IdeaWins: Apprentice the Microsoft Way

I’ve previously covered Microsoft’s Contest for Innovative Small Business Idea: basically a promotion for the new MS Office Accounting 2007 package, dressed up as a contest. Still, it’s an opportunity for entrepreneurs, especially those in retail.

Originally MS released the site in a rush and not all components were ready, so submissions were only by emailing a downloadable form. They’ve fixed it now, so here’s the new fancy interactive submission page.

Microsoft also picked “celebrity” judges, lead by Carolyn Kepcher of ex-Apprentice fame.  Now, here’s my challenge: try to find this information on the IdeaWins site .  I couldn’t. 

Why hire “stars” (just how much of a star she will be without The Donald is still to be seen…), and “hide” the fact?    I only know about it from an email by MS PR – or so I think, it came from a gmail (sic!) account.  The press release calls Carolyn’s appointment an “unprecedented move to galvanize the imagination of millions of Americans”.  Hm… I don’t know about galvanizing… perhaps I’d feel galvanized by the end of the video, but I admit I did not watch it all the way.  Why?  Because I generally prefer knowing what I am getting into upfront.   In my previous post I stated:  

 “the FAQ is actually all about the Accounting package, and the contest terms are somewhat hard to find.”  

Now it got worse.   There is a  contest-related FAQ – well-hidden, unless you use my direct link.  The real catch: this is only available from inside the interactive signup, *after* you have chosen the high-bandwidth option.  If you picked low-bandwidth, you’re out of luck – and info. .   A “good” example of bad design getting in the way of creativity.  Which is quite typical of  The Microsoft Way.