The move is the latest turn of what has become a revolving door executive suite at Microsoft…
“Microsoft has hired a new marketing vice president as part of a bid to make Windows Mobile a household name…”
Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it has hired “Todd Peters,” formerly an executive at office-supply retailer Staples, to be corporate vice president of marketing efforts for its Windows Mobile communications business.
At Microsoft, “Peters, the man behind Staple’s “Easy button” campaign, will take the helm of marketing for Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business division, which encompasses the Windows Mobile platform, one of the fastest-growing businesses at Microsoft; Windows Live for Mobile, and the company’s other portable device efforts. Prior to his work at Staples, Peters was Intel’s “brand strategy” head for six years.”
“He will report to Pieter Knook, senior VP of the mobile communications business unit at Microsoft.”
“He fills a position left vacant by ‘Suzan DelBene,’ who recently left the company.”
The change comes amid an effort by Microsoft to expand its mobile services such as Live Search even onto competing platforms such as BlackBerry, as well as a renewed emphasis on consumer-driven features in Windows Mobile such as multimedia and web browsing.
The announcements reflect a recent push at Microsoft to attract more consumers. “We are definitely moving into making Windows Mobile come alive for the consumer,” said Scott Rockfeld, group product manager at Microsoft’s Windows Mobile group. Rockfeld and other Windows Mobile executives have been emphasizing that the operating system is designed to be attractive to users in their personal lives as well as their work lives.
For now, the most compelling value is for enterprise customers who want mobile access to their corporate data and documents, and Microsoft will need to reach more consumers to maintain growth in the future, said Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research.
“They need to continue to evolve the value proposition and range of applications that are more centered around consumers, even though their primary focus is — and will remain in the near future — on the enterprise,” he said.
Since the inception of Microsoft’s mobile device platform, enthusiasts and even some manufacturers have complained that Microsoft’s marketing for the devices was weak, and that the company had not used its bully pulpit to show consumers Windows Mobile-based devices in a desirable light.
Windows Mobile has been selling well but Microsoft needs to grab the spotlight from Apple and Google, said analyst Avi Greengart.
“Hiring an Intel marketing veteran indicates Microsoft is ready to raise visibility for Windows Mobile, one of its fastest-growing businesses,” he added.
“Microsoft is gaining a real foothold with its mobile products and services in the consumer world,” Peters said in a statement. “I am looking forward to helping make Windows Mobile a brand not only that people recognize, but that they seek out when choosing the phone that is right for them.”
“From my perspective, it is not the marketing of Windows Mobile that needs work. It is the software.”
After having played around with the latest Windows Mobile 6 software on a demo AT&T Tilt, I still find the software unnecessarily complicated.
“This is an exciting journey for Microsoft’s mobile business; with Todd’s winning combination of technology and consumer experience, he is absolutely the right person at the right time as we expand in appeal to a broader audience,” said Knook.
Peters most recently was a vice president at the office-supply company Staples, responsible for brand management and all U.S. retail technology marketing. He was behind the development of the Staples “easy” brand concept that was instrumental in driving sales. It was also Peters’ idea to create the “Easy Button,” which was sold through retail outlets to raise money for charities.
Before joining Staples, Peters spent six years at Intel, where he was responsible for setting global brand strategy. He developed the brand architecture for the Intel family of processors that helped upgrade the company’s market image. Before Intel, Peters spent 11 years in advertising agencies, including Hal Riney & Partners in San Francisco, where he led the launch of Sprint’s PCS service.
“The move is the latest turn of what has become a revolving door executive suite at Microsoft.”
Microsoft also said it will help market and distribute Zumobi, a software program that makes it easier for Windows Mobile users to access Web sites and widgets, or small applications that provide up-to-date information from the Web.
Zumobi said in a statement Tuesday that Microsoft will distribute the software with Windows Mobile, although Microsoft characterized it as more of a marketing deal and said it would make Zumobi available for download from its Web sites.
Either way, the software, which had been available in beta since December from Zumobi’s Web site, should now be easier for customers to get hold of. Zumobi did not respond to questions about the agreement.
Within the past month, Microsoft business division president Jeff Raikes, mergers and acquisitions chief Bruce Jaffe, and Windows development VP Rob Short have all disclosed plans to leave the company.
And chairman and co-founder Bill Gates has said he will relinquish full-time duties in July.
On the incoming front, Microsoft said Raikes will be replaced by former Juniper Networks chief operating officer Stephen Elop. And last week, Microsoft named former General Motors chief technology officer Tony Scott to replace fired CIO Stuart Scott.
The recent repositioning of the company’s marketing and development efforts appear largely geared towards a fresh focus on individual buyers, and competing for consumer dollars against newcomers such as the Apple iPhone, and a shift away from the strictly enterprise-based strategy the company had formerly been pursuing.
“The appointment of Peters and support for Zumobi appears to support this gradual buildup of support for consumer applications, Golvin said.”