Neat Trick, Microsoft
I’ve spent the last five minutes trying to size up WP7’s launch success to get an idea of whether or not I’ll be getting my $50 from co-contributor / arch nemesis David K. Beyond anecdotal clues and some Twitter analysis, no one’s really sure, partly because in NYC and in San Francisco Microsoft decided to do what they could to artificially pack the stores up with Katy Perry and Maroon 5 fans by giving out free tickets all day exclusively in AT&T dealerships.
That’s clever, this obfuscation even if it didn’t push many or any of those kids into buying a phone while waiting in line to get their free ticket, as the more successful your launch is reported to have been, the more likely you’ll add some weight to a snowball of success down the line. There are more efficient ways to distribute tickets, though they lack this fringe benefit. The fans were not the target of the move, everyone else was.
From the Washington Post, an analysis of Twitter traffic: “More people appear to be interested in a beta Web browser you can’t even download without requesting an invitation [than WP7].” Ouch.
The only anecdotal evidence I can offer you of the NYC Katy Perry’s concert goers’ experiences in these AT&T stores is from my wife, that she didn’t lay hands or eyes on any Windows gadget, and that Katy Perry was sympathetic to the crowd for Microsoft not buying everyone drinks given their success, pledging to make that happen in her next concert, but no mention of WP through her microphone.
Well played, Microsoft. By the way, Katy Perry appears to prefer Blackberries, but that’s neither here nor there. And Ballmer forbids his children from using iPods which, though it may boost Microsoft’s sales up by a couple units, is just mean, man.
Doug Simmons
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Doug Simmons
Biographical info.. hmm. I have a history of not being able to strike the balance between what is "safe" to put into these forms and what is, in my mind at least, funny. Can't do it.
While it may be a real alternative to the big guns the question is will the consumers alternate. That’s your gorilla, not whether or not the hardware and software is up to snuff.
I think your 50 is secure Doug,but beware of the 800lb. gorilla. The few people I spoke to yesterday when checking out the launch phones consider WP to be the first real iPhone alternative and Android nothing more than a brief flash in the pan. They predicted it would go the way of WM. I think they are spot on with that statement. Sorry.
Heh.. Maybe Apple would do this too if the devices themselves didn’t put their stores at fire code capacity on any given day.
I think it’s unfair to say that free tickets to a concert will sway a person into buying one phone or the other. It’s not like someone is going to give up their phone, just to get some concert tickets.
Apparently it didn’t make much of an impact among the consumers in her audience. But who cares, the point was to fill up the stores for a day to generate some good press to try to throw some momentum onto its introduction and the excitement surrounding it.
This is the second report I’ve read that says that Katy Perry did speak about WP7 explicitly: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/09/katy-perry-performs-free-concert-for-windows-phone-7-launch_n_781309.html#s178582 “told the audience to download the title track off her recent album “Firework.” “Download it on your new Windows 7 Phone,” she suggested.”