In spite of Microsoft spending $300 million on a concerted effort to get itself back into a positive public mindset, ads most directly targeting Apple are failing to resonate with web viewers and may have already been thwarted by the Mac maker's response.
While not insignificant, the number is dwarfed by those for the company's two Gates and Seinfeld ads: the deliberately eccentric videos have generated more than 6 million views in their history and have also had staying power that wasn't present for the newest commercial.
"I'm a PC" is estimated to have generated approximately half as many views in its first week and a half online and was down to 50,000 views per day just a few days later at the two-week mark, or a fraction of the 700,000 daily views Gates and Seinfeld were managing two weeks after their series launch.
That's a serious problem, according to the analysts: the "I'm a PC" spots, which softly criticize Apple's rendition of the PC as a trouble-ridden stereotype, are meant to be the core of Microsoft's ad campaign. A poor viral reception means web visitors aren't spreading and discussing the ads nearly as often as the Seinfeld pieces, which were reportedly intended as abstract teasers.
More worrying for Microsoft might be Apple's response ads, which tweak the software developer for allegedly spending more money on marketing its brand than fixing problems commonly associated with Windows Vista. The three Apple segments' first week of collective views generated a modest 70 percent of the viral views managed by the "I'm a PC" ad, but were also placed on twice as many websites overall — 140 versus 70 — and promised greater exposure than Microsoft's promos.
Neither of these most recent campaigns have had enough clout to outweigh the popularity of the Seinfeld ads, but the success of Apple's retort is said to demonstrate the relative commitment fans have to spreading the company's message on Macs. It also suggests to the research group that Microsoft may have inadvertently quieted the fervor that was circulating its ads and might not regain that spark until Seinfeld's commercials return.
34 Comments
Well I can totally see why the Seinfeld & Gates Ads have been watched more - they are far more entertaining than watching a bunch of people say "I'm a PC." Heck, I went and watched the Seinfeld ads and while I thought they didn't really do a whole lot of advertising for MS I certainly found them entertaining. Considering Apple's Mac vs PC has been around for years the fact that they are getting nearly as many views and twice as much placement as a brand new campaign that is spending much more than them speaks to the near cult-like following those commercials have.
I'm guessing people aren't watching them because there's nothing to see. After the first five or so "I'm a PC," I'd say most people are thinking, "Okay, already. I got the point."
There's also nothing new. PC users already know other people use PC's. Unfortunately PC users watching the commercial also know all about they trouble they've had with PC's the past 20 years.
All Microsoft's ads say are "We'd like to remind you PC users out there that you use a PC."
The public isn't as stupid about computers as they were 10-15 years ago and Microsoft's little games they've played have caught up with them.
Microsoft's operating system is such shit that it created a multi-billion dollar antivirus industry for God's sake.
I'm guessing people aren't watching them because there's nothing to see. After the first five or so "I'm a PC," I'd say most people are thinking, "Okay, already. I got the point."
I get the impression that the Seinfeld ads were cut off prematurely, like telling a story but don't even get to the second act, or telling a joke and forgetting to finish the setup, nevermind tell the punch line.
What the "I'm a PC" ad campaign accomplished is to sell the Apple and Mac brand. Apple really gave Microsoft and inferiority complex. Poor MS needs Bill Gates back at the helm before YHOO buys them. Balmer is so lame it's pathetic! What stupefies me is Apple has RDF's Microsoft into chanting mantras from Apple's own script. I've never witnessed lamer corporate public relations in my life!
From:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscente..._mistakes.html
"In his keynote Tuesday, Sinofsky said Microsoft is learning its lessons from Vista, which was widely criticized by users and the press, and spoofed famously in humorous television advertisements by competitor Apple.
Sinofsky acknowledged that some of the criticism was deserved, particularly around Microsoft's lack of preparing its hardware, software and peripheral partners for Vista's release, even though it was more than five years in the making."
WTF is MS doing? Hari Kari?