Posted on 11/11/2010 7:54:15 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Microsoft needed its Windows Phone 7 launch to make as big an impact as possible to give it some momentum in order to catch up to the iPhone and Android phones. It's now clear that didn't happen. What went wrong?
Initial reports say that on launch day, Microsoft sold only 40,000 phones. Given that the iPhone 4 had 600,000 pre-orders and Google activates 200,000 Android devices a day, this was an underwhelming launch.
It's even more underwhelming when you consider the amount of marketing dollars Microsoft has been throwing at Windows Phone 7. Computerworld reports that the company is spending $500 million for TV advertising. That should buy it a lot more than 40,000 phones on launch day.
In addition, supplies of Windows Phone 7 are "tight," Microsoft says, even though demand isn't overwhelming.
All in all, this is not a pretty picture. So what went wrong?
Let's start with the basics. Even before launch, it was clear that there was going to be shortages of Windows Phone 7s, no matter the demand. When the phone was launched in Europe, there were problems because of component shortages, possibly having to do with screens or cameras. Microsoft's primary partner in the UK, Orange, was forced to give out t £20 vouchers to customers who ordered the phone but could not get them because of shortages. Mobile Magazine quotes an Orange store manager as saying:
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.computerworld.com ...
Apple has been really smart with their ad campaign for the iPhone and the iPad. They’ve advertised the Apps. The latest ad campaign for iPad ends with a guitar jamming through the AmpliTube iPad ap. That is something that is tangible. I see Apple ads showing exactly WHAT the iPhone CAN DO, and I say “wow! I want a phone that CAN DO THAT!”
It’s pretty straight forward and simple.
And yet Microsoft can’t seem to tell us what Windoes Phone can do.
So I can’t tell if I want to buy one or not.
Which is the same thing as not.
RE: Maybe Bill Gates would like the government to force us to buy his phone.
He no longer runs the company. He’s into charity now.
Steve Ballmer’s the man.
Yep, understood. I'm a System Admin also, and every time I have to work on some user's machine with the damn default GUI I want to scream.
Microsoft's new marketing slogan?
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