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

[DaT Franchise]

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.

Yea I had to order in my 1520 that was 3 months ago and still none of the 6 retailers have them in stock, no screen protector or case. Out of that 6 only one has a display unit. Sad

 

[DavidinCT]

I agree with a lot here. Microsoft's marketing is ok, not great here in the US. You can watch one show and see 10 commercials (normally tagged with w AT&T or Verizon thing at the end of them) or not see any for days...

There is going to be a huge push in advertising for Windows Phone 8.1 with Cortana and some of the new features. So as of right now, they screwed up before but, once 8.1 hits, this is when we should see things really go wild...

Time will tell on this one but, they need to be more aggressive adds and really informing people of features....even if comparing to a Android or iOS device...something I would love to see....

 

[Pierre Blackwell]

It would seem as if the marketing department for MS is simply missing the mark, but in retrospect, Apple didn't get their brand into the hearts and minds of households until really started seeing them integrated on the big screen. Every big movie that had a computer on dispaly had the notorious illuminated apple logo on it. That's what people remember. If you've noticed, WP's are starting to appear more and more in movies and the more popular primetime shows.
I thought the first Surface commercial is still MS's best. It was colorful, amazingly choreographed, and left and lasting impression. I also liked the iPad with Siri and Surface comparison. It's funny yet puts on display what separates Surface.

What Microsoft needs to do in my opinion is launch advertising that captures what makes WP unique and that's the social networking integration. Everyone usues social media and no ecosystem captures the ability to do that like WP does. Maybe have some marketing that highlights true Andriod or iPhone to WP stories and the results.

 

[chezm]

In Canadian television the only commercial advertized is the Dell windows laptop, I think I've seen the icon on a USA channel twice? Lol pathetic. MS literally does not advertise in Canada at all on TV, the only windows phone I remember was Rogers when WP8 launched and maybe the 1020 child show 3 times. Mind you I don't watch a lot of tv but I've see. Apple commercials thousands of times...over and over

 

[N_LaRUE]

Here in the UK the marketing is and has been pretty crap. Displays for Surface are a joke as an example, you typically have to go looking for them. As for WP, though the shops have display models you rarely see commercials or billboards. I've seen tonnes of iPhone billboards lately. All over London and at the airports. Hell there's a link in a Tube station that had nothing but billboard after billboard of iPhone 5C. All the different colours. Nothing like that with Windows Phone anywhere.

Not sure what they're philosophy is but maybe it will start to change with the acquisition of Nokia.

 

[MrWhiteman]

I know yet another person who has just bought a new Windows phone. Everyone who actually uses it loves it. I mean you can buy a Nokia 520 for ?70 which has a decent enough camera, plays games and does pretty much anything but top of the line stuff. And unlike a Samsung it won't fall apart when you drop it.

 

[oditius]

You want an example of worse mothers day advertising? Try Photobuckets, they sent me a email saying my mom is calling and wants to know why she hasn't heard from me in a while. I emailed them back stating "Because she died in 1999!!!" That seems worse than some text with a picture of the 520 with mom printed on it.

 

[rex.reyesiii]

Those satires(commercials,ads) imho only makes iOS and Android users "defensive" and do not inspire them to make a Switch.

 

[crystal_planet]

First off, cut the crap with all the anti-android/apple stuff - it just makes MSFT look like a petulant child. And enough with the random celebrity "loving" Windows Phone, only to be seen in public the very next week texting on their iPhone 5S.

Honestly I think the best advertising is for people to see users use WP in the wild. Everyone is too entrenched in iOS/Android to be swayed without actually seeing the product in action.

 

[chezm]

Honestly I think the best advertising is for people to see users use WP in the wild. Everyone is too entrenched in iOS/Android to be swayed without actually seeing the product in action.

How can we get to that point though? I work in an office building with 6000+ employees and have only seen 4 windows phones since WP7 was released. I do agree people are too entrenched in iOS/Android, but thats mainly because its the IN thing...now Apple isn't so much the 'cool' device anymore, everyone has switched to Android and of the ones i chat with daily only maybe 5% of those Android users have GOOD reasons for their choice...the rest are just tagging along with whats hip.

 

[Lundon44]

I do agree people are too entrenched in iOS/Android, but thats mainly because its the IN thing...now Apple isn't so much the 'cool' device anymore, everyone has switched to Android and of the ones i chat with daily only maybe 5% of those Android users have GOOD reasons for their choice...the rest are just tagging along with whats hip.

Sounds about right. Someone came to me for advice last week because they wanted to get rid of the their iPhone and try something new. She knew of my overly extensive smartphone knowledge. I tried my best to give her an unbiased opinion of Android vs WP. She told me the important things to her were the camera, social integration and having some important apps. I explained the benefits of Android and how it's great for customization and apps. I also showed her how similar it is to the iPhone she already had. I gave her a demo of my 1520 and told her about the 1020 and it's camera (since they don't actually sell the 1520 in Canada) and she was sold on it.

