After reading the post I perhaps was more intrigued (I’d read similar posts before about the daunting task, and this post was directed more towards how church’s are challenged with trying to be “cool”) by one of the comments left by Jonathan Brink.

This idea, trying to make Microsoft cool, is kinda sad. It reminds me of the executives I used to work with who wanted to be like so and so. But so and so rocked because it was an expression of who they were. It was inherently in their DNA.

Apple is cool because Steve Jobs is creative and demands creativity from everyone who works at Apple. Microsoft is not cool because Bill Gates and Steve Balmer never were creative. They were smart but not creative. And cool is ultimately the willingness and courage to explore creativity and be the first to do it successfully.

Ultimately this will end up looking like a traditional ad campaign where everyone realizes that its not really Microsoft speaking. It’s his cool friend playing Cyrano de Bergerac.

That’s a fairly powerful condemnation of Microsoft but I wonder if it’s really earned. Obviously not everyone can be Apple and Steve Jobs. Is that really a bad thing though?

What do you think? There’s lots of stuff that frustrates me about Microsoft, but there’s lots of stuff that frustrates me about Apple, Macs, iPods and iTunes too. Does it matter? I just go on with my day. What about you?

Post from: EveryJoe

Apple Guy Responsible for New Microsoft Marketing