Over the past few years sales of Apple's computer products have certainly benefited from the success of the iPod, leaving computer giant Microsoft weary about its current market position. Now, the company plans to take matters into its own hands.
For the bargain price of $10 million, Microsoft has hired Jerry Seinfeld to be the face of its new marketing campaign in response to Apple's dorky PC vs hip Mac campaign. As part of Microsoft's $300 million campaign, Seinfeld will appear alongside chairman Bill Gates in TV spots.
With all due respect to Mr. Gates, this is a terrible decision. Jerry Seinfeld is obviously a well-respected comedian and popular celebrity, but if the idea is to morph Microsoft's "dorky" perception into something more chic then Mr. Gates is in way over his head. PCs can be described by a plethora of adjectives but "chic" and "hip" do not even belong in the same sentence, unless of course they are being compared to Macs.
Microsoft is attempting to be something it is not, which is why this campaign will ultimately fail. A smarter, more logical approach would be to focus on the factors that make PCs more appealing to users than Macs: such as familiarity and the belief that more programs can run on PCs. Also, there is the overwhelming factor that PCs are the gold standard in the business world (even though Macs are more prominently found in Graphic Design and Journalism professions).
Moreover, the solicitation of an aging Hollywood star is a bit peculiar, especially if the goal of the campaign is to prevent younger generations - who were still in grade school when Seinfeld was still on the air - from switching to Macs.
Apple has slowly, but surely, started to build a loyal customer base, which has experienced rapid growth particularly among college-aged students across the globe. As more and more younger users have turned to Macs, many of their elders have as well.
On top of the ultra-intuitive Mac OS X operating system, Macs have a certain "sexy" aura encompassing their image due to cool tech programs such as iTunes, iPhoto, and iMovie. Apple's advertisers decided to use these perceptions and turn them into a competitive advantage over Microsoft (and other PC companies for that matter).
In 2006, Apple launched a marketing campaign seeking to highlight the differences between Macs and PCs. Chances are if you haven't been locked in a bunker for the past three years you have seen the television commercials with the
nerdy PC guy and cool Mac guy.
Can Microsoft succeed in defense of its products? Time will tell, but it is unlikely that Jerry Seinfeld will play a serious role in the matter.
