Here we are in 2015 with another MWC announcement at our back and the Microsoft Build Conference just over our horizon. With promises of a unified ecosystem, universal apps, a much more refined Windows experience and significant movement on mobile, one can’t help but feel a sense of deja vu.
Yet, Microsoft is looking to re-write it’s story for Windows and it’s future going forward, again, with a pretty convincing pitch that ‘Windows is for Do-er’s’. Now with the announcements of the Lumia 640 and 604XL, it seems that pitch continues.
The last time this storm of circumstances enveloped us, we were given (for better or for worse) a brand new start screen, half hearted and misguided attempts at two-in-ones, tablets with no apps, and a mobile phone platform too different to even be tried by most.
Perhaps worse than any of those missteps, were the messaging behind each one. There was no story, no real explanation for the changes, the promises, or the presumed benefits of the new future Microsoft and it’s partners were pitching. Customers were bombarded with synchronized dancing numbers to sell a tablet that was supposed to be selling the merits of Office (you know that product you use normally seated).
Other brilliant stories involved “the phone to save us from our phones”, as if people wanted to stop looking at their new shiny toys. We were also given the music laden efforts of the new IE fully equipped with dubstep and flashy colors, and the overused Macklemore rift, to sell the new Outlook.com experience.
Microsoft slowly and painfully began to finally pivot its marketing, but in the process, left some people scratching their heads. On one hand, Microsoft was toning down it’s efforts on Windows (as it was backtracking on the flashy new start screen) and offering the “Honestly” campaign. Yet, customers were sent to the comedy club with the Apple vs. Samsung fanboy brawls that did more for selling the features of the Galaxy’s and iPhones, than for Windows Phone.
All in all, Microsoft’s marketing efforts have been a scatter brained mess of mixed messages and ill-fated ideas. Each product of Microsoft had it’s own siloed campaign and left customers trying to put the pieces together themselves.
It looks like Microsoft is finally starting to finally pitch an entire story these days with their Windows is for do-er’s campaign.
Instead of seemingly desperate ads chasing the moving trends of customers, Microsoft looks to be selling the same message Windows has been effectively doing for the past 30 plus years. While it’s not the sexy or heart tugging message of Apple or the moonshot ideas of Google, it’s a message 1.5 billion people are familiar with.
“But then again, Do-er’s aren’t unique, anyone can be one. All you have to do, is do.” The Lumia 640 and 640XL are now simply a part of the message we hope continues.
Further reading: Lumia, Lumia 640, Lumia 640 XL, MWC 2015, Windows Phone, YouTube
