Will Windows 7 revive Microsoft’s brand?

Will Windows 7 revive Microsoft’s brand?

If I were Apple, I'd be laughing. Microsoft has fallen into the trap of being the generic. Apple cleverly reinforced the their difference through the I'm a Mac.... I'm a PC campaign, which it seems Microsoft have fallen for and even used the 'I'm a PC line in their ads... crazy stuff. The 'mac' became the exclusive and the PC became the generic for the rest of the computing world. For Microsoft to fall into this show's an attitude of focussing on the competitor and not the customer. The same attitude that brought them to this situation.

Stuart Leo, Director, Blirt! - October 26, 2009

You know the saying "a horse of a different colour"? In this case, it's the same horse. Now, MS is trying to be cool. Yet, you can't be cool just because you say you are. The corporate culture within MS is one of predation and control, a feature set about which Steve Balmer seems rather proud. Quoting Malcolm Gladwell, "[cool] cannot be manufactured, only observed, and then by those who are themselves cool." I'm sorry, I find it difficult to use "Microsoft" and "cool" in the same sentence...well, I just did, but you catch my drift.In the case of W7, people will adopt it for the same reason they've adopted all of the other incarnations: not because they want to, because they have to. There's no innovation in Windows, there never has been. MS has taken a page from Big Tobacco's play book: how to brand an unwanted, unhealthy, unbreakable addiction?Give them several apparent "choices": regular, light and ultra-light. Still gonna kill ya in the end, though.

Steve Russell, CEO, The Really Cool Networkâ„¢ - October 26, 2009

If by "revive" you mean "Look more like Apple's OS X" then yes it will. Sadly, MS has merely become a wanna be.

Kevin Terry, Pixel Pusher, KVN Design - October 26, 2009

Apple has a brand personality and MS never did. That opened the door for Apple to define their personality for them. MS can knock off Apple's products, but not their brand.

A strong product can take MS a long way as many consumers and businesses have a lot invested in them. In all fairness to MS, it's easier to go after a giant than to maintain dominance.

Dave Morawski, VP Branding - October 26, 2009

Not sure why every discussion around Microsoft brand has to revolve around Apple. Microsoft is an outstanding brand, losing its sheen due to its lack of newness, innovation and friendliness. Microsoft 7 is a step in the right direction but will only take away the damage Vista has probably done to the brand. It needs a little more. A great new product in retail will help. An outstanding online site would help. A friendlier younger face to the company will surely help. But inherent strength is phenomenal.

- October 27, 2009

Let's look at that inner-feeling that MS and Apple have been conveying since, forever. Microsoft has always had that "professional", scientific, traditional or "objective" interface and look; whereas Apple has always been "personal", abstract and "subjective".

The fact of the matter is that both companies have contributed to opposite ends of the spectrum. Neither better than the other, because they remained so distant, like parallel lines.

I think that MS is taking a lot of heat, because it scribbled outside of its parallel line into the void between MS and Apple, adopting some of the warm, "personal" feeling of a Mac's look and interace. And although some ideas are definately similar to Apple's, these are all new and combined appropriately with Microsoft's traditional ways to create a new, happy-medium between Mac and Windows.

I think Windows 7 is what you could call the best of both worlds. Why give MS heat for being the first to provide everything we've always wanted?

A.H. Normand - October 27, 2009

I find it amazing that Microsoft can release a version of software that often does not work properly. Can you imaging if my clients had to sell defective products or services. Their brand would not exist.

Competition will really change the status quo. In todays interconnected world the brand custodian is the consumer. How many consumers "love" Microsoft. Not too many. I am not sure that Windows 7 will help revive the brand. There are many more touch points that MS need to work on before the brand is improved.

Recognition of the brand does not mean that you love the brand. Everyone knows "Mugabe" but no one likes him. Its the same with MS

Oresti Patricios, C.E.O., OrnicoGroup Brand Intelligence - October 28, 2009

Surely it will provide an impetus to the brand. Though it is a me-too product but given MS reach lot many customers will get to experience the product. We should not forget that Microsoft is build following this strategy.

Shekhar Misra, Marketing Manager, Capgemini Consulting - November 3, 2009

i think microsoft has had it good in the past and can riseup from thier present sufferings with the windows 7.akin akinfe lagos Nigeria

akin akinfe, client service executive, MMDS:imc limited an ADVERTISING AGENCY - November 6, 2009

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Manoj chawla, Business Opportunity Scout, Alexamder Richards - November 7, 2009

The problem is the MS's top management's mind set and its culture. They had never, frankly never cared for the users. All they were apparently bothered was to maintain the dominance with an iron grip and not let any one else gain even a toe hold. The focus has always been making money (not a bad thing in business after all) and being No 1. Tragically not caring for the users. I guess if this mentality can altered it might do good to MS brand.

