Marketing a 2015 product intro in 2014

Microsoft faces a tricky marketing challenge: How to market the expected 2015 launch of a new operating system (possibly Windows 9) without damaging 2014 sales of products with Windows 8.

From April, the company will withdraw support for Windows XP, once a highly popular operating system and still running on many legacy computer systems. That will push some Windows users to make decisions about upgrading or replacing. And Windows computers are still in great demand, despite the wide availability of competing Mac, Android and Chrome systems.

Yet Windows 8 sales have reportedly lagged. Critics want to see standardised gestures that will operate on different platforms (tablet or computer). They also want apps that launch directly from the start screen.

An entirely new operating system--with or without the Windows brand--could reset customer expectations and jumpstart sales. So Microsoft apparently will make a big announcement about the next generation operating system in April.

Does announcing a new product many months in advance build anticipation and excitement? Will existing Windows customers be willing to wait until 2015 for the new system? Will customers hesitate to buy a new Windows 8 product now because they know a new system will be released next year? Or will the lengthy prelaunch wait cause some customers to switch to competing products?

Should Microsoft Rebrand Nokia Phones?

Now that Microsoft is buying Nokia's handset unit, what should it do about branding the phones?

Microsoft's involvement with Nokia began two years ago as a strategy to put Windows software on as many phones as possible while Apple and Android were growing ever stronger. Since then, Nokia--which once was a worldwide leader in mobiles--has lost market share, and Windows hasn't become as popular as Microsoft had hoped.

The new deal puts Nokia's mobiles under the Microsoft umbrella. Moreover, the Nokia brand will be licensed to Microsoft for the coming decade. Should Microsoft rebrand the mobiles it now owns as Windows or Microsoft? Or should it retain the Nokia brand for as long as possible, given the history and brand recognition (as well as positive perceptions)?

One analyst comments: 'The Nokia brand still has a high value to people. That doesn’t mean the Microsoft brand is not known - but what does it mean to people?'

Microsoft targets Yoda and Han Solo

Microsoft's Developer and Platform Evangelism (DPE) Group recently completed an interesting market segmentation project, designed to delineate specific segments for marketing efforts. The group targets a number of technology audiences for marketing about new products that are in development and will be launched within a year or two. But who, exactly, was in the audience and was Microsoft reaching all the segments it should be targeting?

To find out, DPE worked with a research agency to identify 7 specific segments for marketing purposes. To help Microsoft's technology advocates understand audience needs, wants, attitudes and behaviour, the agency followed a Star Wars analogy to name segment personas.

• Yoda is an info technology director, a senior executive in charge of a tech centre or division
• Jedi Master is a software architect, whose job is to establish the overall design of software products
• Jedi Knight is an IT manager, experienced and proficient
• Han Solo is a software developer
• Wookie is an IT tech support person
• Obi-Wan Kenobi is a technology academic
• Younglings are students

Microsoft reinforced these segment identities with training, cardboard cutouts and visuals to help its platform advocates apply segmentation results when designing communications and engagement activities.

To engage the Han Solo segment, for instance, Microsoft created the Ubelly site, an 'unofficial blog for developers who love the web'.

The entire video describing Microsoft's DPE segmentation research and communications strategy can be found here on the Marketing Week site.

Browser competition

Finally, after a decade, Microsoft has settled EU antitrust charges by allowing Windows users to choose which Internet browser they want to use. This agreement with regulators is important because it's intended to prevent Microsoft's Internet Explorer from having an unfair advantage over competitors.

By early 2010, PC owners who use Windows will see a screen asking them to choose from among as many as 12 browser options: Apple's Safari, Google’s Chrome, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, Opera, AOL, Maxthon, K-Meleon, Flock, Avant Browser, Sleipnir and Slim Browser.

Already, Mozilla's Firefox browser has captured about 32% of the market for Web browsers, and Opera--which filed an EU antitrust complaint in 2007--has about 2%. Google's Chrome is approaching 4% market share. Once Windows users start making their choices, watch for dramatic changes in market share by mid-2010.