2. • Microsoft
– History
– Recent PR Issues
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• PR Mistake on Twitter
• Opportunities & Needs
• Treats
• Recommendations
• Conclusion
3. • Founded in 1975
• Created by Paul Allen & Bill Gates
• As of March 2012, Microsoft has 93,163
employees
• Main products: Microsoft Windows &
Office
• Other Products: MSN, Encarta, PC
Accessories, Xbox, & Windows Phone 7
• Microsoft uses Waggener Eastrom World
Wide Rapid Response for PR
5. Bing is not doing anything incredibly different
from Google.
The Bing PR campaigns: Paid celebrity
endorsements, Bing-financed concerts, Bing-
themed contests, etc.
-May have helped some but in all was a
waste
-Microsoft sees Bing as a reusable component
and asset that will be built into more and more
products, while the world sees it as Number 2
to Google
6. PR Mistake on
Twitter
• In 2011, a earthquake hit Japan
– Someone on the inside of Microsoft’s Marketing
team tweeted from the Microsoft account
“How you can #SupportJapan –
http://binged.it/fEh7iT. For every tweet, @bing will
give $1 to Japan quake victims, up to $100K.”
Apology :
“We apologize the tweet was negatively perceived.
Intent was to provice an easy way for people to help
Japan. We have donated $100K.”
8. Weaknesses
• Battles with Google
• No easy to use apparatus
• Competition with Apple
• Too large
• Website
• Cannot keep up with the
expansion of the internet
• Relaying information to
the public
9. Opportunities & Needs
• Focus on relating products to customers
• Create a way of improving communication with public
• Can build the image the Microsoft are the “good guys”
• With a company this large they need to humanize the company,
its such a large company too much is going on for a successful
PR campaign
– Think too much about the marketing (changing the layout or the
name) of their products. Need to use this opportunity to improve
the quality of their products and engage in what the public is
looking for.
10. Threats Microsoft Communication with the
Public
Microsoft communicates internally
1. Social Media (Twitter &
through channels Facebook)
1. Lync (Video Chat) 2. Blogs
2. Sync (Messgae Chat) 3. Websites
3. Corporate Email Accounts 4. Retail Stores
4. Retail Net (MS Server,
Domain, TPM) *Although Microsoft has several
different ways to communicate with
All of these channels are woven their consumers, they have areas
where they can approve
together. If a hacker breaks into
Microsoft’s server sensitive information
is at stake
11. Threats
• Apple Ipad
– Decrease in desktop sales & increase in Netbook sales,
which doesn’t gain as high of profit for Microsoft
– The Ipad has become a threat to Microsoft products
12. Recommendations
• Beware of bribes: criticized in the past for giving out
products early to select bloggers/influential people
• Concentrate on safer areas. It’s hard to tell a company this
large to focus on one particular aspect, but they are so
spread out that some areas are harder to keep track of.
• Making new partnerships instead of competing with
everyone.
• Become more ethical in general. Many issues with
PR/Communication dealing with Microsoft derive from this
area.
• Promote green initiatives; emphasis on high ranking in best
places to work
13. Microsoft has a large company that has too
much going. The company needs to improve the
communication internally and with the public.
Microsoft could use to revamp their website.
Focus on what products the public wants, throw
out the image of competing with others, and
humanize their image.
Editor's Notes
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the wordwide leader in software, services, and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential
Launches bing in 2009Launches Windows Phone 7 2010
In 2011, a earthquake hit JapanSomeone on Microsoft’s Marketing Team tweeted ““How you can #SupportJapan – http://binged.it/fEh7iT. For every tweet, @bing will give $1 to Japan quake victims, up to $100K.”The insensitive pitch for support was immediately criticized all over the Internet. The PR lesson from this mistake: -Don’t mix marketing with community engagement and corporate social responsibility -PR should be in charge of social media not the marketing team -When apologizing do so sincerely
No information on the Internet on how the Microsoft communicates internally
Products and the campaigns never seem relatable to the public. The public doesn’t get Microsoft as a relatable productMicrosoft has the opportunity to become more present in the public eye create more products with training areas. I found Microsofts way of creating a PR campaign was selfish. Everything they did was look at our new product, they never made it about the publics needs.Stop giving the image that they are competing with other companies and become a good company with a good face towards the public.
