The new Jerry Seinfeld/Bill Gates ad is the most visible component of the new Windows campaign Microsoft has launched in an effort to fundamentally change the way consumers experience the Windows brand at retail and in their lives. According to Brad Brooks, Corporate Vice President for Windows Consumer Product Marketing, the campaign is being launched because:
“Today customers see inconsistent buying scenarios, and often end up
with PCs or devices that aren’t ideally suited to what they want from
Windows,” he says. “And the company hasn’t always provided enough
information for people to understand the functionality they need, and
how to get there. We need to help our customers keep pace.”
Responding to this need, over the past year the company has
undergone extensive efforts to understand consumer behavior and
thinking around PCs and Windows.
“We wanted to know how customers experience not only the products,
but the company itself,” Brooks says. “We did our own studies, engaged
with leading research firms and really evaluated not only how our
products work for the average person, but how our business works for
them.”
The research has spanned everything from day-to-day use of the
product and how the company supports customers over the Web and
telephone, to the real-world experience of buying PCs, software and
devices — where much of consumers’ initial learning occurs.
“Customers have told us they want Microsoft to play a more active
role in their technology experiences, by helping direct them to the
specific products, services and technologies that will most benefit
their unique needs,” he says.
Interesting - and I know a lot of us here would probably agree: Customers definitely need help understanding what Windows Mobile can do and how it's different from other phone OS's.
Read the entire press release.