Microsoft is doing it the customer´s way

I have found an interesting article at betanews.com (the whole article read HERE).

Why is it brilliant? Because it describes the contrast of Marketing and Apple´s strategy today.

Where is the contrast? The strategy of Apple is much less about choice than customers being chosen for. They offer examples:

• Apple product development is secretive, rather than encouraging customer feedback and participation.
• Product choice is limited to the few computers that Apple releases, such as the same aluminum construction and design for iMac or MacBook Pro.
• Mac OS X is deliberately designed to discourage customization. There is one look for all Mac desktops.
• Apple sells only one computer -- the entry-level Mac mini -- for less than $999. Buyers must choose to spend $999 or more.

Apple's product and marketing approach is very much "Have it Our Way." Microsoft wants you to "Have it Your Way":

• You help Microsoft improve Windows to meet your needs.
• You choose the PC that looks and functions your way.
• You customize the desktop any old way you want it.
• You choose how much you want to spend on a computer.

Microsoft long has advocated this kind of choice and participation. The difference now: Microsoft is using these attributes to really sell Windows, in ways the company hasn't done for years and in other ways like it never has. Perhaps it's no coincidence that Burger King and Microsoft share the same advertising agency: Crispin, Porter + Bogusky. Some examples of Microsoft's Windows 7 participation marketing:

• The aforementioned TV commercials asserting that "Windows 7 was my idea."
• Windows 7 House Party, where real people celebrate the launch and share pics and videos online.
• Social Website that collects "What people are really saying about Windows 7" from blogs, feeds and social networks, such a Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.
• Microsoft home page, which today rotates Windows 7 reviews and comments from real people -- mostly via Twitter -- rather than from bloggers or journalists.

How have we reflected this strategy here in Slovakia?

• Slovak beta testers significant contribution during product development
  
• Consumer campaign asserting that "Windows 7 was people´s idea."
• Social Website that collects "What people are really saying about Windows 7" from blogs, feeds and social networks, such a Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.

The environment is changing and so is Microsoft. We have very good feedback from customers and from press so far. Our mission is now to let people try the product and with that the idea of "your PC, simplified".

BTW my MSI Eee PC with Intel Celeron processor took 14sec to start from hibernation this morning. This is what I wanted!

Peter

Summer is over

An it was a very challenging summer of 2009. Work experience in Atlanta at Microsoft´s Global Exchange, exciting road trip to Czech Rep and Austria as well as lot of other gatherings, events happened to me. But it was exciting also at work. Preparation for launch wave with most focus on Windows 7 are at maximum speed and by the comming launch date more adrenaline comes into our veins. I have just recently seen the final visuals and together with strategy I have to say they are humble but also with new approach very persuasive! I think this is what Microsoft needed and we in field will do our best to adapt the concept to the local needs to the most.

In a week´s time I am leaving for 2w honeymoon but keep tuned for more around Win7 and other marketing observations I´ve experienced in last two months!

Bing bang?

Few people turned to me concerning Bing so you may want to hear something from myself to this new engine.

Okay so what is the primary reason why were are still working to be Nr 1 on providing easier access to informations on internet (objective)?

In spite of undeniable progress up to 40% of searches still remains without relevant response. Almost half of attempts to find information lasts up to 20 minutes. And that is why there is clear motivation for a company like Microsoft.

And what is the secondary (my subjective) reason?
As 5 years ago the catalogue search was the way we looked information on the internet, with the Google´s entrance into internet new era begun, the fulltext search. But as the internet is fastly developing, there will be something new again, soon. It might be visual, verbal search for instance but Microsoft doesn´t want to wait and we made the first half step and introduced the decision engine.

When will it be available for Central Europe´s languages?
Bing as a search tool is provided in all Microsoft present country. The full functionality decision tool is not only about search, but provides sophisticated answers based on language, first major market are already covered (English, Spanish and German). After the bugs will be corrected, more countries will come but for CE we don´t expect Bing as a decision tool before end 2010.

What are the results so far?

Bing already achieved 1% percent on the market (one month result) and based on New York Posts article from June 14th Google´s co-founder Segey Brin assembled a team of top engineers to conduct Bing study and try to upgrade their service.

If you think, this is subjective reasoning, of course, it is. But to do you own consideration, try Blind search and decide, which is the most relevant for you. There is not big difference, is there?

Pause

Hi folks, sorry not posting any blogpost for so long but I had to prepare and execute my wedding as well as marketing planning for next fiscal year within Microsoft. And all of you from this company know that this a quite complex process.
I will be back with lot of my campaigns, thoughts and observations soon.
Keep tuned!

Spending abroad

Lot of Slovaks visited not only before Easter shopping centers and groceries in Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland due to depreciation of their local currencies against Euro. It gained 10-30% against national currencies in last couple of weeks. Our banks reported up to 10x increase in payments with cards in these countries.

Reactions:

• Citizens usually tend to say: local stores should decrease their price and find savings in order to keep up with their counterparts in abroad.
• Local authorities say: we have 19% flat VAT compared to 7 or 10% VAT on groceries in Poland or Czech so there is the reason of higher price level in Slovakia.

Whether is the truth on one, or other side or somewhere in the middle one thing is indisputable: price of cars or real estate today compared to last year´s are much lower. This answers their earnings of 3,4 billions Euro for Volkswagen in H1 2008 or 183 mil. Euro for Immoeast (biggest CEE developer) in Q1 2008.

New Microsoft viral

Have you seen it?

It is aimed against Apple as continuation of the "I am a PC" campaign. It´s goal is to convince people that PC platform is cheaper and offers much wider range of products where everyone can easily choose according to his/her preferences.

Microsoft asked 2 people Lauren and Gianpaolo called as "laptop hunters" to get laptop as they want between 700 and 2000 USD. They were allowed to keep the laptops they selected plus the difference in money from what they had originally planned to spend and what they actually spent.

See Gianpaolo video


See Lauren video

There are more than 340 000 of Lauren and 500 000 views of Gianpaolo virals on YouTube today.

Campaign was again created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky. Reported The inspiration room.

Cultural difference

Our globe is getting more cross connected but there are still differences:

• When I was in Spain or Italy you know that the restaurants are empty until 8pm but full at 9pm. There is hardly a chance to get a seat without reservation in good restaurant. That is the time when people get from work and have a good time in usually larger company.
• When I was on New Zealand you know that after 8pm you hardly get a seat in restaurant and after 10pm it is impossible. That is the time, when people are at home or getting to bed that is why you should hurry to restaurants before 6pm there.

We in Central Europe are somewhere in between. Our dinner time is usually between 6-8pm. We are the golden average.