Are Apple Ads Hurting Microsoft's Brand&#63

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So Microsoft, for no real discernable reason, slipped from number eleven to number fifty nine on some brand recognition list and now people are trying to say the “I’m a Mac” ads are responsible.

"The effect of Apple's 'Hi, I'm a Mac' advertising campaign may have taken its toll on Microsoft," CoreBrand CEO James Gregory said in a statement. "The launch of a series of new products, following a long, relatively dormant period, will be closely watched to see if it will have a positive impact on the Microsoft brand."

Ummm, what? If that were true, wouldn’t you think those very same ads that supposedly dropped MS almost 50 spots would have helped Apple in some way? The company didn’t even make the list. Why does Microsoft come in second only to Coca Cola when BusinessWeek conducted the same survey? Are we to believe that this company believes Americans are so stupid that Mac ads could sway their opinion? What do you think?
 
I would agree to that, you won't believe how many newbs I have coming to me latley and re-hashing the mac ad claims... like a bunch of brainwashed sheep.
 
Yes, this country *is* stupid enough to listen to those Mac ads and fall hook, line and sinker. Maybe not anyone that knows a micro bit more than the average person, but Joe Schmoe would, as well as the fart sniffing PC dumbasses in Frisco (sorry got that SP episode on my mind for some reason :p).

There is something called subliminal advertising for a reason. And if not for the power of print/TV/other advertising why is there massive lobbying/trade organizations dedicated solely to pimping products?
 
Well of course Apple is so great, I mean it was on TV...TV does not lie, right? Riiiight....
 
...attack of the News item no edits...

And who the hell is CoreBrands? I'd believe somebody like Business Week over them anyday.
 
I'd like to know the other 50+ brands that are more "recognizable" than Microsoft. I think the company conducting this list is made up either of idiots or Apple fan boys. Actually, those two are one and the same.
 
Are we to believe that this company believes Americans are so stupid that Mac ads could sway their opinion? What do you think?

Definitely.

But swaying their opinion does not mean that they automatically forget who or what Microsoft is.
 
someone sent in an interesting email to one of our support reps.

"Do you not know any other way then condescension to "help" people? Or is it that this is the only thing that people will respond to? I am at a loss to understand this. Why would you continue to do this if people irritate you so much?

People are not very bright, but that does not mean they deserve to be berated. It certainly will not change them. Nor will it solve their problems."

I actually found this sage advice and ironically, this is a Mac user viewing materials on Input Managers on our www.macfixit.com website.
 
Maybe it is that Microsoft hasn't launched an operating system that anyone cares much about in over 6 years has hurt MS's brand. Or maybe making a new, more bloated office suite that looks pretty and is generally far less usable than the previous version (particularly if you are an Excel power user).

Honestly, though, I upgraded my system significantly enough when I built my last box (and put Vista on it) that it was still far faster than my old XP system.So, I'm not really complaining about my gaming Vista system too much. (I still have a Linux box for real work. ;) )
 
The article is about the possible causation between the mac ads and Microsoft brand awareness slipping and immediately it becomes about how people who don't love Windows are stupid. :confused:
 
I have had several people come in my store after switching to Macs from PCs asking me how to do even the most basic tasks.

Not only can Americans be really dumb, you can also add words like lazy, ignorant and stubborn to the list also.
 
James Gregory is most likely a MAC user. That is the only possible way that one could conclude that a MAC commercial would make people magically forget what Microsoft is.

Most MAC users are full of pride, arrogance, and have a superiority complex.
 
Do MS even advertise?
I havent seen any MS adverts in the UK for ..... well ever.

It might help them if they ponied up the cash for this kind of publicity.
 
Is it just me or does it say Microsoft Windows every time 95% of the world starts up their computer. That must be why brand recognition is down.
 
Those MAC ads really do not help promote there product. One of the main problems facing MAC is the reluctance of Lawyers, Accountants, and the business community in general to convert to there platform. Poking fun at the stereotypical businessman is driving a stake in there own heart. MAC should be aggressively going after corporate types, then the consumer end would follow.

