Hello! Greetings!!!:-)

My name is [redacted], Marketing Officer for [redacted] ([redacted]).

I would just like to take this bold opportunity to announce this WONDERFUL NEWS about a RARE PROMO OFFER for a FULLY-FUNCTIONAL website development service that we would like to provide you for your competitive business need to GAIN A STRONG POSITION in the industry, as well as to REALIZE/MATERIALIZE today’s untapped potential markets. For ONLY PhP 30,000, our Web Development Team shall ensure your PROMINENCE and UNMATCHED OUTPUT CALIBER, which features WEBMAIL functions, ONLINE BOOKING, WEB SECURITY features, and a DYNAMIC MEDIA GALLERY for your photos/videos. Also, we’ve already thrown in the offer a robust CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS) and POST-PHASE REVISIONARY WORK, which deals with the completed website’s services for TROUBLESHOOTING, MONITORING, and MINOR UPDATES/BASIC REVISIONS that are available for one (1) month, FREE!!!

This offer has been sent to all enterprises close to our network, and is available for a VERY LIMITED TIME ONLY!

If you’re interested in availing this rare offer, please call/text [redacted] at [redacted] or their landline: [redacted].

Lastly, should you wish to first view the caliber of our past works, you are very much welcome to visit our official [redacted] website: [redacted].

E-mail inquiries are also entertained. Kindly send them to: [redacted].

Thank you and have a blessed day!:-)

Total character count is around 1438, give or take a few (since some text was [redacted]). That’s not the only irritation I share with Helga over the message; the SMS sender was trying to impress her through flowery marketese. Flowery prose may be called for in (old forms of) literature, but not when you’re trying to make a point within a limited format like texting (and social media services like Twitter). Mr. Marketing Officer should’ve gone straight to the point, and if still needed over a thousand characters to deliver the message, maybe he should’ve considered email?

Post from: The Gadget Blog

The Mojave Experiment is Microsoft’s latest marketing ploy. Participants—who are said to have never used or apparently even seen Vista—are asked what they think about the operating system. Afterwards, they’re shown a 10-minute demo of Microsoft’s “newest” OS, codenamed “Mojave”. It’s only after the presentation’s done are the participants told that Mojave is actually Windows Vista. They’re asked once again to rate Vista.

The campaign makes use of videos, which show with full detail the reactions of most of the participants as they’re wowed by what they’re seeing. It’s clear that Microsoft thinks that the numerous challenges faced by Vista aren’t caused by real issues, but by a widely held perception that the OS is plagued by bugs, slowdowns, and incompatibilities. Not surprisingly the experiment paints a very positive picture for Vista.

A New Approach for Microsoft

Mojave represents a new step for Microsoft, in terms of marketing. Its personal approach and reliance on traditional customer testimonials is very different from the software company’s usually business-like methods. At the very least, it attempts to address the widespread view that it’s simply not worth upgrading to Vista, and the relative popularity of downgrading to XP.

Vista is Still Vista

Granted, recent experiences have shown that Vista features a lot of improvements that make navigating and browsing through your information a lot easier. A wonderful example is the “breadcrumbs” explorer address bar.

And of course, you also have the vastly improved eye candy. The problem with Vista has always been its performance—how fast it does things. Recent experiences have also shown that even relatively powerful computers, advertised as designed for Vista, don’t really let users maximize their computing experience.

Microsoft Needs to Get its Act Together Fast

It’s easy for Microsoft to blame customer error, the failure of hardware vendors to provide the proper hardware, and even Apple’s Mac OS X advertising campaigns for the negative reputation Windows Vista suffers today.

The fact remains though that Vista represents a step backward for Microsoft, and actually threatens to weaken its dominance in the operating system industry, as frustrated users look for alternatives from competitors. It’s good that Microsoft is trying to craft the presentation of its message to be more relevant to John Q. Public, but it needs to back-up this with action. Here’s to hoping that the Windows Vista SP2 upgrade really fixes things.

Post from: The Gadget Blog

Yet recent events have shown that Apple’ matter-of-fact statements may actually work against its interests. And more importantly, the same marketing that have built and sustained interest in the phone may also work against network partners who enjoy relative iPhone 3G exclusivity in their respective areas.

Wasn’t it Only $199?

Long-time mobile customers knew that Apple’s advertised price of $199 for an 8GB iPhone 3G had a catch—a two-year contract with AT&T that would commit the user to paying hundreds of dollars in total over the said period. But thanks to Apple’s simple and reachable advertising, this fact somehow became the subject of discussion (including, sadly, here).

Thanks to the relative dominance enjoyed by the American tech media online, it affected the perception of the iPhone 3G around the world, particularly in the Philippines. When Philippine affiliate Technograph first reported on the iPhone 3G postpaid plans offered by Globe Telecom, Apple’s partner in the country, some readers accused the service provider of trying to profit severely off interest in the smartphone:

The thing is, the Philippines is one of those countries where airtime is cheap. Now Globe is packaging a subscription plan for iPhone that costs tenfold than any regular plan. Comparing this to AT&T, you might even say that AT&T’s rates are a nickel-dime deal compared to what Globe has done. The iPhone is a data platform. Globe is plain ridiculous.

Regardless whether or not that statement is accurate (again, AT&T’s own two-year plans represent a significant financial investment), it’s indicative of a reputation problem for Globe.

Litigious Shock Over iPhone 3G Failures

This story on ABCnews.com goes to great lengths to maintain balance. It points out that while some Apple customers have resorted to class-action lawsuits over the iPhone 3G’s apparent connectivity and coverage issues, it also features the other side. Various experts are cited as asserting that the problem isn’t as widespread as the high-profile lawsuits make them out to be.

But that’s just the point. Apple’s reputation means it enjoys more attention than usual, whether or not it’s positive. As Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg stated:

I’m not seeing anything that indicates that this [is] widespread. … If the Internet tends to magnify smaller problems, then the fact that it’s an Apple product tends to magnify it even more. [emphasis ours]

For some reason, it’s hard to imagine such class-action lawsuits over products from less “prominent” competitors.

Apple Wannabes Beware

If imitation is a form of flattery, then Apple must be doing something right with their marketing. Everyone’s trying to adapt the same minimalist yet striking visual approach pioneered by apple.com (like the infamous “wet floor” look), while more consumer electronics websites are employing straightforward yet entertaining copy to attract the attention of potential customers.

Yet the potential danger is that, by adapting such an accessible tone, these Apple-wannabes may suffer the unhappiness of customers unwilling—or unable—to take effective tech marketing with a grain of salt.

Post from: The Gadget Blog