Thisunit looksat a problemwith Microsoft's

brandimageandthe company's
marketingstrategyfor improvingit.

Discussthesequestions.
1 Whichbrandsdo think havea havea strongbrandimage.Why?
2 What kind of thingscandamagea company'sbrandimage?Whatcana companydo to repairit?
3 Whatwordsdo you associatewith the Microsoftcorporatebrand?the Windowsbrand?

tr themainpoints
Understanding
Readthe articleon the oppositepage.Mark the orderin whichtheseeventshappened.

a ) C o m p e t i t i ofnr o mA p p t eh i g h l i g h t e idn a d e q u a coyf t h e W i n d o w sb r a n d .

b) Microsoftplansto haverepresentation in key electronicretailchainsin the USand
tr
U Ka n d i n o t h e rs t o r e st,o s u p p o r tc o n s u m e r s .
@
c) 2007].MicrosoftlaunchedVista,a newWindowsoperatingsystem,but with technical
a n d c o m p a t i b i t i tpyr o b t e m s .
n
d) Microsoftlauncheda marketingcampaignto improveits image.
n
e) Levelsof customersatisfactionimproved.
m
f) Windowsbrandreputationhit a low
n
g) Appte[auncheda negativeadvertisingcampaigncriticisingVista.
T
h) Microsoftlaunchedan advertisingcampaignin the USto improvethe imageof Bi[[Gates,
the Microsoftfounder,and the company.
I
i) Satisfaction
levelsfor the Windowsbrandfe[[.
n
j) 2008:Microsoft[auncheda new improvedversionof the Vistaoperatingsystem.
u
E Understandingdetaits
Readthe articleagainand answerthesequestions.
1 Whywas Microsoftlessconcernedaboutconsumersin its earlydays?
2 Howdid Appte'sentryinto the marketaffectMicrosoft?
3 Whywerecustomersdissatisfied
with Vista?
4 Whywas it importantto sotvethe Vistaproblembeforeputtinga lot of marketingeffortinto improving
t h e i m a g eo f t h e b r a n d ?
5 W h i c ho f t h e m a r k e t i n g i n i t i a t i v efso r i m p r o v i n tgh e b r a n di m a g eh a d n o t b e e nc a r r i e do u t a t t h e t i m e
t h i sa r t i c l ew a sw r i t t e n ?W h i c hw o r d st e l l v o ut h i s ?

20
 LiltllT5 '" TU*fllF{*RGUt{S
A fiRAnd[.]r
IIWA{}H

Microsoft says 'We're humAntoo'

rvith 89 per cent of consumers norv
'satisfied' 'very
saying they are or
satisfied' rvith the softrvare.
F The next task was a major
marketing push to change how
consumersfeel about Windows. That
is not a simple thing to do. It rvill take
'philosophical
a change' in the rvay
:s Microsoft thinks about its custolners.
says Brad Brooks, Head of Windolvs'
ConsumerProduct Marketing.
G Their first action was an advertising
carnpaignon US television. featuring

J
r,o Bill Gates and American comedian
Jerry Seinfeld. By putting Mr Gates
rvith Mr Seinfeld, Microsoft hoped
[o humanise its founder and, by
extension,the company too. Microsoft
by Richard Waters 2007. Many computer usersfound that 6s wants consumers to understand that
'lve
the ner'v softlvare '!vas not comoatible have a sense of humour. we're
Microsoft's Windo"vs operating sys- :s rrith some ol' their old peripherals. human too', saysBrad Brooks.
tem, one of the lvorld's most success- such as printersor scanners,and that it H Customer satisfactionhas to have a
ful consumer products, is also one of ran slorvly. Nor did the softrvare have far more centratpositionin Microsoft's
the rvorld's most neglectedbrands. obvious new consumerbenefits. ro thinking. Mr Brooks says, 'It's not
An estimated lbn people use PCs D Satisfaction was not good, and good enoughjustto sell a lot oflicences
that run on Windorvs. Most of the :o Apple saw the chance and launched or have good businessresults.'As part
company's revenuescome from sales a devastating anti-Vista advertising of the marketing push, he plomises a
to business customers. and it has no campaign, describing Microsoft's soft- deeper'conversation'rvith consumers.
direct relationship r'vith consumers ware as unstable, exposed to security rs This means a stronger ernphasis on
- they have to deai with electronics threats and very dull. This helped retail, with a direct Microsoft presence
retailers and PC manufacturers, not 35 strengthenanti-Microsoft perceptions. planned (a store lvithin a store) at a
the company that makes the software. E Microsoft r.vaspushed into action. number of electronics retail chains.
That r,vasn'timportant when Windows The first and most imporlant task including Best Buy in the US and
was an unchallengedmonopoly, even rvas to improve the Vista customer so Dixons in the UK. The company also
l 5 if an unloved one. Competition from experience. Without that, any has plans to have 150 representatives
Apple's machinesand laptopsthat run ro new marketing initiativesto improve 'gurus',
in retail stores.Referred to as
on the Linux operatingsystemchanged the brand's image could be counter- their job rvill be to help custornersget
things. Caught in this unfamiliar productive. and could tarnish the more out of their PCs.
competitive situation, the Windorvs brand image even more. Microsoft
20 brandhas beenfound rvanting.
C That brand rveaknesswas uncovered
after the launch of Windows Vista in
claims that since the releaseof an up-
+s dated version in July 2008, customer
satisfaction levels have imoroved.
FT
Understanding
meaning
Choosethe best explanationfor theseideasfrom the article.
1 '...whenWindowswoson unchallenged monopoly...'(tinesrl-r4)
a i h a dt o t a tc o n t r ool f t h e m a r k e ta n dt h e r ew e r en o o t h e rc o m p e t i t o r s
b i h a da t a r g es h a r eo f t h e m a r k e ta, n d o t h e rc o m p a n i efso u n di t d i f f i c u lt o c o m p e t e
2 'lt witt takea "philosophicol"
changein the wayMicrosoftthinksabout itscustomers...'(tines 53-55)
a J a m o r es e n s i b t e
a n d c a l mw a y o f t h i n k i n ga b o u ti t s c u s t o m e r s
b ) a d e e p e ra n d m o r et h o u g h t f uwt a y o f t h i n k i n ga b o u ti t s c u s t o m e r s
U N I T5 " T U R N I NR
GO U N A
D B M N DI M A G E