People that cannot grasp PC, and change to MAC, often cannot understand that platform either.

Cheers!
 
Whether the Mac commercials are saying something negative about a PC or something positive about Mac's, you would think that it would increase awareness for both equally.
 
Don't give Apple all the credit. Microsoft deserves more of the blame. Vista is perceived as a failure. Also the RRoD certainly hasn't helped it reputation. Just when they were getting over the Blue Screen of Death reputation. Google is beating them with their search engine, and advertisement sales. Also Firefox has been gaining popularity against IE.
 
How ineffective MS has been going after Google in the web world, or how bad Vista is playing out probably has more to do with. I see ten times as much press about Google leaving behind slow to react MS, or MS Vista woes than I do cutesy Mac commercials.

Exactly what has MS done in the last 5 years. They are mainly coasting on the Windows/Office monopoly, messing up everything in the webspace they touch.
 
Not all PC's run on Windows. So then, macs can run Windows, which only would improve microsoft's image. It could just be the fact that no one cares anymore, and that a computer is expected to run when the power button is pressed, and whether it is Mac or Windows doesn't mean so much anymore.
 
Those MAC ads really do not help promote there product. One of the main problems facing MAC is the reluctance of Lawyers, Accountants, and the business community in general to convert to there platform. Poking fun at the stereotypical businessman is driving a stake in there own heart. MAC should be aggressively going after corporate types, then the consumer end would follow.

People that cannot grasp PC, and change to MAC, often cannot understand that platform either.

Cheers!

1) I'll mail a cookie to anyone here that finds a major bank on Wall Street using Macs as their primary systems.

2) The commercials mocking lawyers, accountants, businessmen has nothing to do with it. More-so it's software, security, and expense of systems. Yes yes before the iSheeple say "there's software to make a mac run ALMOST as good as a PC!!!" I know there is.

And that costs extra, on top of the over priced system.

3) People can't grasp PCs? They can't afford Macs.
 
Mac: Hey PC you know your brand is hurting right, some say Apple's ads are the cause?

PC: Cold cocks Mac knocking him out cold...

PC: SO MAAcc how does that hurt your image? I just knocked out 5 of your front teeth... Take that...

Mac: ooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Most Mac users don't want to be business men. If you go into an Apple store it's hippies and EMO hair galore.

That's what Mac is trying to do, get people like that to keep buying into Mac. The iPod/iPhone alone s doing this. So yes, they want business men and lawyers to stay away, they want to keep their "Think different crowd".

I use Apple and PC at work, on my mac I run VM ware and run Windows XP. My PC has Vista.

I think the best and most sophisticated of geeks, like myself, run all platforms. There isn't one that is better than the other, they all have their task they are best at.
 
I do use the Mac OS to QA our web application and surf the web. I am posting from firefox running on Tiger (10.4.11)

Mac is fun :)

Windows is necessary lol

Apple kind of rules for being able to switch to x86 architecture but apple system are still not built by yourself.

For a esktop I say build your own all the way, that's what I do. For laptop , you CANNOT beat a MacBook Pro. It's not possible, they are beefy and can run both platforms mac/win.

I play World of Warcraft on my MAcBook Pro, runs all settings on high and 30 fps. It's awesome imo for a laptop and i am running wow in OS X.
 
I would agree to that, you won't believe how many newbs I have coming to me latley and re-hashing the mac ad claims... like a bunch of brainwashed sheep.
:D Pretty well put IMO... Brainwashed by Apple marketing. Every single Mac user that I know thinks they have valid reasons against PCs, yet when asked for actual proof (or something other than an option like "they just are better"), come up dry. 100% of the time.

Maybe it is that Microsoft hasn't launched an operating system that anyone cares much about in over 6 years has hurt MS's brand. Or maybe making a new, more bloated office suite that looks pretty and is generally far less usable than the previous version (particularly if you are an Excel power user).
Actually, Vista's struggle (I wouldn't even call it a struggle- from day one it has sold double the rate XP ever did, although I've imagined it has slowed down) is largely due to Microsoft's huge success with XP.

