At least once a week I read a new blog post or article in some industry report touting customer service as the new marketing. There are even groups cropping up in SV and other tech cities for just this purpose, conducting webinars, dedicating entire conferences to shedding light on this new movement- huh? I must be missing something, or I’m just too dense to see it- here’s how I see it….
So many times I read on Twitter or other blog sites how companies are displaying anti- social media behavior. This can range from the ostrich approach, just pretend its not happening and it will all go away to pushing out employees who embrace and push companies to consider social media. Of course, those of us to are in the social media circles think and many believe the issue is companies are anti- social media, they are afraid of this channel, they are just stupid and don’t get it.
If you are a business providing products or services of any kind, and you don’t have a strategy for finding out what people are saying about you online- in the new social circles, you should cringe when read this article. The numbers don’t lie, more and more people are actively online participating in all sorts of social media activities and many are directed toward product and service reviews. If you have customers you should think about your strategy for social media and how to get in the game.
There I am, at least once a week at the grocery store deli counter, waiting in some haphazard line, really more of a crowd or gathering, hoping everyone else is as fair as me and knows who got there in what order. The longer the wait the more milling and wandering occurs and the order becomes unknown again, which always leads some major rule follower to go the beaming red, much dreaded number dispenser. Why we do this is beyond me, when has anyone ever seen the deli counter person use this system and call out numbers? Never. Maybe they are afraid to yell out numbers? Not sure really. Nonetheless, now that somebody has taken a number, we all have to pull down a number, which later ends up on the floor. Well, today something truly amazing happen at my Fry’s grocery store, no they didn’t bail out another bank or airline- but close……
I’m starting to feel bad for Microsoft PR, who’ve been tasked with defending these Microsoft ads featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. I just didn’t connect with the first ad, which barely mentioned Microsoft and didn’t do much to tell me why I should like their products in a competitive market. The second ad, which aired tonight, was more of the same.
The setting is a normal family. Gates and Seinfeld are staying with them to connect with “real people.” The idea is to show that Microsoft has connected with “over a billion people.” Bill and Jerry explain:
Bill: Why are we doing this again?
Jerry: Why bill? Because as we discussed, you and i are a little out of it. You’re living in some kinda moon house hovering over Seattle like the mothership. I’ve got so many cars I get stuck in my own traffic. We need to connect with real people.
I guess this is still a warm up act to the real thing, which will presumably get into more details on what Microsoft does and will do to connect people.
But here’s my problem. The idea of the campaign seems to be to show people how great Microsoft products are. The “real people” as they keep calling them are being reached out to so they can understand and grow to love these products.
But…If Bill (and therefore Microsoft) is not already in touch with real people, then their products may not be, either. By spending time with real people, the logic flow suggests they’ll be able to build better products.
In other words, Microsoft is highlighting the fact that they are out of touch. But instead of saying they’ll mingle with real people to build better products, the message seems to be that the real people need to get with the program.
In other words, I’m confused. Perhaps I’m just over thinking the whole thing.
The long uncut version:
Website: microsoft.com Location: Redmond, Washington, United States Founded: April 4, 1974 IPO: March 13, 1986 Microsoft is a multinational computer technology corporation. They are a veteran software company, best known for their Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, but they have also ventured into… Learn More
Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0
[From Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld Commercial #2: I Remain Confused]
This morning started like most others, dogs and kids up at 6:30am, lots to do to get the day started. Today my 3 yr old dressed herself! 
She was SOOOO proud of herself, I couldn’t even consider telling her she looked like Cyndi Lauper- on a good day. In the spirit of supporting her independence, I exclaim, WOW sweetie look at you, quite fancy. And think to myself, thank goodness she is not going to school today. Of course for some added fun I say- You should go show your Daddy and see what he thinks. I hear her go into his office, and I wait for the reaction. To his credit, he said, WOW that is fancy, and then he said, your shoes are on the wrong feet, you should switch them…..
