HostingYourParty - The story of how Microsoft managed to create the most awkward viral campaign of all time

There are some things in life that just speak for themselves, and Microsoft's new viral video campaign to promote Windows 7 is no exception. Microsoft has managed to make me appreciate the better things in life, and for this I thank them. I now realize that my worst of nights could never amount to the torture of attending a Windows 7 launch party. I often wonder how things like this can even happen, and whether or not there is anyone at Microsoft who says, "Hey wait a minute, what's fun about a new operating system? Do we really think people are going to like this?". Another possibility could be that Microsoft made this awkward video campaign to generate buzz, whether it put them in a good light or a bad light, and possibly created some sort of parody of themselves on purpose just to gain some sort of publicity.

The basic idea of the campaign aligns Microsoft's PR campaign with their Advertising campaign which both stress that Windows 7 is the people's product; they made it and they are going to launch it themselves. The video has created a great amount of buzz with many news networks and online blogs. As seen in the link above there is a great amount of criticism of Microsoft's campaign and it is an easy target for jokes that include comparisons to the successful campaigns that Apple has been able to use.

Microsoft goes even beyond the video by joining up with houseparty.com in creating a website for people to share their experiences in creating their own Windows 7 house parties. Currently, the launch is passed and the parties are over, but there are records all over the internet of this campaign that Microsoft launched. I almost can't imagine that this is a real campaign, and I can't imagine that Microsoft would expect people to promote their product for them by throwing house parties. However, I did see the video, and I am writing about the campaign now, so in some sense of the Public Relations goals, Microsoft got their message out.

It is pretty obvious that Microsoft's main goal is to make people feel like Windows 7 is fun and easy to use, and on top of this, made and launched by people. The PC of the people is essentially Windows 7 in the eyes of Microsoft. However, until Microsoft begins to understand the market that they are selling to and the people that they are communicating to, it will be very hard to compete with Apple which is doing a great job of both of these things. People often compare Microsoft to Apple because they are the dominating brands in the computer industry. By creating this instruction video on how to host a party, it seems like Microsoft is forcing themselves into a brand imaging that people could associate with "fun". The truth is, computers have a lot more uses than just having fun, and Microsoft needs to utilize its practicality and originality in its operating system. They are not doing a good job at marketing themselves as a fun, and a company people will throw parties over, so either they should change their strategy or change their goal. Personally, I think that this idea for Microsoft is a disaster, and I wonder what their intentions were when creating it.

The Red Ring of Death

A major product made by Microsoft is their video game console, Xbox 360. Xbox 360 is a high powered, state of the art console that offers some of the most realistic and easy to play video games ever imagined. However, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has a major flaw that has caused an outrage amongst it's consumers. The "Red Ring of Death", a named coined on internet blogs, is a condition in which the Xbox user ring on the console turns red randomly upon turning the console on, and ceases to work from that point on. As a result, consumers must send in their Xbox 360 for repair and wait anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks for a new console, or the same console with repairs to return to them ready to use. I personally am in the process of receiving my second Xbox 360 in the matter of 2 months, as I experienced the Red Ring of Death with my own console, and then with the second replacement console that was sent to me. The process is long and frustrating, as customer support representatives are required to do everything in their power to instruct consumers to troubleshoot and identify the problem. However, Microsoft has finally allowed for a packaging slip to be printed off of their site, in order to skip the process of speaking to representatives on the phone. This online process is a good idea for Microsoft, as most Xbox 360 users are computer literate and able to do this easily. Also, most people who get the Red Ring at this point are aware of what it is, and will be frustrated with the fact that they have it, thus, it would not even be necessary to explain to them what needs to be done over the phone. This express service for users who experience the Red Ring is one good way that Microsoft has dealt with the Red Ring.