People grew to know XP quite well- and people don't like change.

MAC should be aggressively going after corporate types, then the consumer end would follow.
Exactly right.
The business world, contrary to what so many thing, is where the cash cows are. The business world is what dictates what the rest of the world uses.
Which is why, IMO, Windows is still king. Microsoft grabbed the business world, and the personal world followed.

Vista is perceived as a failure.
By who? Quite frankly, other than a few (minor population) of folks here on H, and certain media outlets... I haven't seen this at all.

Every single individual I know that has Vista is happy with it, and likes it more than XP.

Family members, friends, clients, whoever.

IMO it's largely columnists at magazines and articles at newspapers spreading this Vista paranoia around, making it "perceived" that it is a failure, whereas the world actually using it is happy with it.

Also the RRoD certainly hasn't helped it reputation.
Google is beating them with their search engine, and advertisement sales. Also Firefox has been gaining popularity against IE.

RROD is given... No excuses on that one, my main problem with that is how long it took them to resolve the issue on new systems.

Google isn't "beating" Microsoft at search. Microsoft has never been a search company.
More accurately, Microsoft hasn't been able to overtake Google.
Google came along, Microsoft saw the huge success and possibilities there, and just can't catch up (IMO never well... Google will need to die away first).


As for Firefox, granted it has taken a good chunk from IE. But I really think with IE7, and now IE8 on the horizon, it's largely stopped.
People use the superior product. Firefox was the superior product back during IE6, IE7 came along and changed that, and slowed it down quite a bit.
 
someone sent in an interesting email to one of our support reps.

"Do you not know any other way then condescension to "help" people? Or is it that this is the only thing that people will respond to? I am at a loss to understand this. Why would you continue to do this if people irritate you so much?

People are not very bright, but that does not mean they deserve to be berated. It certainly will not change them. Nor will it solve their problems."

I actually found this sage advice and ironically, this is a Mac user viewing materials on Input Managers on our www.macfixit.com website.

Sounds like the Mac snobs and the Linux snobs should get together. Their attitudes towards new users seem to be quite compatible.
 
Sounds like CoreBrand is trying to lure MS into hiring them.
 
I have had several people come in my store after switching to Macs from PCs asking me how to do even the most basic tasks.

Not only can Americans be really dumb, you can also add words like lazy, ignorant and stubborn to the list also.

I knew a guy that didnt know you could right-click the start menu button. :rolleyes:
When given a disc of photos, he insisted the cd was broken because start>run wouldnt work (and he had an old random entry in it to boot):eek:
 
I would agree to that, you won't believe how many newbs I have coming to me latley and re-hashing the mac ad claims... like a bunch of brainwashed sheep.

DRINK THE KOOLAID!!!


That basically sums it up for me as well. I hear people talking all the time about how secure macs are. When I bite the hook and ask them more, it quickly becomes obvious that the only "compairison" between Macs and PC's they've seen are the adds. They seem oblivious to the fact that it is a piece of advertising, which is nothing but sugar coated lies.
 
I'd like to know the other 50+ brands that are more "recognizable" than Microsoft. I think the company conducting this list is made up either of idiots or Apple fan boys. Actually, those two are one and the same.

http://www.visibilitypr.com/pdfs/BrandPowerRankings07.pdf If you'd RTFA, you'd have found the link to answer this question yourself.


One thing that could influence it heavily is hwo they weight markets. In 2004, MS was #11 by these guys measurments. Coincidentally, 2004 wasa the year all the anti trust issues in the US got finally sorted out in the US. No morer headlines on that. Skyrocket growth and stock upswing had ended before 2001. In 2003 they did a stock split and started payign out their first dividends. That pretty much ended mainstream press coverage on their financial performance.

Recently, the only things getting real coverage broadly in the north american market have been Bill Gates and Vista. The publicity both are getting aren't hyping the microsoft brand but rather the "product" branding itself.


