With a combination of good timing, great preparation and a little luck, certain PR tactics will exceed your greatest expectations. Human nature tells us to repeat these tactics again and again, but most times the law of diminishing returns kicks in swiftly and the return from those tactics lessens. When that happens it might be worthwhile to re-evaluate how your tactics are working and look for some new tactics.
Microsoft is a case in point.
Microsoft is an amazing company. A company that has been built with clever engineering, a little luck and fantastic marketing. If any company provides a template for how Public Relations can successfully support commercial growth, Microsoft is it. Sure from time-to-time mishaps like the iLoo slip out, but they just serve to underline how effective the Microsoft PR machine is.
However, I think it’s time Microsoft revisited some of it’s tried and tested techniques. Their CEO memo, which is “leaked” to every major news organization on the face of the planet, used to provide Microsoft staff and the market – customers, partners, competitors and media – with a clear roadmap of where Microsoft was going to put focus – and thereby win. These memos have in the past helped to turn the market to Microsoft’s advantage. A perfect example of this power was Bill Gates’ memo in 1995 that concerned Netscape. The market took notice and Microsoft took market share.
However in recent times these memos have had a reduced affect on the market. The latest CEO memo from Steve Ballmer, which hit last week, targeted Linux – “Linux in particular, present a competitive challenge for us and for our entire industry” . But this message jars with earlier messages about Linux.
In April, according to Ballmer, Microsoft wasn’t losing any sleep over Linux. And last November, internal research (leaked) showed that Microsoft’s negatice stance on Linux was backfiring.
I am not a believer in mentioning your competition, particularly when you are a leader. Where in the past these proclamations have helped to destabilize competitors, it would appear that certainly in the case of Linux, it is unsuccessful.
Some advice to Microsoft, measure the effectiveness, if it’s not working, change the tactic. Slagging off Linux is playing into your competitiors’ hands. The old tactics that worked in the past are no longer relevant, it’s time to reinvent some new ones. If there’s any PR machine that can do that, it has to be Microsoft.
Murphy's Law 