When I first saw the new campaign, I actually cheered for Microsoft out loud. I’m writing this on a MacBookPro, I have an AppleTV I love, as well as a newly purchased iPod Touch. I love Apple but I guess I’m a weirdo because I still like Microsoft, too. I built a mega-system for my son for college and it runs Vista beautifully – we’ve never had a problem with it.
What I loved about this campaign is that Microsoft simply marketed a strength that could not be argued by Apple… cost (I didn’t say value). I’m a firm believer in marketing oneself or one’s products by concentrating on strengths, not weaknesses. I, too, enjoyed some of Apple’s Mac versus PC advertisements, but I always knew they were a bit shy of the truth having had experience in both worlds.
Apple is trying to recover with some playful anecdotes on trying to contact support – but what percentage of people actually use support (or think that they’re going to get quality support). After all, an Apple should run flawlessly since the hardware and the operating system are built by the same company. Microsoft doesn’t have that advantage – they need to be everything to everyone.
The results are startling according to FastCompany:
A BrandIndex survey of 5,000 people shows that among the 18-to-34 year-old demographic (that’s right, young people) Apple’s “value perception” has taken a nose-dive. BrandIndex rates a brand on a scale of -100 to 100 (zero meaning the brand is getting equal positive and negative feedback) by simply asking customers whether they feel they get a good value for their money. Apple enjoyed a value rating of 70 as recently as last winter but has plunged to 12.4 since then. Microsoft, meanwhile, has rebounded from an indifferent zero in February to 46.2 today, indicating that its latest attempt to portray Apple as overpriced is hitting home with customers.
Bravo to Microsoft for lifting itself up and finding its core competency… distribution across brands, affordability, and keeping more money in a college kids’ pocket (or their Dad’s as in my case). As you market your business, products or services, keep in mind that playing to your strengths will always win someone over rather than pointing to others’ weaknesses.
The best solutions and the happiest relationships are the ones where the strengths of the company match the needs of the client.
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