Dear Microsoft: Please stay dorky. It's who you are...and it works.

My oh my this Microsoft video (below) has been getting tons of feedback across the marketing community (mainly via Twitter) as well as the overall Web. An internal video for their sales force, it wasn't supposed to "get out" but it did.

And the reaction has overwhelmingly been negative.

Sorry, I fail to see it.

In fact, I think it's terrific--both the video, as well as that it got to the overall public.

(Yes, I pretty much seem to stand alone in my dorky assessment.)

Folks, this video is obviously intended as a sales-team motivator on their latest enterprise version of Vista. As I understand, the commercial audience's reaction to Vista was pretty tepid. And the consumer reviews of Vista that I caught were downright negative. (I can't voice opinion on that front as I don't use the Vista software.)

So, Microsoft used a video in efforts to energize a sales team that had faced some challenges on making quota and is working to rally the troops around an improved product. And instead of a bo-ring (!) PowerPoint slideshow with pie charts and bar graphs galore (yawn), they're extolling the product's key benefits through a catchy jingle that spoofs Bruce Springsteen's famous "Dancing In The Dark" video. Very smart.

And geez, dontcha think the poor sales team has suffered enough pie charts?

The video itself? High production values. And highly dorky. But it's supposed to be silly and dorky (um, there's a security superhero in it along with silly characters jumping for joy over software).

Folks, Microsoft will never be cool. Nor should they ever strive to be. Steve Jobs they're not--nor should they try to emulate or aspire to Apple's hipness factor. As they'll fail miserably. And it's simply not true to their brand.

But silly, dorky videos? Ah, that's much more in-line with a brand that will always be associated with America's #1 Geek Bill Gates.

My BIG hope? That Microsoft corporate will NOT take the negative feedback--now that the "internal" video got out and is facing a negative backlash--and go back to ho-hum, no-risk, corporate pie-chart presentations. Because that would be a crime...mainly to their sales team who will now have to sit through endless pie charts and bar graphs again. Sigh.

Please, Microsoft, stay dorky and don't fear being silly. It's who you are. Embrace and delight in that this video was released to the public. And maybe be more silly with your consumer commercials, too. While the video gives me several giggles, it was supposed to do just that...and it certainly is memorable. What's more? Because it's bravely silly, it increases my respect for you.

But pie charts and bar graphs will not.

And worry not, I've been a MAJOR dork. Lots of times. It's part of who I am, too. (And my readers deserve many giggles at my expense ;-)

Here is the dorky video--RSS and email subscribers please click through to the blog to view it.

Comments

[Mario Vellandi]

Who cares? Forget the public opinion because they're an irrelevant audience for the video, and in all honesty it's clean and not trash-talking customers, competitors, etc.