Microsoft has an interesting (and lengthy) history with viral and crowd sourced advertising and PR, with some hits and some misses. However, its latest stunt, where the @windowsphone Twitter account attempted to start a Twitter trend about Android malware, seems to have backfired and failed quite humorously.
I don’t have anything against Windows Phone, as it is a fairly decent mobile OS, but it just isn’t my style. Still, after the message that started this trend, I think that Microsoft deserves the kind of response it got. The message that started it all was first posted earlier today by the @windowsphone Twitter account, and asks people to share their “Android malware horror” stories, and include the #DroidRage tag. The message even suggests that the best responses might get a new Windows Phone device.
While obviously intended to spread horror stories about Android, the #DroidRage tag was quickly filled with unhappy Android fans praising Android and taking digs at Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 and Surface devices. Many of the responses are quite humorous, although few look favorably on Microsoft’s actions or operating systems. There were a few serious answers, but these are by far the minority, and the tag page is filled with the responses of dedicated Android users.
All of the claims made by the Android crowd here may not be true, and as I said before Windows Phone isn’t all that bad. Still, without debating the actual points of either side, I find it quite humorous that Microsoft’s plan for viral advertising went so far awry. If anything, this is just a case of the internet applying its own justice system to Microsoft after the WP8 team tried to call out Android.
[Twitter]
Haha, serves them well. There’s a lot of advertising I don’t like, including most of Apple’s, but Microsoft is pretty far up on the list. That “bested by windows phone” or whatever they call it is particularly ridiculous. Windows Phone can’t even do 90% of what I use my phone for, so I just find it so beyond ridiculous. Would be nice if all these companies started advertising what makes their devices good, instead of shitting all over the others
Funny lol they shouldnt have done it as they have their reputation in the industry,doing this like this will only leads to spoil their brand image and value.
It’s funny, but it does remind me of a few years back when Apple was in the same boat – trying to convince people that Macs were better than PC’s, and everyone thought they were nearly dead.
Look at Apple now, worth about 625 billion versus Microsoft’s 249 – a complete switch from 2000 when Microsoft topped the charts at around 500b and Apple wasn’t even on the top ten. 2007 was a turning point for Apple, when people realized the company was good for something other than mp3 players.
Maybe it’s time for Microsoft’s comeback, maybe it’s time for Google to take the top slot now that it is selling hardware as well – only time will tell.