Microsoft – The Brand Behind the Man – Bill Gates

Microsoft

Microsoft and its founder Bill Gates are quite well known and need no introduction. From the garage to gigantic proportions: Microsoft’s growth is now part of business folklore.

Initially it is the product, the microcomputer that Microsoft popularized. The microcomputer changed the concept of personal computing. In a short time, he catapulted Microsoft to a lofty position. Subsequently, the personality of founder Bill Gates, dropping out of college to develop microcomputer software in a garage, and rapid rise to the position of the world’s richest person added to the Microsoft brand and mystique.

The emphasis on software development is so strong at Microsoft that instead of confining software engineers to small, cramped spaces, the company assigns each one a separate cubicle to work undisturbed. New recruits on college campuses find it a privilege to work for a tech titan.

In addition to creative freedom, the abundant space to work drives them to develop new, more innovative software products on a regular basis.

Consciously or unconsciously, Bill and Melinda Gates add a lot of value to the brand’s image through the charity work they are involved in. It might be their way of giving back to the world, but it greatly strengthens Microsoft’s brand image.

Microsoft’s brand image can be described as: constant innovation. New software development keeps Microsoft ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing technological world. Bill Gates’ personal brand image as the world’s richest person with miles of print media coverage and years of visual media time reinforces the strength of the company’s brand in a formidable way.

The software giant is also very aggressive on the branding front. Microsoft spends nearly $1 billion on ads in the US alone. It plans to allocate more funding for internet ads, while maintaining a strong footing in traditional TV and print media.

Microsoft has changed its logo twice to the current Helvetica italic typeface. The catchphrase has also been changed from ‘Where do you want to go today?’ to ‘Your potential’. Our passion.” He planned to allocate almost $125 million a year starting in 2006, to erase the image of a “huge” American company. It has a presence in every country in the world with software development centers in many countries.

Microsoft’s aggressiveness in brand management is further established by the fact that it acquired aQuantive, a Seattle-based advertising and marketing group for $6 billion. This now gives Microsoft an advantage in promoting its brand on the Internet.