Now you weight the EU market more where there is still current bad press every day with anti-trust stuff, then you might be more recongnizable.

Or heck, one survey could be weighting for positive vs. negative recognition of the brand. Right now in the us Bear Sterns is amore recognizable name than ever before, but that isn't a good list. you wieght for negativity, they would be zero.
 
For people that say "people are idiots and the ads work"...then why hasn't Apple taken any real marketshare from MS? I mean, if the ads work like you say...

I am to believe that (because I am stupid) I TOTALLY fall for the "I'm a Mac" stance....Microsoft’s standings are knocked down almost 50 notches (out of only 100) but none of the people that caused this catastrophic MS decline bought a Mac?

What the!?!?! Now that is an effective ad….it maligns the competition but can’t sell a Mac. Wait…that actually sounds like Apple. Never mind, mystery solved.
 
For laptop , you CANNOT beat a MacBook Pro. It's not possible, they are beefy and can run both platforms mac/win.

I play World of Warcraft on my MAcBook Pro, runs all settings on high and 30 fps. It's awesome imo for a laptop and i am running wow in OS X.

WoW is a benchmark? lol. My 4 year old emachine runs WoW on medium setting, and it cost me $600 3 years ago used. The 8600M GT is flat-out gimp. $2000 STARTING price? IIRC, Bestbuy had a 8800 laptop around $1200 that would absolute dominate every laptop Mac has ever produced. More RAM, larger harddrive. Only thing it needs is a processor swap for ~$150 and it would crush the Macbook. Not to mention, you have to buy Windows on top of all that to make the laptop usefull.

MacBooks are mid-range laptops at upper range prices. Nothing more. The only advantage to a MacBook is the ability to boot in useless mode.
 
it maligns the competition but can’t sell a Mac. Wait…that actually sounds like Apple. Never mind, mystery solved.

I used to think this was only me...

But the more I think about it and watch Apple's tactics... the more it seems like it is exactly what they are doing.

They seem to put most of their focus on making their competition look bad, versus selling their own damned products.

I remember at one of their conferences they had a banner that said "Microsoft, start your photocopiers", and lots of other things to that degree. Rather than selling their product, they are trying to sell you on why the competition is bad.

Which could explain these findings, if true (Not reputable, but I really don't think ANY survey of this type would be accurate anyway).
 
A key thing to realize is that while Joe Efftard may actually believe the crap he sees in the ads, that doesn't mean he magically can now afford to plop down $4K on a laptop. So, advertising and brand recognition, even if it does brainwash the idiot consumer, does not translate 1:1 into sales.
 
Ummm, what? If that were true, wouldn’t you think those very same ads that supposedly dropped MS almost 50 spots would have helped Apple in some way? The company didn’t even make the list.

Well, what was Apple's position before these ads? They may not have been anywhere near the top of the list to begin with.
 
Actually, Vista's struggle (I wouldn't even call it a struggle- from day one it has sold double the rate XP ever did, although I've imagined it has slowed down) is largely due to Microsoft's huge success with XP.

People grew to know XP quite well- and people don't like change.

I had ME and was happy to change to XP. It's not the same with Vista.

It's only selling more because there are a lot more computers now than there were when XP came out. By percentages Vista is being adopted at a much slower rate than XP.

By who? Quite frankly, other than a few (minor population) of folks here on H, and certain media outlets... I haven't seen this at all...

IMO it's largely columnists at magazines and articles at newspapers spreading this Vista paranoia around, making it "perceived" that it is a failure, whereas the world actually using it is happy with it.

Dell and other large computer companies continue to offer XP. Everyone I know who cares about performance has stuck with XP.
 
I had ME and was happy to change to XP. It's not the same with Vista.

It's only selling more because there are a lot more computers now than there were when XP came out. By percentages Vista is being adopted at a much slower rate than XP.



Dell and other large computer companies continue to offer XP. Everyone I know who cares about performance has stuck with XP.

I'd like to see some recent and current stats to back your fud up.
 
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