Actually, it’s just a cool set in the Microsoft Chicago office.
Archive of tag "Microsoft"
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Turns out, a 130 million year-old plant has a lot to do with today’s marketing. A few great examples of how they’re being put to use:
1> To say goodbye
2> To offer reminders
3> To create transparency
4> Check it out: Vans and the places they were
1> To say goodbye
The end doesn’t have to be a somber event, flowers help cheer things up (and show your personality). When Aten Design Group hosted a mock funeral for Internet Explorer 6 — the web designer’s most dreaded browser — Microsoft sent flowers. Funeral attendees loved the gesture, and their attached, hand-written note inviting attendees to their big MIX show in Vegas to see some “IE heaven” got lots of coverage in blogs and mainstream media.
The lesson: When you have to say goodbye, try to see it as an opportunity to say thanks, show your personality, and, maybe, send a few flowers.
Learn more: IE6funeral.com
2> To offer reminders
Because flowers are often associated with events and holidays, lots of floral companies are great at reminding their customers of upcoming events. While Valentine’s and Mother’s Day tend to be obvious, 1-800-FLOWERS offers to remind you of things like birthdays and anniversaries. By timing the reminders just right they save a lot of hassle (and domestic disputes) for their busy customers.
The lesson: Don’t hope your customers will think of you for the next big event. Instead, ask nicely if it would be OK for you to remind them.
3> To create transparency
How are you reassuring your customers that what they ordered is what they received? Typically, flowers are gifts — ordered by one person and delivered to another. Customers rarely get to ensure what their loved ones receive is what they bought. Except customers of New Zealand’s Roses Are Red — they’re emailed a photo of the bouquet to see exactly what was delivered. The concept supports transparency, customer satisfaction, and gives Roses Are Red a chance to extend the relationship with their customers.
The lesson: You’re putting in all the hard work to deliver something great to your customers, so make sure the people opening their wallets can see that.
Learn more: Springwise
4> Check it out: Vans and the places they were
Joe Stevens has gone all over the western United States photographing surviving custom and conversion vans. A strange project, for sure, but the result is a fascinating look at these unique vehicles and their surrounding environments.
Check it out: Vans and the places they were
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You don’t always have to go it alone. The next time you’re about to do something big, take a minute to think if there are any similar companies that could join in for some mutual benefits. Three ideas to get you started:
1> For a sampling
2> For an event
3> For a neighbor
4> Check it out: Let me Google that for you
1> For a giveaway
If you’re looking to get your products in the hands of a bunch of potential new customers, find someone who knows these buyers really well. Shutterfly recently teamed up with Amazon to offer a free online photo album to anyone who had recently bought a digital camera. Look for partnership opportunities with those who sell to your customers. If you can offer a great related sample or giveaway, you’ve got the chance to meet a bunch of customers that may be looking for what you’re offering.
The Lesson: Just because a company sells to the same people doesn’t make them a competitor. Instead, look for ways to partner with these brands.
2> For an event
If you’re looking to throw an event or host a big PR stunt, you can double your buzz by partnering with another brand. Microsoft and Burger King Japan recently partnered to release a 7-patty burger in honor of the release of Windows 7. It weights nearly 2 pounds, contains more than 2,000 calories, and costs more than $15. You shouldn’t eat it, but it’s definitely worth talking about. The promotion is a great example of an event made bigger and better by both brands participating — and one that both benefit from.
The Lesson: Double your potential audience for your next big event by finding a great partner brand.
Learn More: Japanator.com
3> For a neighbor
When looking for partnership opportunities, don’t forget your neighbors. Chicago’s Old Town Pub offers discounts to residents in the neighboring apartment complex, Cobbler Square. In turn, management puts up signs all over the building pointing their residents next door. Other neighborhood partnership opportunities include coordinated sales events, block parties, and shared parking lots.
The Lesson: Look around you. Your next great partnership might be next door.
4> Check it out: Let me Google that for you
Tired of people bothering you with questions they could have found faster by searching online? Try “Let me Google that for you” — where you can show your peers how to find what they’re looking for.
