Microsoft Potentially Takes a Page out of the Apple Marketing Playbook
The Microsoft Windows Phone 7 is set up to be the most anticipated/coolest product that the company has realeased in some time. The problem is, right now, it is more of an internal excitement. Much like other recent Microsoft products, the company is bragging up the product to be revolutionary. And why not? All companies market their tech products this way...but what does revolutionary mean. Apple relies on making revolutionary seem simple. Is Microsoft's new revolution to use an Apple strategy?
How is Microsoft Marketing the Product?
The company has set up a community to generate buzz and encourage social participation in the online realm with Windows Phone Backstage. And so far they have created various videos that highlight the phone's features and app development. The pitch for the product is simple "A different kind of phone designed to keep your life in motion" - that pitch is aligned with the company's strategy to make mobile processes simpler. Doe this sound familiar?
It should. Apple has branded all of their products as simple, in coparison to the competition. Steve Jobs once said "I want Apple users to be able to do in 1 click, what PC users do in 2." Apple's bread and butter is catering to the user with simple processes.
Microsoft has launched their campaign for the Phone 7 and it is obvious that their market differentiator is "accomplish mobile phone tasks easier." The user interface is laid out in a simple format with what seems to be a 1 thing at a time influence. With most phone marketing campaigns promoting the infinite amount of applications and multi-tasking capabilities, Microsoft is throwing a change up by pronouncing the Phone 7 as simple and NOT time consuming. They do highlight the apps being designed for the phone but the # of apps highlighted is 5 and not 500.
Even though Apple promotes their products as simple - they compliment simple with "cool" or "cutting edge". So I expected Microsoft to do the same. Unfortunately so far, the phone is not looking cool or cutting edge. It does look simple, but no application or feature has blown anyone away, nor is it something you can't get somewhere else. The 5 apps they highlight are Netflix, Twitter, Flixter, Open Table and Travelocity. All recognizable brands, but these brands have apps for other platforms too like Apple and Android that pretty much give you the same features.
So let's go Microsoft. Show us what you got. They have made the phone simple, but now can they pull from Apple's marketing playbook and make it look cool or cutting edge? Only time will tell. I love that Microsoft if finally throwing some variation of a changeup... the problem is that sometimes a changeup is expected and knocked out of the park. Catch us offguard Microsoft and save your mobile future.
