Apple and Microsoft: The Blame Game is on

The technological world is dominated by many brands but the most dominating of them all are two cut throat competitors, Apple and Microsoft.

You name the segment ranging from operating systems to MP4 players and both these competitors have their products to fight against each other. Apple and Microsoft are cut neck competitors of each other. But the race to let down the other has made the competition dirtier between both the companies.

The company has expanded the battle zone and has extended rivalry from TV ads to Web ads and pointing directly to each other. The companies are using every medium to hit the market reputation and impacting the consumer perception for the products.

Last year, Microsoft started hitting directly Apple with their TV Ad campaign “I am a PC”. It was direct hit on Apple’s public image. Retaliating to “I am a PC” campaign, Apple initiated its response “I am a MAC” campaign and research reports indicated that these campaigns have an impact on the perception of consumers.

The internal research reports indicated that Microsoft’s “I am a PC” campaign increased the market demand for Windows products by 10% and surely benefitted the company. No doubt such campaigns receive mixed reactions and feedback from the blogosphere but companies are benefitted. Till the time, companies are earning profits such campaigns are big hit, no matter what bloggers or others have to say.

The tech giant, Microsoft spent as much as $300 million for branding and promoting its PC campaign but retaliation by Apple poured cold water on that, as what related sources cite. According to some market reports, Microsoft’s such campaign had indirectly helped Apple to establish their brand recall and awareness among the consumers. It can not be established by any means that such ads are impacting Mac sales or not but one thing for sure, people for whom PC is still Windows are now aware that there is another operating system existing beyond Windows.

The statistics establish that businesses are becoming more aware of Macs and a surge in its adoption can be sensed.

Further to that, Apple started with its new ad campaign that focused on Vista software and was a straight hit on the operating system. The ad run was targeting Vista and passed on message that Microsoft is raising money for fixing Vista. The marketing plans was another attempt to knock rivals’ Vista marketing efforts.

The battle seems unending or unstoppable. It seems that companies will carry on such campaigns and make the battle filthier. The series is unending and both the companies have been spotted using the product of other to hand over some promotional material for particular campaign.

Latest addition in the series of these dirty ad promotional campaigns is the Microsoft’s latest online campaign that allows users to win a certain amount of money after spinning a wheel. The web surfers can spin a wheel and can check what they can get in the same amount of money. The tech giant is offering other options in the amount of money for which users can buy a Mac. This seems inspired from Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign.

What lies ahead and what will be the reaction of Apple to this ad…is still to wait and watch. But, one thing for sure that companies need to be creative on their product line rather than being creative on offending each other.

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