mike's web log/comments

I laughed out loud the first time I heard that on the way into work. "Where do you want to go today?" was just plain silly, but at least it was snappy.

Though come to think of it, even that is verbose compared to "People first" (Saturn), "Drive safely" (Volvo), "I'm lovin' it." (McDonalds)

Another amusing twist on this slogan is to attempt to fit MORE pronouns into it.

The "software" bit seems superfluous. Microsoft is also in the hardware and services businesses, anyway.


How bout this (majorly distilled for brevity):
"You're the inspiration"


(agh, sappy Chicago song! but hey, maybe that'd make it easier to market?)

..or:
"You've inspired us to help you succeed."

Microsoft is a software company -- the rest is essentially superfluous from a financial point of view.

Of the $36.8 billion Microsoft took in as revenue last year, about 33 was from Windows, Office and MSN. Hardware and services don't even show up on the statements. (Though hardware is highly _profitable_ on a per-employee basis -- we sell a lot of mice and license a lot of patents with very few employees.)

The more I think about it, the more I think the comparison with Volvo is telling. Volvo could have made their slogan

"Your fear of your children dying in a firey crash inspires us to design and construct big, heavy, boxy cars with advanced safety systems that help you mitigate those risks."

But no, they distilled it down to "Drive safely".

The problem is that Microsoft is in the general-purpose tools business. Volvo at least has a single verb -- drive -- that everyone does with their products, and they've picked a particular aspect of driving as their focus -- safety. They could have said "drive quickly" or "drive stylishly", or "drive snobbily" or "drive cheaply", or whatever -- they picked something that distinguishes them and went with it.

But most computer users do not think of themselves as "computing" much of anything, any more than drivers think of themselves as "combusting". The fact that mathematical computations underly all software is irrelevant to the users. And Microsoft has no one company-wide focus that we use to disambiguate use from other vendors.

I'm reminded of an internal joke campaign slogan for .NET -- something like ".NET: integrating your disparate fiefdoms across organizational boundaries". Just how do you say what that thing does? It's a hard problem.

I actually like Rob's suggestion of something like You inspire us. It boils down the essence of the message -- we do stuff so you'll succeed -- into what in any event is supposed to be the subtext, namely that MS software is customer-driven. As you say, Eric, a successful slogan like that of Volvo (I'm assuming it's successful) manages to capture in one catchy phrase, operative keyword being catchy, the sometimes complex message that product managers use entire PowerPoint presentations to define. ("You'll be safe.")

As an aside, I use the kitchen cleanser Bon Ami, whose long-time logo consists of a baby chick and the slogan "Hasn't scratched yet." I noted recently that they apparently feel obliged to explain on the can the relationship between the baby chick, the slogan, and their major selling point. If they need to explain it, I think, they've got a bad logo thing going.

And one more aside: as a kid, I had a hard time parsing Morton Salt's famous slogan of "When it rains, it pours." Talk about tricky pronoun antecedents.

Oh, this is gonna be so easy.

".NET -- like Java, but better."

I don't care for the current MS slogan. It doesn't need to be rewritten, it needs to be replaced. To be fair, "Information at Your Fingertips" wasn't exactly a winner either.

Right on with this whole thread - what a crappy slogan. Plus I think the whole "your potential" thing is a bit condescending, anyhow. Shades of:

• Microsoft - We Know You Aren't Very Smart Right Now But We See Promise In You If You Use Our Software</li>

:)

Anyhow, slightly more serious suggestions:

• Microsoft - Helping You Reach Your Dreams</li>
  
• Microsoft - Inspired by Your Potential</li>
  
• Microsoft - Your Dreams, Our Software</li>

None of these are good, though. I like the "You Inspire Us" that was previously suggested a lot.

This is such a great thread, as Anonymous pointed out. Everyone has made keen observations on Mike's original post (and you've all written much better ad copy than whatever dense advertising company came up with that slogan!)

I would add one minor point: why, oh why!, does Microsoft need an advertising slogan anyway?!?! I'm completey ignorant of all things computer-related (incidentally, these days to say, "I don't know anything about computers," or to remark that someone else doesn't is so crazily anachronistic--as if being unaware of tech stuff is an elaborate euphemism for, "Hey! I just awoke from a 50-year coma!". But it seems like all the people I know who are savvy about computers, software, hardware, computer languages, etc.--even those who work in tech fields!--literally have to struggle if they want to extricate themselves from Microsoft's hegemonic rule over the whole world! Why on earth do they bother advertising at all? Did they forget that nearly every computer the average NPR listener would own came with Windows? Did they forget to tell the advertising agency who made up this garbled slogan that the the U.S. Justice Dept. had to fight and fight to make a slight dent in their ubiquity (or did Microsoft win that suit? In any case, it's still rare for a lay person who willfully alienates him/herself from modern society by removing Windws from his/her PC!).

While I think all the slogans mentioned here were quite good, funny, etc., I think a totally different approach migh be in order. Something like, "We dare you to try NOT to buy our stuff. We don't need your inspiration, because we already control you." :)

Although, I guess Microsoft's dominance is mostly in terms of PC operating systems, not in every area of tech (the rest of you prob. were aware of this before reading this ranting and raving mesage). So basically everything I just wrote is wrong. See, I knew I should have kept my lay-person opinion to myself!

You think anyone in the United States doesn't know what Coca Cola is? And yet they continue to advertise. Why?

Because only at its most basic level is advertising about informing people of the existence of a product or service. Advertising is about creating a certain _feeling_ in the target audience.

Your rant answers its own question. Microsoft doesn't advertise because people are unaware of our products. We advertise because we have an image problem: controlling, aloof and arrogant are not concepts that we would like to be associated with.

Well-known companies advertise to shape public sentiment. If you can identify with an ad's ideas, feelings, or images, the more likely you might consider a relationship, however brief, with that company. At this level, it's all about relationships.

Some useful info you can mine from an ad:

-The customer.
-The company's direction.
-Opportunities or trends.
-Competitors.

Though it still strives to innovate, Microsoft is maturing from go-go growth to more stable and reliable growth. They have a challenge to communicate expectations and what lies ahead. Given its history and customer-focus, it seems natural to promote Microsoft as a supporter, contributor, and empowerer of dreams.

The current slogan forces me to focus on its words, not its message. Not only am I distracted, I feel clumsy when I say it. However, the visual ads showing dreams overlaying real life seem more successful and endearing. I did notice that recent ads say, "Your potential, our passion." However, back on earth, I'm puzzled at how Microsoft might help fulfill these dreams:

http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ads/tv.asp

In most cases, I don't see a direct connection, so maybe they're showing the future. Then again, I might be thinking too hard and forgetting about the nature of ads. :-)

Your average person doesn't want to think about software. They want to dream and succeed. I'm sure most prefer technology to be intuitive, invisible, and seamless. No doubt, some always want to know what technology does or how it works, but most just want it to work. Usually, I do too.

Microsoft:
Your dreams. Our desire.
Your success. Our passion.
Making your dreams come true.

And maybe someday: You don't need to dream anymore!

"I'm sure most prefer technology to be intuitive, invisible, and seamless."

And I also forgot: technology should be under one's control when appropriate. :-)

Microsoft: Your potential inspires us to create software that helps you reach it.
My take: Micorsoft -your (low)potential inpsires us to create software that helps you reach it (ie our software)