Business pitch

Entrepreneur comparison between Microsoft and Apple

If you ever used a computer, you probably will know the name Microsoft. Before Apple comes into the market, Microsoft absolutely plays monopoly in the computer market. While everyone else still developing computing languages, Microsoft announced its first operating system that makes computer break through the era of code. People could virtually see what they are doing, it has become user-friendlier since most of the people can understand and operate it without any hassle.

      When I think about the stereotype of Microsoft, it often gives people a character that someone wearing suit and tie, professional and empire impression. While Apple gives a character of young, passionate, creative, chill out in jeans. What causes the different impressions between them?  Lets take a look at the advertisement that apple runs in 2005 “I am a mac”. It’s got two people, one represents mac and the other represents PC. Apple tends to leave people a basic idea that PC is for work, Mac is for fun. 

      Microsoft and Apple use quite different marketing strategies to promote their products. Bill Gates aggressively broadened the company's range of products, through a series of decision such as mass-produce personal computer, window has became the dominant operating system during the early century. On the other hand, Steve Jobs finds apple has its own fans, which are the people who want their computers to be more stylish and has more personality.

      Here is one example. Windows phone 8 shows the specification right after you click the image. It seems to be a culture that Microsoft has. However, it is rare for Apple to mention any professional hardware details like processors’ Hz in its advertising. This type of information is of less than zero interest to 99% of consumers, since most of the household and common users may not be familiar with these jargons other than the professionals. The simple demonstration of how to use the hardware is more popular among these people, and Apple knows it.

      While Microsoft’s advertisement claiming they have got an 8.0-mega pixels camera that will capture amazing photograph, isn’t showing the image that is taken by the camera a better way to attract people purchasing it? In fact, I believe rather than stating these specification capabilities, it would be more attractive to the customers to show them the specification itself by examples.

       To promote the brand and its products successfully, the marketing message has to be user-centric and inspirational. There is no other company does emotional marketing as well as Apple. For instance, Apple’s Facetime commercials emphasized that people could make video calls to your family and friends right through the phone without installing any additional application. 

       “Markets for new innovative products do not exist, they have to be created, and defined.” Apple has never been afraid of introducing new products. It does not matter if there is an existing market for their products, they will create a demand for it. “It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them.”  - Steve Jobs

        I have looked at both Microsoft and Apple’s education’s webpage. Microsoft focus on showing what ‘hot deals’ they currently have, the different deals are orderly placed in 6 blocks. The picture of the disc cases are also shown on the webpage, but what is the point of showing the image of what the disk case is like when people could download the software without retrieving the actual disc. On the other hand, Apple’s webpage is filled with appealing photos of students using and enjoying apple products in real-life, with very energetic slogans, which include key words like “the whole new” “engage” ”fun”. It seems like that the price of the products do not matter anymore, the only question left is “do you want a mac? “ 

      In 2010, Apple’s ice-breaking tablet pc – iPad created a new record. According to Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics Stats that "Global tablet shipments grew 26 percent sequentially to reach 4.4 million units in Quarter three of 2010. Apple was clearly the market leader during the quarter, capturing an impressive 95 percent share with the iPad and beating Android into second place."  Apple’s the other signature product, the iPods, it also changed the way people listen to music as well as the whole music industry. In fact, Apple wins the campaign of almost every personal computer device development in a large scale. It has become a leading company in its industry.

      Ever since the iPhone and iPad have been released, Apple has gradually catching up, and now even bypass Microsoft at net worth.  The advertisements of Apple’s gadgets are far more attractive to young audiences, which also correspondingly pulled up Macintosh’s sale. After the first iPhone was released, the sales of mac grows dramatically from 65 million units to roughly 120 millions, which is nearly half of the amount of mac’s entire 28 years history. 

      The key factor of being a successful entrepreneur obviously is to develop an attractive product or service, as well as use the right marketing idea. Targeting the specific group is the first thought you should ever come across. Then you should mold your product into something the target customer would like and proud to own by create slogan or advertise it. Whether young or mature, professional or leisure, it is important to summaries the life style of your customers with few simple words that describe their life also represent your company. Use those words to advertise featuring with your specialist to attract the interest of that target group, make them think it’s convenient and stylish to use the product.  As long as you are on that stage, user experience is the most important thing to consider. At that matter, it could be the user interface for software, taste or service of the restaurant. Emotional branding the product, following up with how people applying your product in real life. It is not prior consideration when people purchasing your product while it become fashion. 

Bio

http://www.biography.com/people/bill-gates-9307520?page=1 bill gates bio

http://blog.openviewpartners.com/apples-marketing-strategy-history-repeats-itself/ June 14, 2011 by Tien Anh Nguyen

http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/press-releases/strategy-analytics-apple-captures-95-percent-share-global-tablet-shipments-q3-2010  November 2, 2010

http://www.asymco.com/2012/02/16/ios-devices-in-2011-vs-macs-sold-it-in-28-years/ Horace Dediu

Microsoft office ad