Microsoft Dynamics in a soda can, sort of

Date:June 12, 2012 / year-entry #136
Tags:non-computer
Orig Link:https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20120612-00/?p=7393
Comments:    17
Summary:It is not uncommon for a product team to produce some custom soda cans (really, carbonated water) for distribution at Microsoft cafeterias. Last year, the Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 2011 team put some custom cans of sparkling water in the coolers extoling the virtues of their new product. It took the form of a side-by-side feature...

It is not uncommon for a product team to produce some custom soda cans (really, carbonated water) for distribution at Microsoft cafeterias. Last year, the Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 2011 team put some custom cans of sparkling water in the coolers extoling the virtues of their new product. It took the form of a side-by-side feature comparison.

water

Microsoft
Dynamics CRM 2011
Used by leading companies worldwide ● ●
Available in the cloud in at least 40 markets ● ●
Available on premises worldwide ● ●
Consumed through a native
Microsoft Outlook client 		Not
recommended 		●
Is a great thirst quencher ●  
Makes people more productive ● ●
New flavor coming in January 2011   ●
the
POWER of
PRODUCTIVITY		 Learn more at http://crm.dynamics.com/

They didn't stop at soda cans. They also branded the napkin dispensers. (The napkin dispensers have a clear panel in which a message can be inserted.)

napkins

Microsoft
Dynamics CRM 2011
Used by leading
companies worldwide 		● ●
Used for recording
and sharing ideas 		● ●
Available on premises
worldwide 		● ●
Available in the cloud
in 40 markets 		  ●
Cleans up messy
IT departments 		● ●
the
POWER of
PRODUCTIVITY


Microsoft
Dynamics CRM 2011


In the cloud in 40 markets
worldwide—January 2011

Learn more at http://crm.dynamics.com/

(I changed the URLs from an internal Web site to the public Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM Web site.)

Comments (17)
  1. N I says:
    June 12, 2012 at 7:38 am

    I get the impression that someone came up with the cloud joke and created this entire campaign just to get a chance to use it.

  2. GWO says:
    June 12, 2012 at 8:12 am

    Useful, relevant rule of thumb: if you visit a company's website and can't figure out what it is they are selling, what they are selling is Snake Oil.

  3. Carmen says:
    June 12, 2012 at 8:20 am

    GWO: Or you don't understand the market they're in.  Welcome to the post-industrial world, where not all useful things are minerals, machines, or widgets.  

  4. johnstonj@inn-soft.com says:
    June 12, 2012 at 8:27 am

    Bing?  Vista?  It's like they are trying to compensate for something…

  5. John says:
    June 12, 2012 at 9:18 am

    Bing in a can is kind of lame, but it could be worse: http://goo.gl/IJFls

  6. kinokijuf says:
    June 12, 2012 at 9:19 am

    This post reminds me of this: bi.gazeta.pl/…/z5808759X.jpg

  7. John says:
    June 12, 2012 at 9:20 am

    Haha, this blog software is apparently blocking that URL; I had to resort to using a URL shortener to bypass it.

  8. arcangelpip@hotmail.com says:
    June 12, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    @John

    It works for me. I clicked it and it appeared the first time.

  9. John says:
    June 12, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    @Crescens2k: I mean you can't post the real URL in a comment here.

  10. JM says:
    June 12, 2012 at 9:19 am

    It's a cute idea. I feel some inevitable snark coming on, though. Here's some more comparisons future advertisers might consider if they want to compare their software:

    * Fun to use when it freezes up

    * Large parts of the world lack a safe version

    * Generally considered tasteless

    * Has been endlessly repackaged without substantial improvement

    * Full submersion in the material eventually suffocates

  11. Larry Hosken says:
    June 12, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    Now I want the comparison with sliced bread.

  12. Veltas says:
    June 12, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    @Larry Hosken:

    Best thing since sliced bread: Sliced Bread = No, MS Dynamics 2011 = Yes.

    MS Dynamics 2011, the best thing since sliced bread.

    I have to wonder how they go about reasoning advertising within the company.  Focus upon micro-audience? (pun not intended)  Morale booster?  Anyway, it's apparantly quite literally the coolest way a team can promote their product cafeteria-wide.

  13. arcangelpip@hotmail.com says:
    June 12, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    @John

    Nah, it isn't blocking it, the software just shortens the link.

    For example, a link to the CreateFile function, which has nothing to do with this post at all, so if anyone clicks on the link and gets confused before reading this comment, shame on you.

    msdn.microsoft.com/…/aa363858(v=vs.85).aspx

    But if you hover over the link, you should see that it turns up correctly there. So it is really just shortning it to something less unweildly, since as you should know, some URLs can get long. To be honest, it would be nice if it allowed you to use something like bb tags. That way you could supply something more meaningful.

  14. cheong00 says:
    June 12, 2012 at 8:17 pm

    Hoho… I wonder whether Microsoft actually distributed these custom-printed version of sparkling water on functions promoting these products.

    Personally, I'd have liked these more than folders or pens with product logos.

  15. GWO says:
    June 13, 2012 at 12:03 am

    @Carmen: I noticed you didn't tell me what their product is, just patronised me.   Sounds about right for a Snake Oil salesman.

  16. Neil says:
    June 13, 2012 at 3:27 am

    I was disappointed that that particular logo image didn't use alpha transparency, unlike, say, img.informer.com/…/3255253.png

  17. -dan says:
    June 13, 2012 at 5:30 am

    My guess is, this blog post will get the site more traffic then the cans ever could. Which of course Raymond knew, which means he's gone into the PR biz.  LOL

Comments are closed.


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