Microsoft Planning Big Vista Campaign?

Speaking at Microsoft’s yearly Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft’s VP of Vista Consumer marketing Brad Brooks did what, a year ago, might have been unthinkable: acknowledged users have had some hesitations about Microsoft’s latest-and-greatest operating system.

"We broke a lot of things," Brooks acknowledged. "We know that, and we know it caused you a lot of pain. It got customers thinking, hey, is Windows Vista a generation we want to get invested in?"

If Brooks’ remarks at the conference are any indication, Microsoft’s response will be to admit to a shaky launch for Windows Vista while launching a substantial advertising campaign to "get back on the front foot." Under the tagline "Free the People, Microsoft plans to tout the benefits of Windows Vista and how it can be an enabling technology for users’ digital lifestyles. The company has recently launched two promotional Web Sites—Windows Vista Compatibility Center and Windows Vista Small Business Assurance—in an effort to guide public perceptions about Vista’s compatibility with popular applications and games. Microsoft also plans to launch additional consumer-oriented sites to guide consumers, back-to-school, and holiday purchasers towards systems that offer a solid Vista experience.

According to Information Week, Microsoft is planning to spend hundreds of millions of dollars extoling Vista in the coming months—and, in no small part, the onslaught will be to counter traction Apple has gained with its long-running "I’m a Mac, I’m a PC" advertisements, which Brooks conceded have "caused some impact." Of course, Brooks then went on to say, "They tell us it’s the iWay or the highway. We think that’s a sad message. Software out there is made to be compatible with your whole life."

Uh, sure. Whatever that means.