Microsoft invites criticism with open comments on YouTube channel

by Brad Linder Dec 30th 2007

We're going to go ahead and give Microsoft some points for thinking outside of the box with their latest advertising strategy. The company has posted a series of videos to YouTube highlighting the features of Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Windows Live online services. Considering YouTube is owned by Microsoft arch-nemesis Google, that took some guts. But even more gutsy (or foolish), was the decision to leave the comments open on Microsoft's new YouTube channel.

While Windows may be installed on the vast majority of work and home PCs, it probably won't come as a surprise to you that Microsoft has a few detractors. And they tend to be somewhat vocal in their criticisms. The comment section of the company's YouTube channel kind of reads like a collection of prison letters from Sideshow Bob to Bart Simpson.

We also would have expected Microsoft to post the promotional videos on its own MSN Video site, not YouTube. So overall, the YouTube channel appears to be a way of reaching out to potential customers wherever they may be. And as we're seeing, those potential customers are more than happy to reach back -- even if it's not necessarily in the way Microsoft may have hoped.

[via istartedsomething]

Tags: comments, criticism, Office, Vista, Windows-Live, YouTube

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

B said 8:34AM on 12-31-2007

Exactly what is hard to understand about this? YouTube is one of the defacto leaders in UGC Video websites and MS is taking advantage of this for promotional/advertising reasons. Lots of companies leverage tools/media provided by there competitors if it means they can reach customers and increase sales.

As for the comments, all feedback is good feedback if you look at the larger picture of post counts and natural SE rank.

Whats next, "Apple Buys Keyword Advertising on MS Search". Give me a break.

michael said 12:43AM on 1-01-2008

Well 'feedback' can't really be considered feedback if it's all done by Linux and Apple fans and only a small percentage being real Vista users.

I mean please - you should see the "go Linux!" "I'm buying a Mac" "M$ sucks" comments and how high they're ranked. It's ridiculous. And most of these issues are a serious joke.

Sorry, but if it proves anything, it proves that a lot of YouTube users are rather immature and need to get a life.

Josh said 11:36AM on 12-31-2007

Gotta love all the Apple fanboys that hate all Microsoft products and leave hate comments about software they've never used. The BSOD incident WAS funny...time to move on.

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