Microsoft has not done a good job of communicating messages and explaining what the Red Ring is. One could do extensive research on the internet or through magazines, and only find speculation of vague terms regarding what causes the Red Ring. From the research, one can figure out what the red ring means through this a simple chart. Most of the codes that the red ring offers, show fixable problems on the Xbox, other than the one code that states that there is a general hardware problem on the xbox, and this is the problem that requires consumers to send the product back to Microsoft for repair. Microsofts overall method regarding this problem has been to remain quiet, and fix the individual Xbox's as fast as possible while returing the product to consumers as fast as possible. Very little has been said about prevention, appology or reason for the problem. The one thing that Microsoft did, was extend the warrant on their customer's Xbox 360's from 1 year to 3 years for people who have experienced the Red Ring malfunction of their product. This proved to be a great success for Microsoft as they have had many instances in where conspiracy theories have been created suggesting that they created Xbox 360 so that it will break down after 1 year, requiring their customers to pay more money to the company, and increasing their profits. If Microsoft had done nothing to respond to this accusation, it would prove devestating to the companies reputation. By extending the warranty, there can be no speculation that Microsoft made Xbox with the intention of its failure, because Microsoft is not making profits off of people's broken Xbox's anymore, but rather taking a loss by fixing them for free.

MS Investor Relations

The Microsoft annual report was done in a very professional manner for 2008, that was extremely business oriented, and attacked all of the issues and questions that shareholders may have had regarding the current status and future of the business. The company's letter to its shareholders was profound and announced important strategic moves that Microsoft has planned to make, and had made over the course of the year. Microsoft uses its annual report very professionally and presents the numbers clearly and thoroughly, including more than enough data for shareholders to gauge the success of the company that they hold stake in. The shareholder letter stresses transformation through innovation and ensures that Microsoft is ahead of the pack and innovating in order to expand business and continue to make profitable products. Also, it writes about emerging opportunities and markets, which stress the growing markets and opportunities that Microsoft has ahead of them for the future. They next stress supporting communities and diversity where they talk about their involvements with minority and women focused organizations. Lastly, they comment on strong leadership focused on the future, in which they refer to their top executives, what they've done, and where they plan to bring the company. Overall the shareholder letter is well done by Microsoft.

In a press release regarding Microsoft reporting their First-Quarter results, the mood was optimistic although the Profit fell 18%, and with this loss, Microsoft was still able to exceed the expectations on Wall Street. The overall message of the News Release and articles following it are that Windows 7 is ready to launch and will boost the company drastically, in spite of a slight but circumstantially acceptable loss. A quote from Chris Lidell, the chief financial officer at Microsoft said "We are very pleased with out performance this quarter and particularly by the strong consumer demand for Windows." This quote, although plain, is extremely professional and optimistic and could not provide anything but confidence from upper management to the stakeholders of the company. Perhaps Microsoft could loosen up their words once in a while a sound a bit more friendly, but Microsoft has a very professional and business oriented reputation and culture, and continue to stand by the precedent. This is why Microsoft's annual report, news release and letter are all top notch in regards to a fortune 500 companies expectations.

MS - "Wiring the Global Village"

Where do I start? I guess I should first state that Bill Gates, the founder and owner of Microsoft backs the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world. The foundation globally attacks the issues of health care and poverty, and domestically attacks education and information technology improvements in the United States. This blog is about Microsoft though, who technically would be considered a partner of the foundation, as the two are in fact separate entities. However, from a PR standpoint, if the fact of a company backs the largest foundation in the world, it speaks volume about the company as a whole, whether it falls within the company or is just considered a partner. Nevertheless, Microsoft does it's fair share plus some in the world of charity and community relations.


Microsoft concentrates it's community relations program in several different areas. First, there is workforce development, which concentrates on Microsoft's goal to provide training in information technology for people who are underprivileged and in locations of the world where they do not have access to technology that more advantaged individuals have. Microsoft is committed to developing these programs so that individuals have the IT skills they need to succeed in the 21st century. Since 2003, MS has provided 350 million dollars in cash and software grans to over 1,000 community partners in over 100 countries. Also, they have provided support for over 40,000 tech centers in areas that do not have the means for computer technology. For example, in Sri Lanka, Microsoft worked with infoshare,inc. which provides technology to those attempting to make social change and progress.

Microsoft is also commited to "wiring the global village". Their plan is to help Non-governmental organizations unleash technology to advance social and economic development. Without microsoft, these Non-governmental organizations do not have access to information that the government or other organizations have, thus making it virtually impossible to gain awareness of their organizations on a global level. Microsoft ensures that these NGO's have access to more secure technology in order to transfer operations through innovative technology.