Next week I see her and she has a Galaxy S5 because that's the "hottest" everyone's buying right now and because Rogers pushed her to buy it. No comment.

 

[rex.reyesiii]

Also, what's there to Market when apps like the official Facebook app SUCKS.

I uninstalled it on my windows 8 PC because it... SUCKS and am just using the web browser now.

 

[iamtim]

I uninstalled it on my windows 8 PC because it... SUCKS and am just using the web browser now.

I absolutely hate the Facebook website. It's a horrible pile of sludgy dross. Out of the various mobile and desktop apps, Paper for iOS and the Windows 8 "metro" app are my favorites.

...

Which isn't really saying much, as I absolutely hate Facebook period. I only use it because many friends use it to stay in touch more than emails or text now.

 

[drufranco]

I feel as if I've demonstrated to more people what Windows Phone and my Microsoft Surface Pro is than Microsoft's ad campaigns have. Everyone from family and friends to coworkers and classmates (all iOS and Android) love my Nokia Icon and Surface Pro tablet.

Totally agree.
I got my daughter who just turned 17 to switch to the Nokia Lumia (both of us coming from Apple 4-5 and 4-5c) and she even did the developer upgrade herself. (I was trying to stay one step ahead of her phone and not doing this for her until I could iron out any issues). Anyways she is trend setting at her high school with her friends dropping their Androids and iPhones to switch to a Windows phone. Being in IT she trusts me in making educated decisions when it comes to technology and to me the switch was a no brainer. Seems the sheep follow the other big two without any hesitation or thought. (yes I was one of them) I think of that old 1984 Apple commercial where IBM is now Apple and Android and the new break through hardware is the one running Windows Phone OS with its different look, style and feel.
Also it seems App's must not even be an issue especially if the younger generation is adopting in?

I will send Microsoft a bill later...

 

[thatdennis]

I watched CNN last week, and you know Microsoft is marketing a lot. Not WP mind you, but Microsoft's cloud computing service. It was simple, direct and fast, but not catchy at all.

In my lifetime, I have never seen an official ad from Microsoft advertising the Windows Phone (I live outside the U.S). I think Microsoft doesn't advertise their phones as much as other companies do, so WP remains a mystery. This mystery then creates assumptions by the general public, usually negative assumptions, which damage the image of WP. Not only that, but Microsoft I think has too much services that they want to advertise, so it's hard for them to decide the main priorities.

See Apple. They just need to advertise their iPhones, iPads, Macs and you're done. Google's advertisements are everywhere. Microsoft's? Well, you have cloud computing advertisement, office advertisement, Surface advertisement, a whole lot of other advertisements (Bing), but no WP. None.

 

[anon(5445874)]

From my point of view, MS is doing ok at marketing. But I live in a world where watching TV is a very rare thing (maybe 1 hour a month). I see MS ads everywhere I go on the internet. I see lots of banner ads for surface and windows phones. I've also seen MS ads as commercial breaks on sites like the south park studios site. Their products are also pushed a lot during sport events too.

 

[Bataar]

Remember the Zune? It was better than the iPod in nearly every way. The Zune software was so much better than iTunes it wasn't even funny. Microsoft didn't even try to market that. I rarely even see commercials for Microsoft products. Yes, I see generic commercials for "Windows products" but that's about it. Nothing really since those terrible dance commercials for the Surface. Their best promo is Felicity carrying around a Surface on the show Arrow.

 

[thatdennis]

From my point of view, MS is doing ok at marketing. But I live in a world where watching TV is a very rare thing (maybe 1 hour a month). I see MS ads everywhere I go on the internet. I see lots of banner ads for surface and windows phones. I've also seen MS ads as commercial breaks on sites like the south park studios site. Their products are also pushed a lot during sport events too.

Do you live in the U.S or India? If yes, then it's expected. Outside of the U.S. and India though, their ads are all over without consistency, or in my case there are no ads at all. Must go see international sites or international channels to see their ads.

 

[Bataar]

They need to have different ads for different target audiences. Show a teen/high school girl using the Windows Phone people hub to manage all her friends and contacts and how easy it is to sync up with Facebook. Show an ad with a businessman using Office and OneNote to get his work done on the go. Show an ad using a photographer to get professional looking shots only to reveal he was using a Nokia phone, etc. These "blanket" ads just aren't good enough.

 

[rex.reyesiii]

I absolutely hate the Facebook website. It's a horrible pile of sludgy dross. Out of the various mobile and desktop apps, Paper for iOS and the Windows 8 "metro" app are my favorites.

...

Which isn't really saying much, as I absolutely hate Facebook period. I only use it because many friends use it to stay in touch more than emails or text now.

But the point is, even if I hate Facebook, everybody else loves and uses it and make it as one of the basis on getting a Phone. etc. Since this thread is about Marketing.