27/04/2007 - A missed opportunity for field marketing?


Daniel Todaro, managing director at Field Marketing Agency Gekko explains why field marketing should be an essential part of any marketing strategy - with a look at the Microsoft Vista launch.

At Gekko we work with many of the top technology brands such as Toshiba, Apple, Digital UK and Freeview. As the head of a field marketing agency, I was naturally intrigued by the Microsoft Windows Vista launch. In particular, whether sales without dedicated in-store support from a field marketing agency will live up to the launch hype.

"The wow starts now" – Microsoft’s slogan for the launch - was a distinct and appealing message. The launch event alone lasted 36 hours and Microsoft made a clear attempt to create an international buzz. Bill Gates appeared at the British Library and reeled off promises about how the consumer version of Vista would revolutionise everything from advertising, making phone calls, accessing information to watching television. Illuminated billboards spelt out "WOW" at London’s Centrepoint to spearhead the outdoor campaign and PC World stores opened early nationwide on launch day. Eager customers, desperate to buy, even queued outside the Tottenham Court Road branch for the 6am opening.

Field marketing did form part of the launch, albeit in small proportions. Microsoft held an event at Croke Park in Ireland last year, which gave businesses and the technical community a chance to taste test Vista in "hands on labs" which I heard was a great success. In London, the first customers to arrive at the Tottenham Court Road store received a free copy of Windows Vista Ultimate and actors in costume offered advice on new features - Sherlock Holmes for "search" and an explorer for "Internet Explorer". But have these methods extended beyond the launch to push sales further?

Last month Microsoft announced Vista sales figures exceeding 20 million since the launch, declaring it a massive success. But having seen blog sites popping up by the minute on the internet, I think a backlash could very much be in motion. I think a heavier investment in field marketing would be ideal to reinforce the buzz made during the launch and also guarantee continued sales. This is after all, a tried-and-tested method in tackling the challenge of driving sales and it ultimately engages potential consumers in-store, offering them interaction with the product. Our track record at Gekko is testament to the strengths field marketing has to offer, and also demonstrates how it guarantees return on investment.

Now is the time for Microsoft to convince consumers that upgrading their operating system to Vista is a worthwhile investment. This is highly important when you consider the huge number of non technology savvy consumers out there who may not be aware of the benefits Vista offers or understand all its new features. So, an integrated marketing approach including training retail staff, providing in-store demonstrations and controlling POS usage is imperative to fully reiterate the "WOW" message. Consumers need that personal contact to be shown exactly what the WOW actually is!

Mr Gates explained that Vista has the foundation to take things to a whole new level, championing all the new entertainment platforms and the Office package. But for consumers to really get to grips with the benefits, Microsoft needs to reinforce the "WOW" message delivering it directly to customers in-store.

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