Microsoft offers first hints at anti-Apple marketing blitz for Vista
Microsoft this week offered a window into the first phase of a mega million dollar advertising campaign designed to clear up 'misconceptions' about the quality of its Windows Vista operating system exacerbated by in-your-face marketing efforts on the part of longtime rival Apple.
The first series of ads in the campaign were reportedly met with rave reviews last week when they were previewed at Microsoft?s employees-only Global Exchange conference.
"[I] got goosebumps - just, wow," said one insider who was privy to the preview.
While those ads have yet to surface publicly, the first instances of an associated Web campaign spotted by ZDNet suggests the Redmond-based software giant will attempt to alter the perception of Vista by liking its critics to proponents of flat earth theory.
Instead of responding directly to Apple's influential "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" global campaign, an ad that appears on the company's website (below) recalls that "at one point, everyone thought the Earth was flat." It links to a recently established information base on the state of Windows Vista, which attempts to "clear up some confusion and lingering misunderstandings" about the XP successor while simultaneously admitting to some early missteps.
"We know a few of you were disappointed by your early encounter. Printers didn't work. Games felt sluggish. You told us?loudly at times?that the latest Windows wasn't always living up to your high expectations for a Microsoft product," the company said. "Well, we've been taking notes and addressing issues."
What follows are a series of common questions on the part of would-be Vista adopters, such as "Why do I keep reading that Windows Vista won't work with my hardware or software?," along with answers.
"We know that's what some people are saying on the Internet," the company said, opting not to mention Apple by name. "And in its early days, Windows Vista did experience some compatibility problems. But thanks to our industry partners' efforts during the past 18 months, here's where things stand today."
According to Microsoft, Vista now supports nearly 77,000 hardware products, runs 98 of the top 100 consumer software programs, and works with all of the leading small business applications.
The security of Vista is another matter which Microsoft believes to have been exploited unfairly by Apple's marketing tactics. As such, the company's references to the Mac maker and its Leopard operating system in this regard are not as subtle.
"Windows Vista has fewer than half the security vulnerabilities of Windows XP," Microsoft said. "It's also 60% less likely to be infected by spyware or malware than Windows XP SP2. And in early 2008, Windows Vista was shown to have 89% fewer vulnerabilities than MacOS X 10.5, making it the most secure Windows release to date."
In total, it's believed that Microsoft plans to spend more than $300 million on its pro Vista, anti Apple marketing blitz before the dust settles.
The first series of ads in the campaign were reportedly met with rave reviews last week when they were previewed at Microsoft?s employees-only Global Exchange conference.
"[I] got goosebumps - just, wow," said one insider who was privy to the preview.
While those ads have yet to surface publicly, the first instances of an associated Web campaign spotted by ZDNet suggests the Redmond-based software giant will attempt to alter the perception of Vista by liking its critics to proponents of flat earth theory.
Instead of responding directly to Apple's influential "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" global campaign, an ad that appears on the company's website (below) recalls that "at one point, everyone thought the Earth was flat." It links to a recently established information base on the state of Windows Vista, which attempts to "clear up some confusion and lingering misunderstandings" about the XP successor while simultaneously admitting to some early missteps.
"We know a few of you were disappointed by your early encounter. Printers didn't work. Games felt sluggish. You told us?loudly at times?that the latest Windows wasn't always living up to your high expectations for a Microsoft product," the company said. "Well, we've been taking notes and addressing issues."
What follows are a series of common questions on the part of would-be Vista adopters, such as "Why do I keep reading that Windows Vista won't work with my hardware or software?," along with answers.
"We know that's what some people are saying on the Internet," the company said, opting not to mention Apple by name. "And in its early days, Windows Vista did experience some compatibility problems. But thanks to our industry partners' efforts during the past 18 months, here's where things stand today."
According to Microsoft, Vista now supports nearly 77,000 hardware products, runs 98 of the top 100 consumer software programs, and works with all of the leading small business applications.
The security of Vista is another matter which Microsoft believes to have been exploited unfairly by Apple's marketing tactics. As such, the company's references to the Mac maker and its Leopard operating system in this regard are not as subtle.
