As the election season reaches a fever pitch, the ad wars are about to get ugly. Only we’re not talking about Obama versus McCain, but rather another battle being waged for the hearts and minds of American citizens – that of the PC versus the Mac.
This week, Microsoft announced the second phase of a $300 million advertising campaign to remake its tattered image following a year-and-a-half long assault on Windows-based computers from rival Apple. Central to its strategy, Microsoft will embrace and attempt to reinvent the “PC” label that Apple has successfully turned into a modern day scarlet letter.
We’ve all seen Apple’s simple, yet powerful commercials.
Set against a minimalist white backdrop, Mac is represented by a hip, easy going, casually dressed young man. PC, on the other hand, is a clumsy, nerdy, stuffy, more formally dressed character who sometimes has to restart – or repeat – himself.
Apple’s messages are unmistakable. The PC is outdated, while the Mac is the future. The PC is corporate, while the Mac is cool. The PC is complicated, while the Mac is simple and user-friendly. And so on.
Clearly, Apple’s ads are having an impact. Market research data released this month shows that Apple’s share of the U.S. laptop market has risen 60% in just one year – from 6.6 percent in 2007 to 10.6 percent in 2008. At the same time, the market share for every other major laptop manufacturer was either flat or heading south.
Enter Microsoft. The company’s new campaign – while arguably late in its execution – is, after an expensive misstep with the Jerry Seinfeld campaign, a brilliant, grassroots strategic counter that evokes key lessons for high-stakes communications scenarios. For one, playing defense is a losing battle. When under attack – as Microsoft is from Apple – find a way to take the offense. Preferably, do it fast.
Second, turn weaknesses into strengths. By tackling the PC label head on, Microsoft may not only breathe new life into a battered acronym, but also remove a giant target from Apple’s line of fire.
Whether Microsoft is successful at staving off further defections to Apple and recapturing lost ground will ultimately rest on innovation as much as communication. But on the latter, the once sleeping computer giant appears to have finally awoken with a strategy to at least make the communications wars interesting.
Andrew Koneschusky, Vice President at Levick Strategic Communications, is a veteran of national political campaigns and Capitol Hill with extensive experience effectively communicating in high-risk and high-profile situations. At Levick, he directs issue and crisis communications campaigns for clients around the world. Prior to joining Levick, he most recently served as National Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY).
