I’ve mentioned this before, but given the continued impact I see it creating, I feel I should go over it again with a little more detail.

What I’m referring to here is the recent push by Microsoft to change their image, especially in relation to their recent Windows Vista release.

How are they doing this? They’ve gone to great lengths to make themselves look more cool by hiring Jerry Seinfeld to promote their new operating system, along with a general push to make themselves look slick and innovative.

The image that has always been associated with Microsoft is clear: they’re the most widespread operating system, and therefore the easiest to get software to use with. When you buy something from them you know you’re buying something that will be compatible with what most other people are using in the business world, because everyone uses Microsoft.

Is this particularly cool? No, but it is practical. It might not seem right, but practical is rarely cool.

Apple has always cornered the market for cool when it comes to the tech industry, and Microsoft’s attempts to steal away that image have so far been met with obvious ridicule. I’ve seen a number of comics mocking them, along with comments online from different people displeased with this move.

But let’s get to how this applies to everyone else, and what lessons can be learned from this. Each company has a certain image that they tailor right from the beginning. When you get postcard printing done, your postcards are going to be imbued with that image. When you put posters up, they’ll have your image all over them.

For Apple, that image is innovative and cool, and so their advertisements go out of their way to look as cool or hip as possible. Microsoft used to be practical, and so they’re marketing material would point out how many people use their software. It used to be that when they’d get brochures done or pay for postcard printing they’d focus on how many people use their system.

Whatever that focus is you have for your company you have to stick to it and establish it firmly for your company. Once you have it established it is possible to shift it, but you have to be careful about how you approach doing so, and don’t try to shift too far.

After all, Apple wasn’t always known as the hip computer company, but they were able to tailor that image through slow changes over the years, and had various products backing them that helped the change.

If you want to change your image do it slowly through your marketing material and avoid a sharp shift into different territory. All you’ll end up doing is hurting your brand in the long run.