Yesterday I asked how much longer Lloyd Braun would remove at Yahoo! When I did, I pointed out that Yahoo! could be doing a lot more in terms of video, be it in the areas of creation or aggregation. When I did, one of my contacts at Yahoo! who is busy “dialing it in” and reading this site emailed me and asked: “what would you do?”
I threw out a couple of ideas but told him that since we work in online video ourselves, I’d be remiss to tell him every idea I have, but I would tell him when I saw something.
He didn’t have to wait long.
Today I read that Microsoft had hired former Apprentice star Carolyn Kepcher on a contest looking for America’s best small business. I posted the news on FlickMojo.com, our blog covering film, TV etc.
Here’s the catch though: it’s not a TV show, it’s just a contest. Apparently, MSFT is trying the contest in with its new accounting software.
Contest? I could be wrong, but I think of TV show, and not accounting software.
I emailed a contact at MSFT and asked it this was a contest only or a show tie-in? As you can imagine, it’s just a contest.
Call me crazy, call me boring, but at a time when some of the best reality TV shows are popping up on TLC (in other words actually mean something), why isn’t MSFT making a show out of this?
After all, Kepcher is an attractive (well, not to me, I like brunettes, but sitting between The Donald and Steve Ballmer, she is fine), articulate woman who knows business. She is also a bona fide TV star who would be able to do something more than simply look there and look cute (yes, we’re talking about exactly everybody you think we are talking about - we’re not, but if that description connotes someone in your mind, then we’re doing our job and my Eight grade English teacher would be proud).
Point is: at a time when MSFT, YHOO! and all other companies are tripping over one another and their diluted, me-too user generated platforms, here is an actually good idea that MSFT is not maximizing.
Just last week I wrote “Is MSFT getting its Mojo back?“ But with all due respect to accounting software, if a contest looking for America’s best small business idea only conjures up images of a contest and not a TV show (for TV or the Web), then maybe I did the right thing in unloading my shares last month.
Think of the advertisers that would jump on this:
- American Express Small Business
- Staples
- etc…
Mainly, think of the number of surfers who would tune in week in, week out to check out the contestants, etc.
MSFT, if you need help taking this from concept to reality, just ask for help!
Disclosure: I own YHOO shares.
Tags: Management, Startups|
Posted By: Ashkan Karbasfrooshan | Nov 28th
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