Microsoft launches new Indian Windows Phone marketing effort

By Tom Warren, on 10th Nov 11 5:58 pm with 47 Comments

Microsoft has kicked started its own marketing efforts for Windows Phone in India.

The software giant has created an “I love you guys” Windows Phone site to highlight Windows Phone and the “people first” message. The site allows users to connect their Facebook friends and organize parties, movies and even trips to Cancun. The marketing effort is part of Microsoft’s recent launch of Windows Phone 7.5 devices in India.

Microsoft unveiled the HTC Radar, Samsung Omnia W and Acer Allegro during a special Windows Phone launch event in new Delhi during October. Each device includes access to specially localized applications specific to the Indian market. Microsoft also expanded its Windows Phone Marketplace to India in October as part of the launch. Windows Phone users in India are now able to purchase apps and games in the Windows Phone Marketplace. Previously, Indian Windows Phone users have been limited to international marketplaces to obtain applications.

  • Guest222

    wtf is that shit?

    • Guest

      Who cares? She’s hot :-)

    • Guest222

      that’s the only good part in that add :D

    • OMG55

      I agree and he she have been at home taking care of her……

  • http://techin5.com Jubbin Grewal @Techin5.com

    Ok I can speak Hindi (as the parts in the video) so I understood everything and from an foreign point of view, this ad sucked. However, having travelled to India NUMEROUS times, this is exactly the kind of ads that would work in India, so good first step I guess.

    Side note, in the video on 1:12, what damn OS are they using there? The answer screen is completely different, and at the top, the icons are wrong as well (I guess not that anyone but us would notice). Still, I’ll be in India in a few months, so I’d love to hear how this ad did in India.

    • Seth_p

      Yeah, I noticed that too. Looks almost iOS(ish) lol

    • Anonymous

      it looked like the old windows mobile

    • Anonymous

      Nobody will even look twice at this. Only place you will hear about this video will be in forums, common people won’t even bother. Only way MS/WP can gain market share in India is through Nokia connection. Nokia has good supply chain already in India. They have a good reputation, although Samsung is rising star now. GS2 is a big success among the IT crowd. But it would depend majorly what the companies are willing to do to push the devices in the retail. Samsung’s success in recent years can be attributed to a major shift in retail policy (atleast in India). 

    • Anonymous

      It reminds me of HTC Sense on my HD2 when I had Windows Mobile on it.

      iOS is backwards, ignore is on the LEFT and answer is on the RIGHT

    • Anonymous

      Yeah, it is so strange that they advertise a product (Windows Phone) and didn’t showed the real thing. Seriously, what is Microsoft doing?

    • OMG55

      I’d love for you to find out what ad agency did this and report it to MS so they can fire their #sses for using portions of another phones platform in a WP7 advert.

  • http://twitter.com/teusje teusje

    iloveyouguys.in
    sounds a bit wrong.. :p

    • http://www.winrumors.com Tom W

      Should have a competition to fill in the last bit. I love you guys in…?

    • Anonymous

      its always in bed.  I love you guys in bed.

  • Adam

    lol thats very funny, but perhaps ms should focus on ofice on wp7 because that is important in india

  • http://twitter.com/mdtauk martin anderson

    Horrible inconsistent UI on those screenshots…

    A story that does not show owners of Windows Phone in a good light…

    Is the group contacts feature that important to be the sole focus of the advert?

    But on the whole, it’s good to see more Windows Phone advertising!

  • http://twitter.com/travelsko travelsko

    wp7 has failed, With no apps and no games its hard to compete. I stay with Iphone and Dual Core

    • Anonymous

      We are on the same page! I’m going down to my local Apple Store to order an iPhone 4S!

    • Guest

      So you said a few weeks ago. So why haven’t you?

    • http://techin5.com Jubbin Grewal @Techin5.com

      Ah yes, the original troll. How’s your 7th account treating you? Last week he said the same thing but with Android. You’re worse than a troll.. you’re a troll jumper, someone who jumps from OS to OS/device to device.. then trolls about it.

    • Guest

      Now if only you’d stay with one alias instead of changing them as frequently as most people change underwear.

    • Tuxplorerr

      Windows Phone is by far the greatest smartphone OS in the world. Android and iPhone are ugly,
      crappy, shitty, stinky, unusable and completely pathetic OS. On the other hand
      Windows Phone is gorgeous, elegant, beautiful, productive and a joy to use.

    • Anonymous

      I agree. But I’ve got one single question: Why didn’t they showed the product then?

      Where is the joy of use? They didn’t showed it. Gorgeous, elegant, beautiful? How should people know this? The shown UI is not Windows Phone! Even the font on the Start screen may be wrong. They only showed one single feature: Groups. And it was just a terrible screenshot.

      The marketing is indeed a big fail. If they don’t change it now, Windows Phone will be the next Betamax.

  • http://twitter.com/efjay01 Ef Jay

    Nice!

  • Anonymous

    Just give up, Microfail.

    • Guest

      You need some new material.

    • Tuxplorer

      Windows Phone is by
      far the greatest smartphone OS in the world. Android and iPhone are ugly,
      crappy, shitty, stinky, unusable and completely pathetic OS. On the other hand
      Windows Phone is gorgeous, elegant, beautiful, productive and a joy to use.

