Can the Microsoft Store last?

Yesterday, Microsoft opened its first retail store in Scottsdale, AZ. The grand opening seemed to be pretty successful with an estimated 500+ guests lining up for a first glance at what many have dubbed a "rip off of the Apple store".

While a huge grand opening is nothing to scoff at, I have to wonder if Microsoft can pull it off in the long-run.

Let me start by saying, I'm still a Windows guy. I work from an HP desktop running *cough* Vista and am anxiously awaiting my Windows 7 upgrade disc.

Let's start by looking at Apple. When I first started working in the CE industry, Apple held a measly 3% of market share in Canada. Less than 5 years later they had broken into double digits and continue to see an upward trend.

Though many attribute Apple's growth in the PC space to the iPod, there are a few other things that Apple did right. First off, they made their products simple and stylish. They backed the appearance with an easy to use, stable operating system. They topped this off with clever ad campaign but even more-so they educated the consumer.

Apple's retail success has been based on 2 key factors - education and connectivity. Apple makes their own hardware and software so everything is truly integrated. Yes, they force you to work within their walls, but the end result is a simplified and secured computing environment where things just work.

By setting up the genius bar and allowing people to explore the Apple OS, talk to true product experts and make an appointment for one-on-one support, Apple has made the experience so user friendly that it's no wonder people want their products.

Microsoft launched their retail store at a good time - to coincide with the launch of Windows 7, which has a lot to live up to. Consumers were pretty unimpressed with Vista (anyone remember Windows ME?) and giving them the chance to really get a feel for what Windows 7 can do will help revive consumer confidence.

What worries me the most about the Microsoft store is the disconnect between hardware and software manufacturers. The MS store is featuring products by both Dell and HP, which makes a great deal of sense, but what about other partners like Toshiba, Sony and Acer?

While Windows 7 does make connectivity super-easy between multiple computers, printers, xbox 360 and other devices, there are so many peripheral makers and so many add-on software tools from so many developers that it's no wonder a few poor download choices and your system starts to slow down and get errors.

Microsoft has tried retail partnerships in the past and they've never worked out. While I think showcasing the power behind their OS and how you can connect your home is a great idea, I can't help but think that a store-within-a-store concept might have been a better way to go.

That said, Microsoft has a lot to show off - everything from computing (Windows) to search (Bing) to gaming (xbox) to entertainment (Zune) and you need lots of space, lots of product and lots of staff - which means a retail store is necessary.

New stores are set to open in the coming months and I'd love to see how this pans out for them. The success will be based on innovatice product offerings that drive people in and the overall customer experience. This should be an interesting endeavor to watch.

The Power of Viral

Ever heard of the "Three Wolf Moon" tee? If you're on the Internet, there's a good chance you have.

What is so important about this Internet phenom? Absolutely nothing. But somehow, the shirt, distributed by a New Hampshire-based wholesale company called The Mountain has become the #1 selling apparel item on Amazon.com.

The phenom started when pranksters started creating reviews for the shirt on Amazon which told of the "power" of the shirt.

According to reviewers, who have flocked to the site in droves to create their own stories, the shirt helps men attract women. For example, one reviewer wrote:

"This item has wolves on it which makes it intrinsically sweet and worth 5 stars by itself, but once I tried it on, that's when the magic happened. After checking to ensure that the shirt would properly cover my girth, I walked from my trailer to Wal-mart with the shirt on and was immediately approached by women."

Some of the stories/reviews are absolutely hilarious. Others, just plain stupid. There's even a fully produced video review! Either way, this plain old tee has been reviewed over 1,500 times on Amazon with more appearing daily. The shirt has also hit mainstream after being worn on TV by the likes of Rainn Wilson in The Office.

The Mountain reported a 2300% increase in sales of this one shirt alone and while they don't seem to mind the sales, they're keeping pretty quiet about it stating that they're not huge fans of some of the comments being posted by readers.

