Microsoft’s new toy: The bullet point
Only Microsoft could package up a plain black ball and sell three versions of it at an insane markup. Supposedly, this “bullet point” 
toy will be available at 7-11 stores and K-Marts around the country just in time for summer. I guess they know their audience.
Supposedly Microsoft conducted focus groups in 22 countries and found out that out of over…wait for it…four million, seven hundred and sixty-eight thousand “features,” the one that people enjoyed playing with the most were bullet points. I’m not convinced that this quantitative study allowed for nuances. My guess that by “playing” it referred to the massive amounts of time people take either in Word trying to get simple bulleted lists to format correctly or the slew of web designers that “play” with their code for hours on end so that bullet points can work in Internet Explorer.
*Alignment may vary
While seemingly unfocused, this new go-to-market strategy does seem to align well with Microsoft’s new priority on consumer Advertising. Given the fight Microsoft will get from Google, who’s revenue is 99% based on advertising, it seems that the Redmond software developer will have a hard time juggling the threats they’re getting from Apple on the OS/mobile business and Jive on Enterprise Collaboration. In the meantime, I’m going to get my ass to 7-11 for some of those shiny, rotating hot dogs and a $99 Ultimate Edition black Microsoft bullet point so I can play catch with my kids.
Things people have said about this post
They used focus groups to figure this out? No way! What they MUST have done is recruit people who are the most computer illiterate for the groups, and they talked about the one thing they understood. This would be like recruiting me to a sports car group, then giving me a fancy new accelerator because it’s the part of the car I have the most fun with.
I’m utterly speechless
Sam - gotta love Microsoft! Always innovating.
@astrout
Well, if Staples can sell an “easy button” and Target can SELL hats with their logo on it, why not?
Does the bullet ball bounce?
*wonders what the shiny Ultimate edition does that the home edition doesn’t* Great post Sam! LMAO
This has got to be a joke, right? Are MS execs going to be talking about bullet point sales numbers in sales meetings? I can hear Ballmer now: “you friggin idiot, you only sold 2 million bullet points….get your arse out there and sell more!”
I mean seriously, what is this world coming too?
I’m hoping to get my 18-month-old son out on the ballfield this year. Are Bullet Points softer than nerf balls?
I’m sorry, there was way too much text in this post. Can you break out a bullet point summary and post it to Slideshare? Thanks.
I’ve checked the calendar … it’s a bit late in the month for Fools …
The real question is…. what is Jive’s strategy to counter this initiative?
Lol. So funny cause it’s not far from the truth! Great work with PhotoShop too! Two weeks late for April Fool’s joke but still a hoot! I agree with the point (no pun intended, ha ha) that Microsoft has no clue when it comes to version control, branding and marketing. It’s insanity to have so many different versions of the same product!!! Vista has four flavors all with a hint of minty suckage. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/default.mspx
I also hate their use of the year in the name! How stupid. It makes your organization appear like slackers or out-dated very quickly. Hence, countless companies using Office 2000 or Office 2003 as their standard!
Or Windows server 2003 as your core platform for the network! How dumb!
Pai
That’s a funny post. How about they package and sell ‘blue screen’ coffee mats as well?
Sam, as a card carrying Microsoft Alumni Network member and a former PowerPoint product manager, I congratulate you on your insightful analysis of where the Microsoft Office team is going with their (our) office productivity suite. As you know, Office already has incredible desktop penetration in Fortune 1000 and small and medium business. MS Bullet Point is their (our) effort to reach out to a different audience. We feel strongly that non-professionals, the audience that shops at K-Mart and 7-11, can use our communications products, and based on the research you cited and our own segmentation study, we decided to enter that market with MS Bullet Point. Our goal with Bullet Point is to put the most frequently used feature in our Office suite in the hands of people who can use it to communicate more effectively. Over 33% of people who use MS Office are in a segment we called “default” users, who just use software out of the box. With the non-corporate audience, the percent of users who are “default” are even higher. that’s why we decided to approach this market with a very simple, easy to understand, easy to learn solution.
We can’t comment on our margins, but we don’t think its “insane” to deliver new tools to help people communicate more effectively to their friends, neighbors, and business associates.
Some of our customers, especially those who shop at 7-11 and K-Mart, told us that they want a simpler solution than traditional office productivity software. We’ve done 1000’s of ‘contextual inquiry’ sessions to determine that ordinary people want ordinary solutions–certainly NOT Jive community software, lifestreaming, RSS aggregators, WordPress plug ins, Facebook APIs, microblogging platforms, on and on and on. Lets all embrace the goal of getting OUT of the echo chamber and meeting people where they are–at 7-11 and K-Mart–and delivering useful “out of the box” solutions that can help them with everyday tasks. Lets give the PEOPLE the POWER to make their POINTS! With MS Bullet Point.
I have a Staples easy button on my desk right next to my pets.com talking sock puppet. People come in my office just to play with these things. Does the bullet point talk? Now that I would pay money for. Kinda like clippy. He he.
I agree with Doug Haslam’s comments…if they can market the product, then why not…but they do not need 3 different versions of this the flood the market. One would be just fine.
Also, anyone somewhat proficient with MS Word, would have no problems using the bullet system included with the program. I say marketing ploy to the greatest.
I vote for late April Fool’s joke.
Is that a Joke?
My friend’s kid owns a Staples Easy button, maybe I’ll get her the Bullet Point.
Hopefully Microsoft will sell them at the 7-11’s in Canada. I don’t even know if we have K-marts up here anymore.
Quick question: Since it doesn’t specify which version of Office™ it’s compatible with does this bullet point automatically by default add an x to every file extension to be fully “Office 2007™” compliant or does it remain “Office Everything Else™” compliant. Further what guarantees do I have as a shopper at 7-11™ that this won’t be made obsolete three days ago as is common with Microsoft™ products™.
Also will there be some sort of a tie in with 7-11™ slurpee™ cups as is usual with products placed™ within those stores and is there any sort of incompatibility with Slurpee™ products since Kmart™ is linked so closely with the Icee™ rather than the Slurpee™?
Providing that most of the answers to these questions are provided in a neatly written bulleted list™ I’ll likely purchase the bullet point product™.
Two other questions:
•™ Is there an upgrade license™ so I don’t have to repurchase the bullet point™ when I need an upgrade?
•™ Is there a planned nested™ bullet point™ that is more of a donut shape for nesting bullet points™ within a product™
Somewhere around the world, Edward Tufte just coughed up on his morning muffin.
Chris O’Rourke just made my day.
Great laugh! I just sent it to ALL my Microsoft friends
I know I’m going to be able to score this thing for only $9.99 at some 7-11 on Khao San Road in Bangkok.
With all of the great features that they built into the product, it is a wonder that they could get it into such a small footprint. A real feat of engineering!
And what a flawed distribution strategy. What about Circle K and all of the gas station convenience stores so you can get Bullet Point on the run!
That’s just dumb marketing. Everyone knows that a single bullet point is useless.
They should sell them in packs of six.
Gordon - but I only need four of them for my presentation. I’ll always have two left over…kinda like hot dogs and hot dog buns.
[…] one day? That is definetly the kind of day I am having today. So I think, in honor of the new Microsoft Bullet Point, I will summarize the ponderings I’m having today. Editor’s Note: I am REALLY bad at […]
[…] BTW, if you haven’t seen his latest graphic, check out Sam Lawrence’s blog, Go Big Always, to see the MS Bullet Point. […]
MS has all of us cradle to grave - my kids have been taught powerpoint in school, for a grade.