Microsoft's Costly Search for Its Identity Takes a Wrong Turn

Posted 10/12/2009 at 11:46am | by Bart Salisbury

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Microsoft has apparently become the Rodney Dangerfield of the computing world: it can’t get no respect. No matter how hard it tries. According to Jason Notte of TheStreet.com, Microsoft last 18 months of advertising has amounted to zilch. Basically $470 million spent with little to nothing to show for it.

Microsoft’s various campaigns to reestablish it’s brand identity have included “I’m a PC,” “Laptop Hunter,” and “Kylie” (the cute four-year old girl who’s a photo-editing wizard). And we probably don’t need to bring up the Seinfeld debacle that seemed more about selling shoes than computers.

According to Microsoft’s vice president of consumer marketing, Brad Brooks, all this effort is about “going out and building brand loyalty and pride around the brand.” But it’s interesting that despite all its efforts, and all its money, Microsoft can’t seem to make any headway. Might it be the lack of a legitimate competitor for Microsoft? Coke has Pepsi, Ford has General Motors, even Apple has Microsoft. But when your product comes, pretty much by default, on 90% of the PCs in the market, brand loyalty is a tough sell. After all, what real choice is there?

Image Credit: Robert Scoble/Flickr