APPLE 1 - MICROSOFT ZERO

You knew it had to happen. The giant is now chasing the little guy. Microsoft is chasing Apple. Don't get me wrong I know the whole market share thing, but Microsoft announced last week that they will be opening up stores to help consumers get a better PC buying experience. You have to be kidding me right? Yeah I can just imagine the creative and design geniuses over in Redmond coming up with "really cool" stuff to do in the stores. I can just see the sales staff with pocket protectors and tape on their glasses.

The real lesson here is that Microsoft was complacent and felt because they had so much market share that they did not have to worry about their brand image. One of my favorite things to tell Brand Marketers is that if you do not carefully position your brand, your competitors will do it for you. Apple has done a brilliant job of positioning Microsoft as a brand for dorks with their television campaign Apple and PC. I think they are some of the best commercials on television today. They tell such a great story in 30 seconds and they make Microsoft look stupid and petty while making Apple look cool.

It is clearly working, as on a recent visit to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in NYC at 1:30AM the place was packed. Not busy...packed at 1:30 in the morning. Granted there were a lot of people just hanging out but plenty were buying too. I only ended up there at 1:30 because it was so busy at 3 in the afternoon that I did not want to wait around to buy a new external hard drive.

I for one can't wait to see how Microsoft tries to battle the image that Apple has created for them. I am sure they will try to make the stores hip but my gut tells me they will miss. What will they call their Genius Bar? How will they ever compete with the experience that Apple has created? Going to an Apple Store is truly retail entertainment at its finest. Remember when the "experts" were saying what a critical mistake opening retail stores was for Apple? I guess Apple proved them wrong. I wonder if Microsoft will be able to follow suit? You know what they say...if you are not the lead dog, the view never changes.

Stay tuned because this one is near and dear to my heart.