There's been a perceptible shift in Microsoft's marketing lately.  Simply put, they've gone on the offensive. 

Perhaps it's the natural response when you feel like you're getting picked on.  Apple's been successfully mocking them for a couple years now with the "I'm a Mac" ads.  The failure known as Vista has to be one of if not the most reviled pieces of software in the last 25 years.

Microsoft has assembled an assault force and has begun to fire back.  They started with the ad campaign highlighting the fact that while a Mac can't be acquired for less than $1000, a decent PC can be had for under half that.  They released Internet Explorer 8 and have gotten aggressive in telling people how good it is, using comparison charts like this one.  This morning I read an MSDN blog post snarking about the frenzy over iPhone 3.0.

Let's recap.  Microsoft is:

• Focusing on price
• Belittling the other players

These tactics seem familiar.  Oh, yeah, that's right.  They're the tactics of flopsweating used car huckstering sales failures.  Focusing on price is for LOSERS, all you do is shift the focus from value.  Mocking your competition is for CHUMPS, all you do is make yourself look like a jerk and further devalue your product.

So what's the solution for Microsoft?  They need to hire Gary Vaynerchuk as an online media strategist, and do EVERYTHING that he tells them to do.  If you don't know who Gary is, you need to get to know him.  Gary is one of the preeminent personalites in using "social media" (I hate that phrase) as an extension of your business.  His "day job" is his family's wine store, Wine Library, but by night (and by many many days) Gary is an evangelist for a very simple message:

Care.

Gary talks about lots of other stuff, but caring is the fundamental core of what he has to say and he is so good at using social media like Facebook and Twitter as conduits that he and his brother AJ have started Vayner Media, a company that is going to make millions training corporate America how to a) begin really giving a crap about their customers and b) start efficiently communicating that newly developed sense of caring.

Check out this video of Gary at the #140conf:

Microsoft needs to listen to this message, and they need to take it to heart.  They need to begin to developing a culture of caring about the end user, but it's not going to be easy.  It's going to take something radical, powerful, and perception-altering, and those are words that perfectly fit Gary and his message.

Disclaimer: There isn't one.  I've never met Gary.  I'm not endorsed by him.  I simply believe that his message has the power to effect positive change in even the most monolithic of corporations.