Posts to other sites.

I submitted an opinion piece to The Malaysian Insider, in response to a really weird article by Kwek Kon Yao who was pleading to the world to stop persecuting Microsoft. It was easy work, considering the arguments raised by Kon-Yao was rather basic and not thorough. I still have a feeling he force fitted the Microsoft example into a pet theory he was considering.

Please read "Who is persecuting Microsoft". I quoted several Microsoft's executives using emails uncovered during the antitrust trials. Its quite shocking.

Anyway, I wrote the structure of the response and invited Ditesh and Haris to add any points, correct my facts and polish things up. All done online via Google Docs. I then checked the change history, to see if their changes were good (yes).

It was then a matter of twittering the editor, jsadiq and sending him the link to the doc. Almost immediately, he posted it, and it was online.

On the same day, there was a really interesting Facebook Group brewing, called "What would Zaid hold?" It was a meme inspired by the bad photoshopping skillz by a pro-BN blogger on a The Nut Graph picture.

I had to contribute to that, and this was my entry:

Zaid and Kamalanathan, K*I*S*S*I*N*G

For the benefit of people not familiar with Malaysian Politics, Kamalanathan denies kissing his superior's hands despite the photo-evidence. So who's hand we rather see him kiss than Zaid, his opponent, in the upcoming by-election?

If you are on Facebook, and think this is somewhat humourous, please click through and click on the "Like this" linky! Otherwise, enjoy other people's extension of this meme ...


yk

Long Advertisements

Not many companies can afford super long advertisements nowadays. Its costs alot for airtime. Plus you really need compelling content to keep the audience interested.

This 2 minute advertisement from Nike which I saw prior to a movie which I think is great:



This 4 and a half minute advertisement from Microsoft, which was just launched, and is #2 in a series of ten, which I think is utter crap:



One makes you want to watch more to see how more interesting the ad can become (and it does!) while the other just makes you want to watch more to see how bad it can become (and that it does too.) One inspires and makes you worship the brand, while the other just makes you go "... meh?" One is young and exciting while the other is old, drab, out-of-touch and really patronising ("Traffic jam in my garage" - ouch!) One makes full use of the celebrities featured, while the other abuses the has-beens of celebrities. One is tight, well structured and coherent, while the other is rambling, confusing and irritating.

Surely with all the money in the world, they could have done better?

yk.

Ops Tulen 2007 - The "promo" continues

This year's Ops Tulen was not as big as last years. Almost no flyers sent via regular mail. Very little threats and scams via emails. I hoped that it was because of the market's backlash against the blatant threats just to push sales.

However today I received the latest, and probably the most brutally honest ad campaign run in this series. No subtle marketing messages here. Just the basics. Scary imagery. Offer of way out. Sell stuff. What a bargain!

Save n' be Safe. Is not a good enough tagline...
... it really should read: Threaten 'n Profit!

Thats right. They used an image of a handcuff. Is it a double-entendre? Are they suggesting that I am engaged in criminal acts ( ... is S&M outlawed)? Or is it a hidden warning against the advertised Microsoft products, which will inevitably handcuff or lock you into the vendor's treadmill of constant upgrades and limited CALs?

Can't they see how insulting it is to receive an "offer" like this? Do you think the advertisers customers would react positively towards this mailer? Is the offer so poor (purchase 6 licenses, get 1 free = a mere 14% discount) that you have to resort to criminal threats? Is Malaysia's reputation in piracy so bad that sending out threats like these are justifiable? Is this how the ICT industry in Malaysia should grow?

Perhaps it was just a rogue Microsoft reseller? Well, judge for yourself. Here is the official June "Shout out" from Microsoft sent yesterday:

Snitches are paid well ...

Microsoft and their resellers should run more constructive campaigns. Educational campaigns on Copyright which educates users on the "ownership" software, benefits of software with support, the importance of a vendor/distributor/reseller channel. Or just proper promotional activities with better bargains adjusted to the Malaysian buying power. Perhaps the piracy rate in Malaysia is higher than in the US because we pay the same amount (if not more) and are less likely to afford the software?

Shame on them for taking advantage of the BSA and Ministry of Domestic Trade, as another excuse to push more licenses. These strongarm tactics are taking its toll on the Microsoft brand, and when the Malaysian public finally realise that there are valid alternatives to these products, there will be very little goodwill or brand loyalty left in to keep us from switching.

Tell your marketeers to grow up!

yk.