Microsoft - a breakaway brand?

Apparently so according to Landor Associates' annual Breakaway Brands ranking. As Fortune magazine says

"it is not a measure of brand awareness but rather brand momentum"

though to be honest I'm not totally sure what that means but I can understand some of the reasoning they give such as the increasingly consumer friendly products such as XBOX. Hopefully that'll continue with products like Windows Home Server and Zune. More interesting for me was this line though:

"Also helping the company's case has been the perception of a kinder, gentler Microsoft. Steve Ballmer may be loath to admit it, but the company's image as a fierce, rapacious monopolist has faded"

I really don't like that rapacious word but to say there has been a little Blue Monster love is what I think they're trying to say. Microsoft has become more understanding and understandable I think and as much of that is down to the employees as it is SteveB (with all due respect to the big man). Having 4500 of your 75,000 staff out there talking in their own way with your customers isn't a bad thing. It's a risky thing for sure but there is no doubt that when you have employees as passionate as many of Microsoft's you'd be mad not to give them a voice with customers as some of that passion and infectious enthusiasm is bound to rub off.

Microsoft and GE are not old and in the way - Nov. 1, 2007

Comments

• Anonymous
  November 05, 2007
  Did you see this post at blogs.msdn.com