Microsoft's Marketing Is A Joke...Is it Not???

[DHHSMichael]

It's not bad, but it isn't great either. At my local best-buy, in 2010 when Windows Phone 7 was big, the only live phones they had on display were Windows Phone's with a flat screen TV right above them showing all of the features, and a few iPhone 4's. Today, the Windows Phones are no longer lively on display, however are still prominent in my store.

I do like their "Honestly" ad's, though, it portrays the simple truth to just try something new, and to be "brave," if you will. The Surface line had a good run too, with their catchy "Click In" advertisements, they generated a short-lived buzz for Surface.

 

[anon(8555314)]

Microsoft's brand management is not very good. I don't really know what their strategy is. Having a good product has to be primary--no marketing in the world can overcome a bad consumer experience. Their products are indeed very good and have some very important advantages, but I don't know how customers are supposed to discover those advantages if MS won't tell people.

Until 3 months ago I was using an ipad/iphone. I wasn't happy with the watered down desktop apps for the ipad. Then I accidentally killed my iphone. I went to AT&T and asked what is the best camera I can get with a smartphone? The rep said that I should get a Lumia 1020. I had never heard of it, but loved the concept of it, and went home with it.Updated the ipad with a Surface pro 2 and wow, what an upgrade.

 

[Jorge Holguin]

Although I agree MS ads are bad [to much in to little time, hard to follow, and everything mention above.] I will say that we haven't see any new ads for the WP and surface families and we should be glad of that. Why? Because MS is working in a new WP 8.1. They are about yo announce new hardware (surface.) So it does not make sense to advertise the current lines; one they have the old software and I bet that MS wants people to talk more about 8.1s ( WP & surfaces.)
Besides, MS just partnered with a new marketing agency. I believe it was last month. Microsoft switches ad-agency horses for key piece of its $1 billion budget | ZDNet

 

[anon(8504076)]

I totally agree that their marketing department is doing a REALLY bad job. But still I have faith as MSFT acquired Nokia's marketing and social media department which has done a well job over the years and will eventually carry on

 

[T Moore]

Don't watch commercials. My magic 30 second skip button still works.
Never watch anything 'live'.

 

[Jcmg62]

Wish I could see what they're doing over in Europe with WP that's driving sales over there. Surely it can't all purely be Nokia brand loyalty.

I think its more to do with a shift in how tech magazines and websites perceive Windows Phone. Take this article as an example:

7 reasons why now is the time to buy a Windows Phone | News | TechRadar

Techradar is one of the biggest and best known technology/gadget websites in the UK. Not so long ago you would have been really hard pressed to find a single positive article about WP on their website. In fact, back in 2012 I commented on one of their pages that the whole site was one big shrine to Apple. Everything they wrote was about the godlike status of Jobs and his super amazing phones.....

Now, one of two things have happened.....either Microsoft have stuck some cash in techradars direction on the understanding that they keep windows phone news on the front page and find some positive stuff to write about....or.....the guys at techradar are genuinely interested in the WP platform becoming a legitimate third player.

Whatever it is, its working

 

[S640]

Haha, I've had this same thought/conversation countless times with people. My dad was in advertising while I was growing up and even did work for Microsoft waaaaay back in the day. It's truly sad how poor Microsoft's marketing is these days. The few commercials I see from them are neither memorable nor are they informative. A bunch of people dancing around with Surfaces was probably the worst thing I've seen come out from them. At this point I think they have the features and hardware that could succeed but they need to change the public perception and that's not going to happen until they start educating people about the benefits of their products and how their features actually fit into everyday life.

 

[chezm]

Agreed. When i mention to people Windows, they recall the commercials but nothing special...their commercials are forgettable. Anyway, when i show people my WP and Surface Pro 2, the general response is very impressive and THEN they finally get an idea of whats going on. The commercials leave a lot of misinterpretation and people dont understand why they would chose a Windows device over an Apple device, as an example. Apple's iPhone and iPad commercials are excellent: emotional, gripping and at the end you feel 'proud' to say you own that device. MS need to look at Apple's marketing and take a queue, thats how they sustain a strong userbase.

