Until recently I remember seeing a fair amount of Windows Vista advertising. Think the Mojave experiment. Now it seems Microsoft has scaled it back by a large amount. They are now just advertising “Microsoft” in general. Take the recent “Laptop Hunter” ads. The ads talk about the hardware in the computers, but fail to mention the OS at all. Is this a precursor to a media blitz that is up-coming? Or is Microsoft going to take a low key approach with Windows 7. Let’s take a look at some ideas for both campaigns.
The Media Blitz
Microsoft wants to sell this OS very badly. So they pound all the major networks with commercials, print ads for all the big publishers – online ads everywhere they can put them. Pretty much an inundation of Windows 7 advertising. All getting the word out that Windows 7 is not the dreaded Vista. It is better, stronger, and faster than any previous version of Windows. Should they make it a huge ad campaign? Or…
The Quite Approach
This is where Microsoft lets the OS speak for itself. No huge ad campaign of any kind. Only subtle hints that the new Windows is out. Let word of mouth and of course the blogs spread the news. Then they let the momentum build up. At which point, news has reached the “mainstream.” Friends of friends have tried it, like it, and recommend it. Then Windows 7 has caught on enough to merit select advertising.
What will Microsoft do? Probably a mix of the two. Right now they are in the middle of a “quite approach.” With the Internet buzzing with information about new builds and the soon to be released RTM. They have good exposure for people like you and me. People who have been using Windows 7 for the last six months or so. We know all about it. But to me it seems that nobody else does. Most people are like “What is Windows 7?”
Anyone who walks in to a Best Buy or any participating retail chainand purchases a new PC will, I believe, will be offered to upgrade when Windows 7 is released on Oct.22. So my question to you the readers and potential buyers of Windows 7 is. How should Microsoft advertise Windows 7?
