Microsoft Makes #7 on Marketing Disasters List

Consumerist.com has recently launched an article showing the top 10 biggest marketing failures of all time. The memorible moment of The Windows 98 press release made #7 on this list. The article goes on to state:
" Bill Gates was a good sport, chuckling and saying, "That must be why we're not shipping Windows 98 yet."

[joemutt]

These are not marketing disasters, they are things that were not under their control.

If someone buys a bottle of tylenol, replaces the pills with poison, and puts it back on the shelf for someone else to buy, I dont think you can blame the marketing department.

McDonalds, Coca Cola, I dont think these companies are hurting that bad from any of this. How about a disaster that actually had an affect on the company.

[kornbeaner]

not controlable except for Coca-Cola.
Because they actually changed the taste of their product to try to compete with Pepsi. While the product itself was not a failure that particular marketing ploy was.

My personal favorite was the honda bot. They move the wall in front of it like thats gonna change the fact that it acutally happened.

[BrotherSic]

New Coke was actually a huge success for Coke Cola.

When the pubic demanded 'original' Coke back, it raised revenue nearly double the cost of making and marketing 'New' Coke.

Also what was interesting about 'New' Coke was that they taste tested the new flavour on a huge amount of people who vastly preferred the new taste. I guess mob mentality rules and it can become 'cool' to hate certain products.

[TheMART]

What's that nr. 1 large black thing...

The PS3 that is on fire? Does it get THAT hot???

[kornbeaner]

what is it again.

At launch 360 4.5 attach rate
At Launch PS3 1.5 attach rate

Yeah that sounds about right.

Wait how bout this one. I don't have one yet(cause i stay in europe) and can still talk about somthing I know nothing about.

Nah, At launch sounds better.

[N4G_FANBOY_CRAP]

"the top 10 worst gaffes, flops, and disasters in the history of American marketing and advertising" not how they preformed afterwards.

Microsoft did "make" (copy) windows and touted it as more stable, thats why its a gaffe, if I make a product & it fails to preform how I said it would surely it's my fault.

As for theMART I didn't see a mention of the PS3 in the article so your comments have no place here.

[grifter024]

These things are crazzy and funny... The zeplin one and the elephant were pretty messed up .... The Calvin klein one was really creepy .. march.. I thought this was about the xbox360 though.. Since this a gaming website but guess not crazy thought..

[ALIEN]

Man! that was hella funny. stupid @ss Robot

[BIadestarX]

Great companies are not the only ones that make mistakes... but are the only ones people gives a crap. mistakes or not all companies listed there are leaders in their respectives markets; isnt that something? i.e this didnt stop people from making win 98 the #1 OS in the world. even with mistakes such as this mac or linux couldnt take their title.

[ALIEN]

Because they khow how to do things right. don't they?.

[SuspectTaken]

What connection does this have to gaming? The fact that Microsoft is on the list?

[GaMr-]

Industry. Not Gaming. Wich is a part of this site and yes microsoft being their ties it in. But incase you havent noticed News stories start feedback(comments) and the feedback is usally tied into gaming. I hope that clears it up for you.