No one, repeat, NO ONE, does marketing like Microsoft

[hanselthecaretaker]

Microsoft Spending Half a Billion on Kinect Launch
Expect to see Kinect on everything this holiday.
October 18, 2010

by Jim Reilly

The NY Post reports Microsoft is set to spend $500 million dollars in marketing Kinect, the Xbox 360 controller-free camera, this holiday.

"Kinect is the largest, most integrated marketing initiative in Xbox history, bigger than its launch," said Robert Matthews, general manager of global marketing communications for Xbox. "We are going to be spending millions to launch this globally."

The device will appear on soda cans, cereal boxes, television, magazines and the Internet.

"The campaign started 18 months ago when Don Mattrick and Steven Spielberg stood on stage at E3 to announce what would become Kinect," Matthews added. "The video we produced for that occasion went on to become one of the most watched viral videos of the year, according to Advertising Age."

Promotions for the device include Pepsi, Kellogg's cereal, Nickelodeon, YouTube, Disney and People magazine. Microsoft is also planning a launch event at Times Square in New York City.

Kinect is set to launch worldwide this November.


Microsoft Spending Half a Billion on Kinect Launch - Xbox 360 News at IGN


wtfbbq they're even going on Oprah?!

Damn they're never that pompous about Windows. All for a product that's little more than a glorified Eye Toy. It's disappointing that Microsoft seems to care more about Xbox than their PC business, ie bread n butter. Meh, I'll be sure to avoid everything Kinect as much as possible lol.

 

[bakemeacookie]

Maybe they should put that money into fixing red ring of death, windows bugs and other shit that destroys whatever marketing efforts they gain. 1 foot forward, 2 steps back. MS is clearly scared shitless of Apple/Google/RIM destroying the desktop pc market. Most software deveolopers now don't even us ms software anymore.

c

 

[lartinos]

Ya, I agree with bakemeacookie.
This is another stupid idea by Microsoft.
They are throwing money at their problems.
I still don't know WTF this thing is after reading that.

 

[nangiggles]

Damn!

 

[bakemeacookie]

Ya, I agree with bakemeacookie.
This is another stupid idea by Microsoft.
They are throwing money at their problems.
I still don't know WTF this thing is after reading that.

Word. Vista has done more damage to MS than hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing budgets can ever fix. There's like 10 php developers to every .net developer.

Most people don't realize that the overwhelming majority of websites aren't even created with ms software (including EF). Mobile/Tablet/Social Networking apps are heading the same way and soon MS will become irrelevant.

MS is so desperate, they're even giving away visual studio for free now.

While we're at it - let's go take a look at how apple's doing

Apple Q4: $20B Revenue, $4B Profits, 3.89M Macs, 14.1M iPhones, 4.19M iPads ? All New Records

You don’t need to look any further than Apple’s stock price over the past several months to know that they’re on a roll. A year ago, the stock price was at about $190 a share. Today, it closed at $317.93 a share — an all-time high.

c

 

[RottenWillow]

Ya, I agree with bakemeacookie.
This is another stupid idea by Microsoft.
They are throwing money at their problems.
I still don't know WTF this thing is after reading that.

these fuckers are absolutely shitting money. Why spend the time to try to make better product when enough people already seem convinced their stuff is good enough to purchase?

 

[the_alcatraz]

Maybe they should put that money into fixing red ring of death, windows bugs and other shit that destroys whatever marketing efforts they gain. 1 foot forward, 2 steps back. MS is clearly scared shitless of Apple/Google/RIM destroying the desktop pc market. Most software deveolopers now don't even us ms software anymore.

c

lol @ microsoft being scared off Apple....how much market share does Apple have again?

 

[ortiz34]

Word. Vista has done more damage to MS than hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing budgets can ever fix. There's like 10 php developers to every .net developer.

Most people don't realize that the overwhelming majority of websites aren't even created with ms software (including EF). Mobile/Tablet/Social Networking apps are heading the same way and soon MS will become irrelevant.

MS is so desperate, they're even giving away visual studio for free now.

While we're at it - let's go take a look at how apple's doing

Apple Q4: $20B Revenue, $4B Profits, 3.89M Macs, 14.1M iPhones, 4.19M iPads ? All New Records



c

Look at MS stock and sales in the 90's bro
Every bubble has to burst

 

[nydj66]

It's Steve Jobs and Apple that have an uncanny knack for providing what the public really will go for.

Microsoft has to put so much money into marketing trying to create demand for mediocre products.

 

[billfred]

lol @ microsoft being scared off Apple....how much market share does Apple have again?

Apple is officially a bigger company than Microsoft. Now #2 next to Exxon. Everythin MSFT has done in the last 5 yrs has been to try and keep up with Apple or Google.

When either of these companies penetrate the corporate market enough to displace Office, MSFT will be gone for good. Failed to innovate.

They are the next Lotus 123. If you were around long enough to use that product, you would understand.