    • Emi Cyberschreiber

      I wish i was a fail like “microfail” with so many billions and billions and billions every year :)

    • OMG55

      Read my reply to your buddy ArrowSmith because you’re his fraternal twin!!

    • OMG55

      Why is it the guys who are supposably not fan of WP7 continue to follow this device and not the phone of choice which in your case could only be: Android, Apple, or Blackberry? You guys really know how to show your intelligence level by visiting a site that promotes a device you not a fan of. If you going to visit this site, at least keep stupidity to yourselves. When I visit sites for other platforms, I’m look at technology advancements, and to see if it interest me; I’m not there to be childish. You’re that guy who forces his kid to play sports because you where unsuccessful! I’m see you’re th same way with technology, because each platform has a nitch where it excels.

  • Guest

    I think it’s actually kind of funny. And at least it shows one feature of the phone, which is one more than normal ;-)

  • http://twitter.com/ankz_upadhyay Ankit Upadhyay

    I lived in India for 18 years so I can speak Hindi and this ad is quite good !!! Definitely works in the indian ad market !!!!
     
    Good Luck Mango in India !!! It will be a hit because it is India’s national Fruit !!!

    • Anonymous

      So what happened at the end. I need a translation.

    • Anonymous

      fat guy: ha ha wo tha na mere saath kal, wo abhi bhi yahi hai. so raha hai bichara, utaavoo kya (yes yes, he was with me yesterday, he is with me now. he is sleeping. shall i wake him up?)

      wife: accha he is still there aa? (oh is he still there. hmmm)

      next weekend:
      —————-

      other friend: arre phas gaya uss din (u almost got caught that day) andy ka jo phone aaya tha(u got a phone call from andy) thanks to good old paltu here.

      fat guy: poch le poch le (wipe it… sarcastically)bhabhi calling: (sister in law calling) (its a cultural thing to call frnd’s wife bhabhi)

      fat friend:bhabiji mujhe rahul uss din se nahin milaa bilku mere saath(bhabhi i didnt meet rahul since that day)wife enters the cafe.

      —————————————————–ps: i translated to the best of my ability. i havent spoken hindi in 15 years.   please forgive me if i made any mistakes

  • http://twitter.com/jazhayre Jaz Hayre

    This would work in India.

  • Simplycani

    tats an WP ad shithead

  • wpcanada

    Maybe the random shots of the wrong UI was subliminal messaging for their android patent deals lol 

  • http://www.elmsoftware.com elmsoftware

    That was a funny light-hearted ad.  Good one to start with…getting the phone in everyday life.

  • mrgan_tvm

    1) This is utter useless ad. India in one huge country with several languagues such Malayalam,tamil,telegu, hindi, english, marathi, gujarati.etc. every 100 mile speak different lang. and diff. culture.
    I was in the ad agency and  i can say this ad is utter waste of money and will not do what it wants.

    2) When you want to sell  icecream to eskimo better package the product  with right appeal. ONe Huge fundamenatal flaw is with the product itself . Windows Phone can’t even render fonts for reading  Indian news sites.

    3) Though educated people know english, everyone needs least fonts support.  This is common sense you much of marketing idiots in MS India.

  • Anonymous

    this ad doesnt tell anything about the OS.  i guess MS should learn from nokia about how to make good ads.

  • Anonymous

    frnd:  ha ha wo tha na mere saath kal, wo abhi bhi yahi hai.  so raha hai bichara,  utaavoo kya 
    (yes yes, he was with me yesterday, he is with me now. he is sleeping.  shall i wake him up?)

    wife: accha he is still there aa?  (oh is he still there. hmmm) 

    next weekend:
    other friend:  arre phas gaya uss din (u almost got caught that day)
    andy ka jo phone aaya tha(u got a phone call from andy) thanks to good old paltu here.
    frnd:  poch le poch le (wipe it…  sarcastically)

    bhabhi calling:  (sister in law calling) (its a cultural thing to call frnd’s wife bhabhi)
    bhabiji mujhe rahul uss din se nahin milaa bilku mere saath(bhabhi i didnt meet rahul since that day)

    wife enters the cafe.

    its a very nice ad in indian context but doesnt tell much about the OS. its about frnds lying (providing alibi) for another friend.  its a funny ad in indian context.  i am sure it will get the attention of ppl but i prefer if they talked more about the phone at the end.

    ps:  i translated to the best of my ability.  i havent spoken hindi in 15 years.  please forgive me if i made any mistakes in translation.

  • Manish

    MS should focus on educating the people of India about WP7 phones.  The reputation of Nokia in India is very solid and people are not still used to Android or Apple phones.  There is a gap and it should be filled in by MS before can be tapped by Android

  • Raju

    Nice Ad.
    To those complaining that the Ad does not talk much about feature of the Phone/OS, in India such documentary like ads showing a boring list of features (which are always me-too in a ‘comodity’ like mobile phone), does not work at all, what work is ‘piece of life’ small events connected with the product being advertised; just like this one. Check the most popular ads in India, and you will see.
    BTW, translation for Hindi at 00.38 –> Pakdaa gaya Rahul? chor do uche, BTW I have a.. = Rahul got caught?? leave him, BTW I have a. ..

  • Harsha G11

    One of worest ads ever made

    • Anonymous

      Maybe you need remedial English class.

  • http://josedmorales.net Josè Daniel

    What’s up with the strange group screen and the call screen UI! LOL

  • Mannat