Pushing its existing users to upgrade, Microsoft started displaying ads in the Office 2021 suite for the Microsoft 365 Family Subscriptions.
It’s offering grand discounts to get people onboarded to the family subscription, with prices quoted as low as $0.99 for 3 months. Microsoft has been using the same banner as enable macros to experience its Microsoft 365 ads, making it difficult to identify and object to at times.
Ads For Microsoft 365 Family Subscription
Microsoft’s office suite is undoubtedly one of the best productivity packs one can try to get their work done smartly and effectively. While everyone knew Microsoft’s general services enough, the company still pursues marketing them in different ways to get more people into the community and faster.
In this pursuit, the company is advertising its Microsoft 365 Family subscription to the Office 2021 users, who reported seeing banner ads in their Office clients. What’s worse is that Microsoft uses the same banner space it previously used to warn users about enabling Macros.
Hey, @Microsoft, maybe not the brightest marketing move to push "Get 3 months of Office 365 for $0.99" to the apps of existing Office subscribers – only to then tell them "Too bad so sad, this isn't for you" when they click on it.
— Rick Gualtieri (@RickGualtieri) August 10, 2022
Also, it’s been using different wording in ads! For some people, it’s tagged as “LIMITED OFFER” and says as “Get 3 months of Microsoft 365 Family for only $$0.99.” But for others, it’s like, “For just $$0.99, get 3 months of Microsoft 365 Family and share with up to 5 people. It is like getting six subscriptions in one. TERMS APPLY.”
Microsoft is dropping ads into #Office2021 in an attempt to switch customers to the annual ‘subscription’ #Microsoft365
99 cents for three months isn't bad but it might not be the best choice of Office 2021 users.https://t.co/oRZLw6BmlN pic.twitter.com/QX2ZP9J983— Office Watch (@OfficeWatch) August 10, 2022
It’s replacing the Enable Macros button with Redeem Offer sometimes in the banner ads. Well, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Microsoft putting ads on its Windows products. The company previously used to push Edge browser for its Windows 10 and 11 users – whenever there was a use for the browser for them.
Also, there are ads for free Office web apps in the menu bar of Windows 10 Wordpad, ads for new Microsoft Editor in File Explorer app of machines running Windows 11 Insider build, etc.