Microsoft Looks To Retake Throne From Google

Updated on

Do you remember the days when Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) was a behemoth that cared little about competition. If you threatened them, they destroyed you or simply acquired you. The same Microsoft that had multiple anti-trust suits brought against it.

Microsoft was massive, and while not irrelevant, they are little more than a shadow of their old selves that has allowed Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to usurp the thrown.

Microsoft Looks To Retake Throne From Google

Bing? Sure, but it’s certainly no Google Search. Microsoft’s tablet Surface is not an iPad. Nor does their mobile platform frighten either the Android OS or the iPhone. This lack of innovation has allowed both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google to charge past Microsoft in both market capitalization and relevance.

This is not to say Microsoft is simply going to roll over. In fact, just the opposite. Today will see Microsoft roll out a marketing campaign in support of its email service Outlook that will cost the Redmond, WA based company somewhere between $30 million and $90 million. It will be the largest marketing campaign in the history of email that will last a minimum of three months Outlook.com and will be featured in ads running on prime-time TV, radio stations, websites, billboards and buses.

“We are trying to push people who have gotten lazy and comfortable with an email service that may not be all that great and help show them what email can really do for them,” said Dharmesh Mehta, Outlook.com’s Senior Director.

While I don’t particularly like to be called lazy, it’s better than receiving hundreds of texts each day, a medium that along with private messaging on sites like Facebook is taking a chunk out of email use.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will be looking to parlay this massive campaign in what is best described as motivational with their recent “Scroogled” campaign that depicts the “Do No Evil” company that is Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) as a company whose practices are the high-tech equivalent of rummaging through your garbage cans in order to learn more about you.

Not nearly as “motivational.” It’s difficult to argue the merits of this, but if others are anything like me, I’ve certainly become more and more willing to sacrifice my perceived privacy each year for the use of free services like Gmail and Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB).

It also begs another question as Microsoft hits out at Google for privacy violation to effectively target people with their advertisements. Am I to believe that Microsoft won’t be doing the same thing? What could they possibly have to gain if they do not do the same, something that clearly works.

Presently those with Microsoft Hotmail and other email domains like MSN.com will be offered the opportunity to switch over to Outlook.com. For those who choose not to make the switch, have no fear, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will be doing that for you as it mines your emails and contacts for use in Outlook.com.

Leave a Comment