 

[Oglon3r]

Are these types of threats typical of WP Central? It seems they're the rule among Crackberry as well.

 

[sd173]

Microsoft should take a good look at this thread and realize what's going on.

 

[sd173]

Are these types of threats typical of WP Central? It seems they're the rule among Crackberry as well.

What are you talking about? What threats?

 

[Kage Maru]

What are you talking about? What threats?

I believe he means threads.

 

[sd173]

I believe he means threads.

Ohhhh. That makes a lot more sense now.

 

[sd173]

Are these types of threats typical of WP Central? It seems they're the rule among Crackberry as well.

Yeah, there's a lot of new and old threads about Microsoft and their not too good marketing.

 

[Stephen Pedersen]

Its so bad that I don't want one of their phones... and I own a Lumia 925.

 

[DaT Franchise]

I still dont understand why companies dont market there stuff, look at LG, Sony and HTC, Samsung spends more on there mobile marketing then those 3 and Microsoft combined. And you wonder why they cant gain market share. I've never seen an add on tv for anyone of them except LG and they only had 2 for the G2.

 

[bilzkh]

I'd like to know if Microsoft's marketing and advertising people actually use Microsoft devices (especially Windows Phone) as their daily and central driver. Anyone who uses a Windows Phone day-in and day-out will somehow know how to market the phone to their friends, family and even strangers, and will love their phone with passion.

 

[Lundon44]

Oh, don't get me started on this subject otherwise I'll be here writing for hours about how pathetic the presence of WP is in Canada or specifically, Toronto where I live.

I've own a Windows Phone since the Windows Mobile PPC days. In the last.. 4 yrs I'd say I've seen less than 20 WP devices in the wild. The carriers here couldn't care less about carrying them or marketing them. I'm always the elephant in the room everywhere I go with my phone. I get everything from criticism, to being mocked, to the occasional person asking what kind unusual Android or iPhone model I have.. My company all use BlackBerry, most of my colleague still use them as their personal phones as well. In fact, no where else in the world will you still see BlackBerry with as high marketshare as here in Canada. BlackBerry may be losing marketshare worldwide but the force is strong with them here. I work in the financial district where I'd say at least 4 in 10 people still carry a BlackBerry. iPhones of course are common, the Galaxy S phones too.

Like many of you here I had to personally convert people to WP. In the last few yrs I managed to get both parents on it, my ex and her sister, and about 3 friends. Anyone that had a few min to get a quick crash course on it seemed to be pretty impressed. But in a place where a phone receives no love from carriers, media or the manufacturer why would anyone want to try it? I couldn't even buy the 1520 here! No carrier wanted a FLAGSHIP phone! It's a joke! They still promote the 1020 like it came out yesterday on Nokia and Rogers' Facebook pages. Which by the way arrived about 3 months late. You'll see tons of comments asking for info on the 1520 and the duck every comment. I spoke to execs at Rogers that said they actually considered the 1520 but passed on it due to it's "size". Which is hilarious considered they carry the GS Note and Mega. I'll be shocked at this point to see the 930 come here and even if it does it's probably going to arrive 3 months later. Which by that time people either won't care any more or have already bought something else.

Marketing of WP is an absolute FAIL here and as much as I love my WP I know it will never get Canadian marketshare until they make drastic changes.

 

[DaT Franchise]

Even to this day when go pay my bill at att and a sales rep sees my 1520 they try to talk me into getting an iPhone of s5 im like really???

 

[sd173]

Even to this day when go pay my bill at att and a sales rep sees my 1520 they try to talk me into getting an iPhone of s5 im like really???

The worst part is how completely unsurprising that is because of how biased some AT&T store employees are towards selling phones. I'm upgrading my first phone, 900 from 4/2012, to a 1520 this weekend. I'm might go to the AT&T store and seem like I don't know what phone I want to get and see whether they ask me about what I want in a phone or try to sell me their preference.