Microsoft roots are located in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. Microsoft has since been extremely interested in preserving this area as afluent and they are committed to maintaining the vitality of the area. They are committed to ensuring a thriving art and culture, strong network of critical human service providers, world-class education and engaging civil affairs in the area.

Another aspect of Microsoft's efforts to help the community lie within their Disaster and Humanitarian Response program. Their efforts attempt to make communities more resilient in disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Microsoft uses it's programs, software and features in order to help people prepare for disaster and help to recover after disaster. Their citizen safety architecture (CSA) is in place to create safe environments for humans to live in, in regards to the environment around them. The Microsoft Vine helps people stay in touch and communicate with emergency response personnel as well as each other during disaster. The Microsoft Sharepoint is in place to protect variable information, and helps to create a secure server for people, so that during a disaster, their valuable information remains protected and secure. Bing Map creates realtime imagery for respondents to familiarize themselves with an area quickly, and plan accordingly in order to respond to disasters in the most effective way. MS office groove helps for easy info sharing and reduces coordination time for respondents and affected citizens. And finally, MS Framework is in place so that programs can run effectively during the time of disasters. For example, in regards to emergency response, Microsoft donated 11 million dollars in contributions to Hurricane Katrina technology support.

Microsoft encourages it's employees to make efforts by giving and reaching out by participating in volunteer programs on their own. Microsoft offers programs for their employees to participate in, and suggestions for volunteer opportunities. The combination of all of Microsoft's efforts, along with Bill Gates' foundation and charity efforts, along with their employees efforts to help, all make for a company who clearly cares about the world that they are a part of. Microsoft makes a lot of money, and this is no secret to anyone, because most of our operating systems today are based off Microsoft software, however, Microsoft realizes that it is the customers and the people that buy their products that are most important to keeping this world moving in a positive direction, and their efforts reflect this realization.

Building Up to October 22nd

Vista didn't work well. Whether you ask consumers or the corporate leaders at Microsoft, it is almost common knowledge among computer users that Windows Vista did not live up to the expectations of Microsoft's original plan. Maybe this is why the anticipation and expectation for Windows 7 is so unbelievably high. On their site, Microsoft advertises Windows 7 with an available and easy to use virtual tour, where people can have incite into what to expect from the new Windows.

The challenges lie in making people aware of the new features and changes, and how these improvements will be able to improve the overall process of using the computer. It is up to the PR department of Microsoft to convince people that Windows 7 is not just a new Windows Vista, but rather something new, fresh and revolutionary for the computer industry. In the tour video, the last thing said by the host is "Windows 7 is ultimately about the things that you told us you care about, to get things done quicker, easier and faster." This is a good slogan for Microsoft to go by, because it attacks what people expect from a computer in speed and efficiency, while also pointing out that the features are aimed towards pleasing customer needs and wants. Also, Microsoft is using television as another media on top of the website and internet ads. Their first ad include poppy songs and well done visual effects to portray a futuristic yet down to earth feel for the new product. The other commercial depicts a child who is talking about the number 7, and using the computer with a seemingly unrivaled ease for her age.

Both the website and the TV ads, along with magazine ads and TV spots are a good start to Windows campaign for 7 and have set up a very high mark for Windows 7 to live up to. I think that Windows has done a fantastic job in promoting their new product, and the only thing left now is the release date, and the evaluation of the product its self. Microsoft cannot afford to have another botched operating system, because Vista was really weak compared to what Apple has been able to do in the past couple of years. I believe that Windows, along with the entire computer industry and its consumers is ready for Windows 7, and Microsoft has done a fantastic job with making sure of that.

Hey there!! Microsoft is using Twitter. Join Today.

Today's culture calls for companies to interactively communicate with the members of their community, including employees, customers and investors. In order to do so, and to reach all of the potential targets, a company must take note of the social networks present and available to the public. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter or some sort of blogging network, it is important for companies to stay up to date.

