I’m Too Sexy for My PC
I’m too sexy for my PC — or at least I’d like to think I am. I recently bought a new PC for less than $1,500. I got a great deal and I’d like to leave it at that—but Microsoft won’t let me. Microsoft’s commercial says that not only did I get a great deal, but I’m also a PC.
I don’t wanna be a PC.
I understand what Microsoft is trying to do in its series of “ Laptop Hunters” commercials. In the commercials, the laptop hunters enter a store with specific requirements and a budget for a PC and Microsoft tells them, “You find it, you keep it.” I understand what Microsoft’s trying to do, but as kids say, I’m just not feelin’ it. Why? The commercials end with the laptop hunters saying, “I’m a PC.” The commercial is trying to reposition being a PC as a good thing. The problem is: it’s too late.
Everybody knows that when it comes to positioning Macs vs. PCs, the Apple commercials are good. Darn good. After watching those commercials, who really wants to be like PC? I certainly don’t.
When it comes to being a PC, I’m in the closet – or should I say I’m in the box. And I don’t want to come out. I want people to think I’m a Mac. When I sit in my local café with my PC, I pretend it’s not with me. When people ask me, “Is that your PC?” I say, “No, I’m watching it for a friend who’s in the bathroom.”
My brother, on the other hand, is a real Mac. He’s younger, hipper, and to top it off, he’s a movie producer who hangs out with stars. If you saw him, you’d say to yourself, “I bet that guy uses a Mac.” And you’d be right. If you gave him a PC for free, I doubt if he’d use it—at least not in public.
There’s another problem I have with the “Laptop Hunters” commercials: the term “I’m a PC.” When I do media training, I tell clients to avoid repeating any negative phrases or terms that are used to describe them, their companies, or their offerings. When you repeat those negative phrases or terms, you validate them. And Microsoft, like it or not, “I’m a PC” has already been positioned as something that isn’t desirable.
In this economy, Microsoft should sell the “great deal” message – and leave it at that. Don’t try to get me to come out of my box. I like it in there.
May 28th, 2009 at 4:21 am
nice post
Erik
Mac Guy:)
May 28th, 2009 at 11:47 am
I’m a PC and I’m not embarrassed by it. Sure, MAC’s are cool and trendy, but I find that MAC users trade off productivity for hipness in a world dominated by PC brands. I often see compatibility issues with folks trying to share or read files from the MAC world.
Every time, I see the MAC commercials, I wonder who they are really talking to. It’s fun creative and sometimes mildly amusing. I am sure they are really effective against a target audience of PC users with lots of insecurities and low self esteem. That’s not exactly the audience that I want to aggregate.
Creative aside, what’s really happening in the market place? Based on the charts on this site I found with a quick search (http://www.systemshootouts.org/mac_sales.html) MAC’s now have 1/3 of the market share of Acer. Year to year unit gains in absolute numbers also lag most of the competitors. MAC increased their shipments in 2008 by about 800K units. Dell & HP each increased shipments by about 2MM units. Doesn’t look like a mass conversion of PC’s to MAC’s. If you want the marketing spin – they did have the second highest percentage increase year over year (any good marketing person has to find some positive spin when you are on the bottom of the market share list!).
So what is the real objective of the MAC campaign? Is it primarily a retention campaign to reinforce the commitment among the MAC faithful to spend the extra dollars and deal with the compatibility issues for the sake of hipness?
May 28th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Wayne, you’re right– Microsoft took a little too long to position the value that it brings, and all of the many capabilities of the PC. Instead, they allowed their competitor to define them in the mind of the customer, and erode their brand to the point where you and many like you feel ashamed to be using a PC.
Personally, I’m getting a little weary of Mac users who decided that they’ve cornered the market on coolness and are somehow smarter and more creative than the rest of us. It’s a little cult-ish, frankly. And as far as hardware goes–the mac is no better than the PC (I’ve used excellent PC’s which have worked flawlessly for years, while my Mac-owning friend had to have her hard drive rebuilt twice.
Granted– Apple has mastered the user interface and Microsoft always manages to miss the mark in that department. But Microsoft was smart enough to make thier system accessible to greater numbers of people, and used more widely.
Instead of getting into an advertising battle against Apple’s great commercials - (That Seinfeld/Bill Gates Ad campaign was a DISASTER), they should have run the “I’m a PC” commercials long before Apple started kicking their brand, And more than anything, they should have addressed the user pain points that gave birth to their current market perception.
May 28th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
What compatibility problems? With respect, Michael Sick, I am a former Mac skeptic who used Windows machines in my home and business since they were first introduced. I regularly worked on anti-virus, anti-spyware, operating system and various other issues on the 7 machines I had in my house. However, when my wife’s brand new eMachines desktop gave her the infamous “blue screen of death” every single day with apparently no way to fix the problem, enough was enough.
Starting in November 2007, I began converting my Windows machines to Apples. I now have 7 Macs between my home and business and I hardly ever work on computer problems anymore. The machines boot quickly, they run reliably, they stay connected to my home network and everyone loves them. We are a family and a business that will never go back to Windows machines.
I have no idea why anyone would have compatibility problems anymore with Macs. We run Office for Mac on several of our machines and share Word, Powerpoint, Excel and Outlook files with many Windows users and have never had the slightest problem.
After years of rolling my eyes at my older son’s Mac chatter, it turns out he was right. Macs aren’t perfect but they are vastly, immeasurably better than PC’s.