You know what really grinds my gears? Lazy marketing. Case in point: Microsoft’s series of iPad vs. Surface tablet ads. Despite the fact that MS has lost over $1 billion on its tablets, it still has no problem shelling out millions of dollars to promote products no one wants. And its idea of creative marketing is to make a pitiful attempt to bash the leading product in hopes that it will sway people toward buying a Surface. Here is one of their recent ads:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wE7AQY5Xk9w
A couple of things to note: first, you’ll notice they show the keyboard with the Surface. What people may not realize is that the keyboard is not included-it is sold separately (this is noted in very small, light print at the bottom of the ad) for $80-$100, which puts it at around the same price as the iPad. And second, and more importantly, everyone knows what the iPad does and doesn’t do. We all know Apple doesn’t put memory ports on their products. Guess what? No one cares. The numbers speak for themselves. Like all Apple products, the iPad has a better user experience, and that’s what matters to people. Efficiency, security, ease of use, fun factor, and a premium build quality-this is the anatomy of an Apple product. They just work. It’s also interesting to note that while the Surface tablets are geared toward productivity, it’s the iPad that is and has been increasingly implemented in schools, businesses, and even airlines for pilots. Lastly, due to poor sales, MS has been forced to get desperate and lower the price of their tablets, which also doesn’t seem to be working. Apple products are not cheap-but have you ever seen the company be forced to lower the price on any of their products? Of course not, it’s never needed.
Microsoft, instead of spending millions trying to lower the appeal of your competitor’s products, why not put that money toward making products that people actually want to buy? Your first ad didn’t work, and the tenth one isn’t going to work any better.
Good luck with the Surface 2. I hope you lose less than $1 billion this time.
Hello there! Thanks for visiting our blog. My name is Greg Walker. I am a lover of all things technology, but I do have a soft spot for Apple, Nintendo (hang in there!), and Xbox. I also enjoy writing, so I figured blogging would be a natural cohesion of the two.