Check it out: http://lmgtfy.com/
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{Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I Thought of That Email
Newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email
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If you supply your customers with the stuff that helps them run their businesses, you've got a vested interest in seeing them do well. Try these ideas to promote them and their work:
1> With your ads
2> With your publicity
3> With your awards
4> Check it out: Aerial tour of NYC
1> With your ads
Instead of using your ad space to talk about your stuff, what if you used it to show off your customers and what they're doing? Colorado's FirstBank used their billboards and banner ads to promote their customers — babysitters, piano instructors, and math tutors — in an effort to show how they care about small businesses. If you've got some extra ad space, try featuring your customers. They'll appreciate the promo, and you'll instantly add some passive word of mouth to your advertising by showing off the real people who use your stuff.
The Lesson: Try combining the power of passive word of mouth with a little love for your customers to help their businesses — and yours.
2> With your publicity
Help your customers by making them look great in the press. A great example is from Emanual Rosen's original edition of "The Anatomy of Buzz" in which he shares the story of how author Jacqueline Susann promoted booksellers. Not only did Jacqueline send booksellers individually autographed copies of her book for them to read and review — but she also met with them at conferences, took photos with them, and mailed the pictures to the booksellers' hometown newspapers. The gesture made the community booksellers look great, and it also helped get the word out about Jacqueline's new book. You could build on this thinking by not only promoting customers in the traditional press, but also by highlighting their work in your newsletters, case studies, and blog posts.
The Lesson: A little promotion in your publications, on your website, or in your stores can go a long way toward building a strong relationship with your customers.
3> With your awards
Promote the customers who best use your stuff by giving them special awards that they can show off. Microsoft does it with their "Partner of the Year" awards in which they pick a handful of winners out of thousands of entries based on "the best dedicated use of Microsoft technologies to provide solutions for their customers' needs." The winners blog about their awards, announce them in press releases, and brag about them in their sales materials. Try creating awards for your best customers — ones for customers that have been with you the longest, for customers that used your stuff to get the most new business, and for customers who find new and better ways to use your products.
The Lesson: Highlight the customers having the most success with your products by giving them something they can brag about.
4> Check it out: Aerial tour of NYC
Check out Pixelcase's aerial tour of NYC for a pretty amazing perspective of the city. From high up, you can take a 360 degree look from above major landmarks like Times Square, The Empire State Building, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Check it out: Pixelcase.com
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People always criticize Microsoft for shabby software, especially in new products. Their new software is so often so very bad. How do they end up with the most popular and successful software in the world?
John Murrell nails it in this post from Good Morning Silicon Valley:
But the thing about Microsoft is that on some missions, it can be as relentless and implacable as a Terminator. Version 1.0 may fail miserably, Version 2.0 may fall short, Version 3.0 may be semi-respectable, but if the target is important enough, they just keep coming.
Like no other company, Microsoft has an ability to fix and fix and fix until, one day, they win. Again and again, the critics mock 1.0 and 2.0 – and get their ass kicked by 3.0. I wonder if Google CEO Eric Schmidt remembers this lesson from his Novell days.
The Lesson: Slow and steady wins the race. Remember the Tortoise and the Hare.
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{From my lastest Huffington Post article.}
Everyone is talking about Google's new operating system. A threat to Microsoft?
Journalists should note he way Google announced it – in a blog post. A threat to newspapers?
From the Wall Street Journal's email alert (emphasis added):
News Alert from The Wall Street Journal
Google Inc. is preparing to launch an operating system for personal computers, a direct assault on the turf of software giant Microsoft Corp., which has long dominated the market for software that runs PC applications.
The Silicon Valley Internet giant announced the new move in a blog post late Tuesday night. It said the software, which will initially target low-end portable PCs called netbooks, would be based on its Chrome Web browser and available to consumers in the second-half of 2010.
Yes, folks. The Wall Street Journal is quoting a blog post in what may turn out to be the biggest tech news of the year. (So did the Washington Post, AP, and everyone else.) And Google didn't even think it was necessary to call the newspapers.
As of 6 am EST, Google search found 626 articles about the story (yes, there's some irony there):
For those of you still on the fence about the role of blogs — there's your answer.
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