Microsoft to counter its ‘US giant’ image

Global computer software company Microsoft has said it will plough $120m (&£67m) a year into advertising campaigns designed to counter any negative image of it being a huge US corporate giant.

The campaign will run across television, print and the internet. The aim of the campaign, according to Microsoft US group advertising manager Mike Lucero, is to demonstrate the company’s involvement in education and economic development projects in 32 countries across the globe, from France to Taiwan.

According to Lucero, Microsoft is “often perceived as a huge American company. We wanted to be very specific about what we are doing in each country in education, innovation, economic opportunity and security.”

The global ad campaign, created by McCann Erickson, is a continuation of Microsoft’s “Realising Potential” and “Start Something” advertising strategies. As with other recent global campaigns by McCann, executions will be altered and targeted to specific regions. The campaign starts in the US this week and is scheduled to be rolled out across all target markets in coming weeks.

Microsoft has more than 60,000 employees worldwide, 37 per cent of whom are reportedly outside the US.