Summary

Microsoft Corporation is the foremost and the largest software Company in the world. This organization is found by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, Microsoft has grown up and developed as multibillion company in duration ten years. By the way, it all started with a great vision a computer on every desk and every home that seemed practically impossible at the time. Now Microsoft has over 44,000 employees in 60countries, net income of $3.45 billion and revenue of 11.36 billion. Company dramatic growth and success was driven by development and marketing of operational systems and personal productivity applications software. Microsoft implement few strategy such as product development, promotional, distributional etc accordingly with the market condition to survive which will be discussed further in the coming chapter.

Question 1: Evaluate Microsofts strategy in good and poor economic time

Strategy of good time 1. IBM transform its first success in creation of DOS into selling software They used initial advertising to communicate the company range of products form DOS to launch the Excel and Windows. This strategy contribute to launch of WINDOW operating system and Microsoft Office which being benchmark for Microsoft success. They continue innovation with Window 3.0 which been using c currently and being milestone in the industry and for Microsoft. 2. They invest in magazines advertising as well used magazine endorsement. The magazine endorsement increase user awareness and brand of Microsoft product, therefore they able to capture more market share. This promotional push Microsoft as one of must have tools in the IT sectors.

3. Use of slogan Where Do You Want To Go Today This slogan strategy not only increase awareness of individual products but also corporate attention. Indirectly companies and end user feel the same benefit under Microsoft products. 4. Launch of Internet Explorer Microsoft use the browser wars platform to introduce Internet Explorer browser (free software) which being rival to Navigator browser under Netscape. This product gives high turnover by decreasing Netscape market share which is 72% to 4%. Create more reputation and well known among IT sectors.

5. Release Window 2000 in 2000 and Window XP as well as Xbox in 2001 They launch more advance windows version such as 2000 and XP to over claim they numerous lawsuits due to their marketing tactics and antirust charges. The greatest diversity when they launched Xbox which is marking the company entrance into the multibillion-dollar gaming industry as one contingency strategy rather than focusing in IT products.

Strategy in poor economic times 1. Created campaign entitled Window Life Without Walls As the recession hit in 2008, Microsoft found they were lost and rivalry increase from Apple by launching the Get the Mac campaign. In addition to this, Microsoft launch Vista operating system in 2007 but was plagued with bugs and problems. Microsoft stock price dipped by over $40 a share. As a recovery strategy they launch Window Life Without Walls to repair their reputation and increase the market shares. The company intensive in developing economical cost software in computers. This objective work well in the recession period by attract the user to consider Microsoft product.

2. Launch commercial promo with Im PC ads In this ads Microsoft employees will be characterised as PC and its made into stereotype. Basically this commercial illustrate that, PC owners captured more pride in owning a set of PC. Indirectly carrying message that each PC need to utilise with Window operating system. Therefore this ads contribute massive impact by develop and improve customer loyalty and employee morale.
3. Opened a retail stores. This strategy to engage more actively and closely with consumers. Hence this retails stores will be source of information provider about consumer buying behavior and pattern. They can use those details to introduce more products according to consumer preference.

Question 2: Discuss the Pros and cons of Microsofts most recent Im a PC campaign. Is Microsofts doing good thing by acknowledging Apples campaign in its own marketing message? Why or Why not? The campaign was produced by the CPB advertising agency and displayed usual PC users to be initiate everywhere. It was the another stage of Microsoft's 2008 exertions to illustrate the ubiquity of Apple's "Get a Mac" ads, which described the Mac as "cool and intuitive" and the PC as "boring and clunky". The Microsoft advertisements naturally opened with an image of Sean Siler, a genuine Microsoft employee uttering lines such as "Hello I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype" and "Hello I'm a PC, and I am not alone."

 The Pro of this campaign are such as:

Support window 7 indirectly where the ads typically focus on one person and end with the tagline "I'm a PC and Windows 7 was my idea." By the way, this create more product awareness among end user. Celebrity appearance in the ads such as Eva Longoria, the author Deepak Chopra and the singer Pharrell Williams, develop very strong endorsement towards the Microsoft products. Contain very productive message such as from scientists and fashion designers to shark hunters and teachers, all of whom affirm, in fast-paced, upbeat vignettes, their pride in using the computers that run on Microsoft operating systems and software. This message being very viral among end user that Microsoft as friendly must have tools in PC.

 The cons of the campaign are such as: No originality, since the campaign was partially transformed from very similar to the PC character from the Apple ads. Therefore, creativity ethics are not originate from Microsoft notions. Unhealthy ads competition, since Microsoft indirectly portrait Apple products in very negative perceptive in term of quality of design.

 The acknowledgment of Microsoft towards Apples campaign in own marketing message is not a negative ethics. By the way, competitors are one sort of source of information or idea to learn about market pattern and consumer behavior. Thus, Microsoft are not doing wrong by following idea of Apple in interpreting into their marketing message, indeed by doing this Microsoft able to reduce their cost of survey in developing marketing message. So as far as concern, competitors can be the most effective information supplier about market as well as purchasing behavior to create marketing message or to choose the promotional platform. No one can read the customer well if not competitors.