Others trying to capitalize on the shirt-sensation have created the "5 kittens" and other not-so-cool knock offs.

The moral of the story: the viral capabilities of the Internet can make just about anything a success. Some clever marketing and a little bit of luck can help make your product a huge phenom.... even if it is just a fad.

For a whole lot of laughs, check out the Three Wolves reviews on Amazon.com by clicking here.

A very "cool" invention

Dyson has come up a "cool" new invention. Introducing: the Dyson bladeless fan!

Most commonly known for the pricey, yet powerful line of vaccuums, James Dyson also invented the "air blade" - a powerful hand dryer that uses "blades" of air to wipe the water from your hands rather than simply blowing on them to evaporate the water.

The Air Blade, which is starting to pop up in more public washrooms, was the basis for the Dyson Fan.

"The Dyson Air Multiplier works by using innovative airflow engineering to pull air up through an energy efficient brushless motor in its base, and force it up into the loop amplifier at the top, where the air is amplified 15 times by drawing surrounding air into the stream. The air is then expelled over an airfoil shaped ramp that channels its direction. According to Tuesday's press release, the fan generates 405 litres of air every second." - Source: www.ZDNet.co.uk

According to the press release, the bladeless fan, which comes in 10 and 12" units is quieter, safer and easier to clean. It is light-weight and the base is removable for easy storage. The price may be inhibiting at an expected MSRP of nearly $300.

Either way, I'm happy to see that innovation is alive and well. I would love to check one of these things out, but for the price, I'm more likely to install a good ceiling fan.

Congrats to James Dyson for doing it again. I look forward to the next invention!

Mr. Sub fires agency over "gay" ad.

Mr. Sub has fired it's ad agency BOS after receiving complaints about a TV ad that "promoted homophobia".

The ad begins with a rather large family sitting around the dinner table. The father then "comes out" to his wife and excessive number of children by claiming to be "super, super gay".

The comlpaint was officially filed by Shannon Devine, a communication director for the CAW, which represents a significant gay, bi, lesbian and transgendered community.

While I have to admit, I'm not normally a big fan of the CAW, I have to agree with them on this one. There's a fine line between funny and offensive and Mr. Sub really crossed the line with this ad.

Their message is: "not everyone likes surprises" with the intent of showing that you always know what to expect at Mr. Sub. The complain from the CAW claims that the ad belittles the incredibly difficult process of "coming out".

Frankly, it is completely beyond me how this is supposed to sell a sandwich. As long as I can remember, Mr. Sub has always attempted a little bit of humour in their advertising. This time it went too far.

I'm all for building an edgy ad - even one with a hint of controversy to stir up some conversation - but there are certain topics you just don't mess with.



Does this ad offend you?

A McScary Revelation

Have you ever noticed just how many McDonald's restaurants there are?

McDonald's has been known to captilize on upcoming real estate opportunities and is often a good indicator of local growth. In densly populated areas, you can expect to find a Micky Dee chain within walking distance. They also tend to pop up along highways between major destinations.

Rural areas without much growth? Chances are you won't see Ronald hanging out.

Stephen Von Worley of blog-site weathersealed.com wanted to see the concentration of McDonald's restaurants across the lower 48 states to see just how predictable the megacorporation is when it comes to location selection.

With a little help from the folks over at AggData, Von Worley mapped out the 13,000 or so McDonald's restaurants in the lower 48 and came up with this incredibly cool map:

As you can see (and to nobody's surprise), the highest concentration of restaurants lie east of the Mississippi river and along the West coast. In the more rural areas, most locations lie along interstate highways.

The furthest distance between two locations:

Between the tiny Dakotan hamlets of Meadow and Glad Valley with a distance of 145 highway miles.

I'm not sure what freaks me out the most... the overall concentration of McDonald's restaurants in the US or the fact that there are over 13,000 of them. I'd love to see the results for Canada and do a comparison of obesity rates in relation to the concentration of restaurants.

McCreepy!