Apple Guy Responsible for New Microsoft Marketing
I was directed to a blog today that talked about Alex Bogusky, a guy that was a Mac user and responsible for some great advertising and marketing campaigns using Apple’s famous products. He’s now working on the new PR push of Microsoft that will be launched soon.
After reading the post I perhaps was more intrigued (I’d read similar posts before about the daunting task, and this post was directed more towards how church’s are challenged with trying to be “cool”) by one of the comments left by Jonathan Brink.
This idea, trying to make Microsoft cool, is kinda sad. It reminds me of the executives I used to work with who wanted to be like so and so. But so and so rocked because it was an expression of who they were. It was inherently in their DNA.
Apple is cool because Steve Jobs is creative and demands creativity from everyone who works at Apple. Microsoft is not cool because Bill Gates and Steve Balmer never were creative. They were smart but not creative. And cool is ultimately the willingness and courage to explore creativity and be the first to do it successfully.
Ultimately this will end up looking like a traditional ad campaign where everyone realizes that its not really Microsoft speaking. It’s his cool friend playing Cyrano de Bergerac.
That’s a fairly powerful condemnation of Microsoft but I wonder if it’s really earned. Obviously not everyone can be Apple and Steve Jobs. Is that really a bad thing though?
What do you think? There’s lots of stuff that frustrates me about Microsoft, but there’s lots of stuff that frustrates me about Apple, Macs, iPods and iTunes too. Does it matter? I just go on with my day. What about you?
Tags: Alex Bogusky, Bill Gates, creativity, image, Jonathan Brink, PR, Steve Balmer, Steve-JobsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Bill Gates, Corporate News, Marketing Advertising, Steve Ballmer
5 opinions for Apple Guy Responsible for New Microsoft Marketing
Simmo
Jul 18, 2008 at 1:01 am
I don’t think it matters as Microsoft has lost the plot with Vista. XP was fine, but Vista has killed it for me. When XP gets too old i’ll move to OS X or Linux.
asudduth
Jul 18, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Simmo — just curious - WHY did Vista kill “it” for you? What issues do you have? Where did it miss the mark? What are your goals with OS X or Linux that Window will not meet? Just curious to hear people stories…
I do use both Vista (and XP) and OS X - both at home and in the office, and like to feel I have an unbiased opinion in the matter.
Simmo
Jul 20, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Vista is bloated. It doesn’t run well. I think that instead of trying to make Windows too pretty they should have focused on making it run more reliably. I also think that the specs for it are stupidly high and i’ve seen people with decent laptops struggling to use it.
Its the same story with the latest version of Office. Its a horrible piece of crud. The new menu system is dreadful and I couldn’t make it do what I wished. In the end, i reverted back to 2003.
Jason Bean
Jul 20, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I for one have really enjoyed the new Office ribbon. I realize I may be in the minority, but I like it. I do think that they really left their advanced and master users behind with the version. It’s another question of letting it go, but I just wondered how the impac would have been if you had a “Use Classic Menu” option in Office.
Simmo
Jul 20, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Well, thats what they seem to be doing with everything. I won’t be moving to the new version of Office. I’ll probably go open office or something. I can’t stand it, its a horrid design.
Thats just another reason why i’ll eventually ditch MS, their software is getting worse and worse
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: