Love machines
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 by Jon Clements
Oh how the powerful need to be loved…
The Government and PC giant, Microsoft, are just two examples of the great unloved turning to marketing communications tactics to increase the love they’re currently not feeling from their respective audiences.
Gordon Brown and the Cabinet decamped to the West Midlands for a meeting to show some semblance of unity and demonstrate a willingness to listen to what local people had to say. The net result was a nice line for the Government in the FT about the cabinet getting a bit of “West Midlands wisdom”, suggesting our leaders’ humility among the commoners in the provinces.
Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, however, may be stretching his abilities a bit far if he thinks appearing in the company’s own ads alongside comic, Jerry Seinfeld, will make him or the business he founded any more lovable. Microsoft has embarked on the biggest marketing campaign in its history as despite its ubiquity on people’s PCs, the company doesn’t create that warm, fuzzy feeling among its customers. Take a look at Bill and Jerry’s ad. As Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway once sang: “Where is the love?”.
