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I was wondering through Leicester town centre this morning, when I spotted a Dixons. Nothing amazing about that, you're probably thinking, and you'd be right. However, in the window something caught my eye.
PRE-ORDER YOUR XBOX NOW!
Said the sign, with all the associated gubbins, boxes and price lists of deals etc. Curious, I wondered inside, and found the XBox bit and had a look. That was when I noticed something else.
Nowhere did it say Microsoft XBox.
It just said XBox.
Now, is this a cunning plan by Microsoft? Some people seem to have an issue with MS, and say they won't buy an XBox purely because it's made by MS. I suspect that MS realise this, and so are trying to brand the XBox on it's own merits, as opposed to Sony and Nintendo, who like to associate the company name with the product that they are selling.
The Sony PlayStation 2, the Nintendo GameCube, is what the adverts say.
Sony rely on their brand name in the electronics area generally to help sell their product, and Nintendo use their name and heritage to help promote their new hard ware.
MS, on the other hand, seem to be shying away from their image, which isn't particularly good at the moment, it has to be said. The court case they are involved in is still around in the news, the fact that Windows XP had problems and needed patches to be released almost at the same time as the OS itself was released.
All of these things are not working in MS' favour. My question to you is:
Do you think that the marketing department realises this, and is launching the XBox as an individual product, rather than as part of the MS "brands".
Thoughts?
PRE-ORDER YOUR XBOX NOW!
Said the sign, with all the associated gubbins, boxes and price lists of deals etc. Curious, I wondered inside, and found the XBox bit and had a look. That was when I noticed something else.
Nowhere did it say Microsoft XBox.
It just said XBox.
Now, is this a cunning plan by Microsoft? Some people seem to have an issue with MS, and say they won't buy an XBox purely because it's made by MS. I suspect that MS realise this, and so are trying to brand the XBox on it's own merits, as opposed to Sony and Nintendo, who like to associate the company name with the product that they are selling.
The Sony PlayStation 2, the Nintendo GameCube, is what the adverts say.
Sony rely on their brand name in the electronics area generally to help sell their product, and Nintendo use their name and heritage to help promote their new hard ware.
MS, on the other hand, seem to be shying away from their image, which isn't particularly good at the moment, it has to be said. The court case they are involved in is still around in the news, the fact that Windows XP had problems and needed patches to be released almost at the same time as the OS itself was released.
All of these things are not working in MS' favour. My question to you is:
Do you think that the marketing department realises this, and is launching the XBox as an individual product, rather than as part of the MS "brands".
Thoughts?
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Tony_Blair wrote:
> Spice Orange!
ok... this is the second topic he has spammed with the same thing. I'm gonna report it...
Sonic
> Spice Orange!
ok... this is the second topic he has spammed with the same thing. I'm gonna report it...
Sonic
Spice Orange!
They also have black and green balloons in the window of EB, it looked nice so i went to have a look. I was trying to look like a potential customer so one of the sales guys would try his pitch on me, but he went to an older looking guy instead, probably because he thought he had more money than me, fool.
Strafex wrote:
> Sega tried a similar thing with the Dreamcast.
It didn't work so well.
Ahhhh... this was only rumoured. In fact, the console was sold with the Sega name on the console...
However, having said that, American ads stayed away from saying the DC was made by Sega... or that it was even a games console...???
Sonic
> Sega tried a similar thing with the Dreamcast.
It didn't work so well.
Ahhhh... this was only rumoured. In fact, the console was sold with the Sega name on the console...
However, having said that, American ads stayed away from saying the DC was made by Sega... or that it was even a games console...???
Sonic
Straying ever so slightly off the topic......
Over here in Ireland at GAME, I actually got to hold an X-Box and controller....European too!!!!
They where unpacking it from a box and where nice enough to let me to examine it for about 5-10 mins, I assume that it will be used for Demonstration purposes in coming days, they wouldn't state what they had it for, but it was a definite european box.
I don't know if any GAME shops have them across the water in Great Britain, you have to check. Its worth a look at especially seeing how darn heavy and big the thing is.
And I got to look a Gamecube promotional DVD boxes too, nice!
Over here in Ireland at GAME, I actually got to hold an X-Box and controller....European too!!!!
They where unpacking it from a box and where nice enough to let me to examine it for about 5-10 mins, I assume that it will be used for Demonstration purposes in coming days, they wouldn't state what they had it for, but it was a definite european box.
I don't know if any GAME shops have them across the water in Great Britain, you have to check. Its worth a look at especially seeing how darn heavy and big the thing is.
And I got to look a Gamecube promotional DVD boxes too, nice!
I think it's a Bill Gates thing!
It's one of those things that will either work REALLY well or REALLY badly......
Sega tried a similar thing with the Dreamcast.
It didn't work so well.
It didn't work so well.
Your Honour wrote:
> Anyone?
Patience! The site's only been back up half an hour!
> Anyone?
Patience! The site's only been back up half an hour!
I totally agree. Bill Gates is not stupid, and he realises that the console shouldn't be associated with Microsoft, and their image of faulty, overpriced software and ruthless marketing.
Everything about the console says that - starting with the name - X-Box. Microsoft aren't stupid. A name synonimous with 'mystery' and the unknown was no accident. Neither was the alienesque green and black colouring system.
Everything about the console screams "You don't know much about this. It's 'different'". That has been the idea since the start, and was definitely a shrewd move. Leaving out the company name simply enhances this 'unknown' theme.
I'll be very suprised if I see any attention drawn to the name 'Microsoft' in any advert. If it even appears in any advert.
Everything about the console says that - starting with the name - X-Box. Microsoft aren't stupid. A name synonimous with 'mystery' and the unknown was no accident. Neither was the alienesque green and black colouring system.
Everything about the console screams "You don't know much about this. It's 'different'". That has been the idea since the start, and was definitely a shrewd move. Leaving out the company name simply enhances this 'unknown' theme.
I'll be very suprised if I see any attention drawn to the name 'Microsoft' in any advert. If it even appears in any advert.
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