows, seeing that logo. It’s pure defense. They can’t even say Mac because they would concede that they are in competition with Apple directly which would be a win for Apple but, is exactly the reason why they are gonna lose in the long run. They already have lost. People perceive Macs as being superior in quality, performance, usefulness, in almost every area except price. And even that is seen as a sign of the quality of the machine.

Just like Wendy’s had Dave Thomas in their commercials, MS should have just used Bill and saved $30 million.

This commercial is almost 5 minutes long.

I love Seinfeld!

The second part was funny overall. And, unless they were using a double, Bill Gates does a pretty good robot. Not sure what I’m supposed to buy, however.