Omar’s iPod Envy and a New View of Microsoft

After searching for an mp3 player that’s better than the iPod, Microsoft blogger Omar Shahine says “Game over.”

I’m beginning to change my mind about things. Even though we have a great eco system for music stores etc, the reality is that our OEM partners are never ever going to create a product like the iPod. They are simply no match for the iPod Dock Connector, which [h]as generated an ecosystem of hardware that’s probably more lucrative than the online music business.

This conclusion follows a long list of product features that no single non-iPod player has been able to match.

My search wasn’t as extensive as his but it led me to the same conclusion a year and a half ago, and last fall, I consummated the engagement by switching from my Tablet PC to a Powerbook. (Yes, I’ve been won over. Perhaps version 2.0 of Origami will push me back to the Windows platform when I’m on the go.)

One word about Microsoft and blogging: it’s effective. There’s been an explosion of Microsoft blogging in the past year, and the list includes some of the smartest people in the building – Ozzie, Shahine, Scoble, the Office 2007 team. All of the bloggers operate with at least a certain amount of freedom to say what they want; they get a larger audience for their ideas, and Microsoft gets the invaluable PR lift that other companies are seeking through the blogging platform.

Read these and other Microsoft blogs, if you haven’t already, and look at the picture of Microsoft that emerges: a more humanized corporation made up of individuals with strong smart opinions, who often don’t tow the company line, who speak openly and positively of rival products like iPod and Firefox, and who show a willingness to work with competitors to make the online experience better for all.

This may not be your view of Microsoft. But Microsoft, in permitting its employees to openly engage developers and consumers outside regular company channels, reaps the benefits of improved perception of the company in the long run. Microsoft could spend years and millions of dollars telling you “we’re not big and evil.” Allowing its employees to shine through their own blogs begins to force the battle to new territory – from our view of Microsoft’s reputation to our view of Microsoft’s reputation, filtered through individuals who are known, respected and trusted. Microsoft hasn’t extended this battle to consumers, most of whom are highly unlikely to read a Microsoft blog. But maybe that’s alright. The vast majority of consumers own at least one Microsoft product; and though they might complain about it, they still qualify as satisfied customers since their next purchase is still likely to be a Microsoft product. The everyday consumer was where the battle was during the Microsoft litigation of the late 1990’s, but that’s not the case anymore.

This is not the first time this has happened, but blogging now represents the latest example of companies building and burnishing their reputations on the backs of their brightest and most respected employees. It’s “under the radar” PR and smart companies need to be thinking about this.