I personally do not have a twitter account but when one visits twitter they are able to see the feed of that person regardless if they possess an account or not. So when I logged on to Microsoft's Twitter, I was a bit confused by the page. I am unsure if what I was reading on their feed was actually posted by them or posted by Microsoft its self. Nevertheless, for a person like me who doesn't use twitter or understand it much, I guess Microsoft's Twitter could be a bit more understandable for the common person. It seems as though people readily put ads for their own pages or company's on Microsoft's page because of its prominence and popularity. However, I am unsure of what I might see had I owned a Twitter account and followed Microsoft's page. In my opinion, looking from the outside in, I am pretty sure Microsoft's Twitter page could be a lot better and should be a lot better because computers and operating systems are their market. Most of the people on Twitter are probably using a Microsoft run PC or Laptop, if they're not on an Apple computer. I did find one screen shot of a Microsoft "tweet" promoting Bing (on google images.....shhh).

As far as Facebook goes, I'm pretty sure that Microsoft is doing all they can to influence the social network, considering it bought 240 million dollars worth of stake in the Facebook business. The acquisition will grant Microsoft control of the banner placement ads on Facebook, which generates ad revenue for the company. With a prominent and well known company behind the scenes at Facebook, one can only assume that companies will feel more comfortable placing ads on Facebook now that the deal is done. As far as Microsoft's actual Facebook page goes, I was able to find the article pointing to the acquisition on their page, which means they must be doing a good job of presenting important information through their Facebook feed. Their Facebook is geared towards students which makes sense because Facebook was originally created for college students like myself, and I truly appreciate Microsoft's recognition to that, as Facebook has grown to something I've become less and less fond of as other people join. Facebook is important because it's everywhere and everyone has it. Microsoft will only be able to improve their Facebook page more now that they have acquired a chunk of their business.

I beleive Microsoft is doing a good job ith their social media, and if I were them I would continue to market to the younger audiences that they are marketing towards now, because although Facebook's popularity is steadily increasing with those above 35, it is the future that they should be concernet about most, as social media for people of my generation is simply at its beginnings, and will only grow to be more and more complex and thorough. Microsoft made the right move by buying a chunk of Facebook's business and I truly do not think they could be doing much more in the category of Facebook. Shame on me for not understanding Twitter so well I guess, but it took an 8 month break off of Facebook for me just to be able to stomach the idea of some of these social networks. Personally, I fear for the fact that people are becoming so dependent on interactive communication. However, it is a growing industry whether positive or negative, and Microsoft's ability to understand this has been nothing but superb.

Blog Introduction

Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 as a software for some of the first born computers. Since then Microsoft has grown to a multinational and worldwide corporate powerhouse that laid down the foundation for all home and business computers. The reach of Microsoft however, is not limited to computer software, as they have developed such things as video game consoles, mp3 players, and many computer hardware items as well. Personally, I am a constant user of Microsoft products, hence I am writing this blog on a Microsoft run computer right now, and sitting next to an Xbox 360 which I will begin to play after immediately after I finish this post.

Even people who do not normally deal with computers, if there are any left, have an idea of the influence Microsoft has had on our lives, as Microsoft was the first company to create a very easy to use operating system for basic computers. It allowed for the public to access the internet and other mediums of interactive culture that they otherwise would not have been exposed to. Today, we narrow down the very important interactive side of our lives to two company's, the already mentioned Microsoft Corporation and Apple. Both company's have products that can be used on each others operating systems, such as the compatibility of the ipod on Windows. The point to be made lies within the cooperation of these companies to work together. Microsoft's mission statement reads "Our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential". Microsoft has worked to make business flourish in ways that were originally unimaginable. Today, Microsoft continues to progress, and the cooperation along with competition that exists between Microsoft and Apple helps both companies to progress even faster.

The potential of Microsoft is already evident, as their operating systems, ideas and products continue to impress the general public. However, Windows Vista did not live up to expectations as Apple progressed with new highly impressive operating systems on their new computers. However, Windows is soon to come out with a new software known as Windows 7 which is sure to impress and will be released in October. This is a highly anticipated date and will be followed closely throughout this blog as we approach and pass its release. With products such as Xbox 360 and zune and with new softwtware coming out shortly, Microsoft proves to be a highly exciting company to follow. Through Microsoft's improvements and constant progress, it seems right that people should be just as interested in it's full potential as it promises to be interested in ours.