"Windows Vista has fewer than half the security vulnerabilities of Windows XP," Microsoft said. "It's also 60% less likely to be infected by spyware or malware than Windows XP SP2. And in early 2008, Windows Vista was shown to have 89% fewer vulnerabilities than MacOS X 10.5, making it the most secure Windows release to date."
In total, it's believed that Microsoft plans to spend more than $300 million on its pro Vista, anti Apple marketing blitz before the dust settles.
Comments
it actually looks like something "PC" would say..
parody of a parody...mmm.. M$ IS a parody!
un-be-lievable.
--
How do they measure these vulnerabilities ? what are they?
and
Isn't 60% of "LOTS" still actually "LOTS" ??
Instead, they do this, which I compare to Ballmer on stage peeing into a fan while shouting "Marketing! Marketing! Marketing!".
Vista now...runs 98 of the top 100 consumer software programs
I have to ask: which 2 programs doesn't Vista run?
...rave reviews last week when they were previewed at Microsoft?s employees-only Global Exchange conference.
As if they're going to say otherwise to the press?
How much pre-launch explanation and hype does the campaign need if it's really that good?
Who the f are they kidding? ;-)
In total, it's believed that Microsoft plans to spend more than $300 million on its pro Vista, anti Apple marketing blitz before the dust settles.
wow!
I believe they could have saved a lot of money by not trying to clear the name of Vista.
if they would have just accepted that it wasn't ready and left it at that, and instead of "fixing" vista for the last 18 months, they should have just released this version of Vista with a new name.
(vista was a mistake
there is a 3 dollar marketing blitz, if I ever thought of one..
*edit:
PS: and seeing is believing.. and for now I don't believe that it's better yet..
and 2% of hardware is still not compatible, so what if all the hardware I use (mostly audio pro hardware) is exactly the 0.05% of all hardware available that falls within those 2% ??
than I'd still be up sheet creek with no paddle.
luckily I have a mac and a linux machine
Maybe not!
Without seeing the ads, it's hard to say if this will be a good campaign, but I have the feeling it will have a backlash effect if people think it's desperation on M$ part.
That is why I have a Mac now.
I'm actually really curious about what they have up their sleeve.
I wonder if they're going to delay the ad campaign and cut features from it as it nears release?
"Windows Vista has fewer than half the security vulnerabilities of Windows XP," Microsoft said. "It's also 60% less likely to be infected by spyware or malware than Windows XP SP2. And in early 2008, Windows Vista was shown to have 89% fewer vulnerabilities than MacOS X 10.5, making it the most secure Windows release to date."
Haha... lines like that always crack me up.
People can dress up numbers however they like -- it is the reality of a situation that actually matters. I could browse porn all day long on a Macintosh and never get infected with a single thing. Good luck doing that in Windows Vista and Internet Explorer (heck, good luck when your daughter researches her Brittany Spears report). Your computer will transform before your eyes. I may not be working as a computer technician anymore, but the 'security' of Windows Vista was definitely apparent in the customers that kept giving me stacks of $100 bills to clean up their operating systems.
Next time, Apple...
wow!
I believe they could have saved a lot of money by not trying to clear the name of Vista.
if they would have just accepted that it wasn't ready and left it at that, and instead of "fixing" vista for the last 18 months, they should have just released this version of Vista with a new name.
(vista was a mistake
there is a 3 dollar marketing blitz, if I ever thought of one..
This is a great idea! Then I could see the new "I'm a Mac" adverts . . .
The dumpy PC guy is dragged away by some suits, and he's back in moment
with a thin disguise. Mac guy asks him what's up. PC guy claims he's someone
new. Mac guy isn't buying it. In fact, he can make a comment that no one
will buy it!
Once again the sloth that is Microsoft has shown that it just doesn't "get it". Vista has been out for 1 1/2 years, Apple has been poking them with a stick since then and now Microsoft is finally just getting around trying to get people to buy Vista.
Vista is done for. Microsoft has promoted Windows 7 more than even Vista and that's what people are going to hold out for.
How does this add campaign address that issue.
does this add campaign address that issue.
Not only that - they are using images of Columbus era BOAT??!???. A frickin' huge, slow moving technology deprived vessel ?!?? ... oh wait.