tr Definitions
Matchthesewordsfromthe article(1-8)withtheirmeanings(a-h).
1 campaign a) a periodof determinedeffort
2 perceptions b) new actions
3 initiatives c) beingin a place
4 satisfaction d) a ptannedgroupof activitiesto achievea specificresult
5 push e ) w a y sy o u t h i n ka b o u ts o m e t h i n g
6 licences f) expertswho giveadvice
7 presence g) feelingpteasedwhenyou havegot what you wanted
8 gurus h) officialdocumentsgivingpermissionto use something

E Wordpartnerships
1 Matchthesewordsto makenoun-nounpartnerships
fromthe article.
1 business a) push
2 brand b) customers
3 consumer c) weakness
4 advertising d) satisfaction
5 customer e) campaign
6 marketing f) stores
7 retail g) benefits
partnerships
Findthreeothernoun-noun in thearticle,onethatstartswitheachof
thesewords:brand,marketingandbusiness,

!| Wordsearch
Findwordsin thearticlewhichfit thesemeanings.
1 notlookedafterproperly(paragraph
A)
2 notgoodenough(paragraph B)
3 foundafterbeinghidden (paragraph
C)
4 verydamaging (paragraph D)
5 makestronger (paragraph D)
5 havingtheoppositeeffect(paragraph
E)
7 damage thereputation (paragraph
of something E)
8 visibte(paragraph
H)

Findanothernounwitha similarmeaningto lounchin paragraph

E.
Doesit haveexactlythe samemeaning?

22
 U N I T5 " T U R N I NR
GO U N A
D BRAND
IMAGE

Vocabulary
development

Youcan usethe prefixanti-with adjectivesand nounsto showthat you

areagainstor opposedto something,e.g.onti-war: ogainstwar.

7 Findtwo examplesof phraseswhich usethe prefixonfi-.

2 Rephrasethese sentencesusing the preftxanti-.
1 | a m o p p o s e dt o t h e u s eo f n u c t e apr o w e r .
2 M a n yp e o p l ea r ea g a i n set x p a n s i o o
n f t h e E u r o p e aU
n nion.
3 T h e r ei s a l o t o f f e e l i n ga g a i n sA
t m e r i c a ntsh e s ed a y s .
4 M a n yw e b u s e r sa r eo p p o s e dt o t h e u s eo f a d v e r t i s i nogn t h e I n t e r n e t .
Add at leasttwo moreof your own examptesto Exercise2.

Prepositions
Complete usingthecorrectprepositions.
thesesentences
meepr r i n t e rasn ds c a n n e r s .
1 V i s t aw a s n 'ct o m p a t i b t e . . . . . . . . sool d
2 Microsoft
facedincreasing ........Apple.
competition
3 Following
theretease........ version
theupdated of Vista,
customer
satisfaction
levels
rose.
4 Aspart........ Microsoft's
efforts
to improve
itsimage,
therewiltbemoreemphasis
........
retaiIcustomers.

1 Choose a corporate brandor productbrandthathassuffered froma poorbrandimage.

a) Dosomeresearch to findoutwhathappened.
b) Writea shortreportor givea presentation, explaining:
. whyandhowit tostits goodreputation
o whatactionthecompany tookto repairits image
. theresults.
2 Whatmarketing activitiescouldbe usedto repairtheimageof a brandwhosereputation has
beendamaged by:
a) a safetyor environmental problem?
b) a scandalinvolving unacceptable workingpracticesin anemerging market?
3 Doyouthinkthe marketing initiativesdescribedin thearticlewillbesuccessfuI
in improving
the
Microsoft's
image?
4 Research anyothermarketing initiatives
Microsoft havetakensincethisarticlewaswrittenand
assesshowsuccessful thevhavebeen.

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