P Ramakrishnan, CEO, Active Media, Coimbatore, India - November 7, 2009

Is MS the generic and Mac the specific? In that case, FTW, MS. Most "consumers" of operating systems just want the computer to arrive, come out of the box, plug in and start working. Few want to invest in getting to know an operating system's "personality." If it works, is simple, is generically similar to previous computing experiences (and the total computer and software package costs a little less) then this will always be the vastly predominant brand, and Mac a niche. In that universe of parallels, they both win.

- November 7, 2009

Applications create the brand for software. The operating system sets the brand identity. Hence, Apple has a cooler brand ID that has helped them make inroads into the MS base.

Until Apple has captured the application space they cannot become the dominant brand. Until MS adds more compelling applications it will not take back market share.

- November 7, 2009

Well the Mac ads

Aparna Kishen, MBA Student, BIMTECH, G. Noida - November 10, 2009

Well, it seems 'big bro' Microsoft unfortunately has been boxed into the reactionary corner once again.....forced to respond to competition rather than set the pace.... Steve Job's Apple has always manged to be seen as the more proactive pacesetter over time anyway. Presently, the image that comes across of Microsoft as a firm to the public is tantamount to something of a 'tyrannosaurus', always trying to stifle any potential competition...so the perception somehow is that they're not genuinely out to serve the consumer as much as they want to make a clear statement of 'We run the show around here!' They seriously need fresh approaches to mitigate this negative perception issues...Windows 7 may well be one step towards this...but its too early to tell really.What's needed is a holistic brand image/perception overhaul...the things can begin to fall into place

Tomi Ogunlesi, Strategic Planner, Bates Cosse - November 12, 2009

Everyone is talking about brand personality, and how cool Mac is...Honestly, I don't care is my OS popular, fancy, or "in". I grew up on Windows, and I don't like using Apple products because I consider them really not user friendly (way too complicated).I don't want to feel special for using a certain OS, I just want for it to work, nad to be easy to work with. Which Microsoft is for me. Actually, I am on Vista now, and as soon as I have time, I'll get back to XP.

Momcilo - November 14, 2009

1) MS needs a very strong positioning for W7. As a market leader, you dont have to answer to such im a mac campaign. Ignore deliberately to depict the attitude but keep creating a strong and unique position for yourself. its not about what you offer. its about what they cant!2) re-launch. if you cant change the image of "windows", why not launch it with a new brand?"X7 from microsoft." "7th." "exe" anything except windows.

Abid Naseem Siddiqi, Brand Consultant - November 15, 2009

MS and Windows are so weak that I worry about Apple getting lazy when Steve is gone.

Chris, producer, MSRP - November 21, 2009

We use both Macs and PCs in our office. I've been a Mac user for many years and have recently been asked by management to move to a PC, and yes, it's the infamous Vista ...

My impressions:

Mac - intuitive, easy, logical, solid = I trust it and feel in control.

PC - counter-intuitive, fiddly, information overload, schizophrenic = I feel my work is in the lap of the Gods (the crazy ones!)

Overall -
MS seem to be driven technocrats,
Mac seem to be run by customercrats.

I know who I'd rather be in the longer term.

- November 28, 2009

I agree with the above opinion, that MS can provide a better product and a more developed consumer solution that apple, but they will never defeat the Brand apple has successfully created and contiously being enhanced and developed further by them...people look up to apple, but they never to MS, Apple is a way of living. However, W7 can be a step to restore the lost consumer loyalty and satisfaction back..but after all...people will use W7 from microsoft because they just have to

Adham el Sayed, Assistant brand manager - Deodorants Category, Unilever - November 28, 2009

"Old wine in a new battle", and thats what windows 7 is. Consumer is far more educated now, and will fall in trap to buy same software just for new looks and a few added functionalities. Not at all.

According to me, MS just doesnt know what to do next. So they tend to play safely around their most successful platform and ream in profits. A good short term tactical plan, but that short term is ending now. MS needs to look beyond....beyond whats currently in the market, aka similar to what it fantastically did by launching windows operating system years ago.

Also, though Apple's products arent that great, not value for money according to me. But their marketing and campaigns are so good, that consumers do fall for it. But till when??? So apple too needs to keep refreshing itself, which it has been able to do so far. But still, Apple now needs to provide some really useful products, and not something like iphone, which is similar to many other phones in the market

Mohit Bahri, Consultant, IMS Health - December 2, 2009

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