With Apple recently raking in the highest corporate quarterly earnings in history, Microsoft is struggling to be the consumer favorite. Can that change in 2015?
The race between Microsoft and Apple continues. It seems Apple is dominating the market and Microsoft wants in. If the countless commercials and various advertisements are any indication of this, Microsoft seems to be struggling with their brand image.
The race between Microsoft and Apple continues. It seems Apple is dominating the market and Microsoft wants in. If the countless commercials and various advertisements are any indication of this, Microsoft seems to be struggling with their brand image.
Apple has maintained a certain image for decades now. It radiates simplicity, ease of use, and top of the line hardware. People are overwhelmingly attracted to this model, bringing Apple to the top, bringing in the highest quarterly earnings in corporate history. With each new iPhone release comes lines wrapping around store corners and sold out inventory. If you didn’t get up pretty early in the morning when ordering the iPhone 6, you probably had to wait several months for it to be stocked up again. This alone says a lot about the popularity and the particular image Apple carries.
Microsoft’s image isn’t quite as set. They seem to be reinventing themselves so often – nobody knows what to think. The Surface Pro and all of their new tablets are popular. They have features that are appealing to consumers and bring Microsoft that much closer to sharing the limelight with Apple. But for some reason, these new products just don’t compare to Apple’s. They can’t seem to make it into the limelight. Perhaps it’s their particular functionality, their style or the simple fact that they aren’t Apple. People gravitate toward certain brand names and right now Microsoft isn’t one of them.
Microsoft’s image isn’t quite as set. They seem to be reinventing themselves so often – nobody knows what to think. The Surface Pro and all of their new tablets are popular. They have features that are appealing to consumers and bring Microsoft that much closer to sharing the limelight with Apple. But for some reason, these new products just don’t compare to Apple’s. They can’t seem to make it into the limelight. Perhaps it’s their particular functionality, their style or the simple fact that they aren’t Apple. People gravitate toward certain brand names and right now Microsoft isn’t one of them.
Is it that Microsoft is trying too hard? The company recently put out a Surface Pro commercial featuring dancing and musical office workers. Ken Segall mentions this commercial in an article he wrote as being “retro” and “embarrassing.” Many brands, including Apple, have at one time featured a silly dancing commercial. It just kind of happened and is probably hoped to remain the past as an embarrassing old fad. Microsoft releasing this commercial now just seems dated and ineffective.
Microsoft throws billions of dollars into advertising campaigns with little success to be shown. Some argue they’re trying to mimic Apple with their products. It is debatable whether or not that is true. However, what we do know is that Microsoft is sure attempting to gain the consumer popularity and the brand security Apple has effortlessly maintained.
-Katherine Sinner, Contributing Writer
Microsoft throws billions of dollars into advertising campaigns with little success to be shown. Some argue they’re trying to mimic Apple with their products. It is debatable whether or not that is true. However, what we do know is that Microsoft is sure attempting to gain the consumer popularity and the brand security Apple has effortlessly maintained.
-Katherine Sinner, Contributing Writer