[Am-info] Web users turn tables on Microsoft

[Gene Gaines]

Mitch,

The fake ad.

Disgusting.  Another garbage move by Microsoft.

How often have we seen a honest marketing campaign by a
competitor answered by a dishonest me-to campaign by
Microsoft?

Consider:

 1. Do you think that the fact that the woman's company was
    employed by Microsoft to draw up the ad campaign has anything
    to do with her switching?  That makes the headline 'Confessions
    of a Mac to PC Convert' a travesty.

 2. The ad labels her as a freelancer.  Lie.  She is an employee.

 3. So the ad is a fake all around.  Gates' idea of innovation.

 4. And of course, not her in the photo.

Great testimonial.

Something I can print out in living color and carry around to show
my friends (it is still available on Google).
 
Gene
gene.gaines@gainesgroup.com

On Tuesday, October 15, 2002, 5:58:59 PM, Mitch wrote:

> You'd think, after the blowback created by the "astroturf" campaign, that 
> they'd have learned to be a bit more careful.

> ======

> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2329519.stm

> Tuesday, 15 October, 2002, 11:10 GMT 12:10 UK
> Web users turn tables on Microsoft

> Microsoft has been caught using a fake advert that claimed people were 
> switching from Macs to Windows PCs.

> The advert debuted on Microsoft's website and supposedly recounted the 
> story of a former Apple Mac user who had converted to using Windows.

> But investigative work by net users revealed that the supposed 'switcher' 
> actually worked for a marketing company employed by Microsoft.

> The Microsoft advert was a response to the high-profile campaign run by 
> Apple which showcased people who have moved from Windows to a Mac.

> Stock taking

> The page documenting the switch was entitled 'Confessions of a Mac to PC 
> Convert' and debuted on the Windows XP Insider section of Microsoft's site.

> It supposedly told the story of a "freelance writer" who had used a Mac 
> for eight years but who had now switched to using Windows.

> In it the switcher declared: "Windows XP gives me more choices and 
> flexibility and better compatibility with the rest of the computing world.
> "

> Originally news of the article's existence was posted to the popular 
> Slashdot website as a joke, but eagle-eyed users of the site found grounds 
> to suspect the story behind it.

> They noticed that the picture of the woman used to illustrate the story 
> was a stock image from the Getty Library and unlikely to be a genuine 
> customer.

> Investigative work by a reporter from the Associated Press tracked down 
> the person behind the story who turned out to be an employee of the Wes 
> Rataushk & Associates ad agency.

> This was the company that was employed by Microsoft to draw up the adverts 
> about switchers.

> Microsoft has now pulled the page from its website and said it 'regretted'
>   its action.

> But in its defence it said that the employee had definitely switched from 
> using a Mac to Windows.

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