50% of young adults think Microsoft is cooler today than a year ago

Reuters have posted a result of a poll conducted by themselves and Ipsos of 853 respondents between the age of 18 and 29 and reports that half of them think Microsoft has become cooler over the last year.

This contrasts with only 42% thinking Facebook has become cooler, and 47% thinking Twitter is now cooler.

While encouraging, the numbers are still less than Apple’s, whom 60% of people thought have grown cooler over the last year, or Google, who scored 70%.

For the 50% who thought Microsoft was doing better, it was felt the marketing blitz around the Microsoft Surface did the trick.  The Surface is Microsoft’s first consumer PC, and like the Xbox and Kinect is being marketed directly at consumers.

Josh Johnson, a 24-year-old media arts student at the University of South Carolina said he has been impressed with Microsoft’s consumer-oriented push with Windows 8.

"It’s more customizable, and not as rigid as an Apple phone, where you have to buy all the products from Apple," Johnson said. "If you want a ringtone, you don’t have to pay iTunes."

He added: "I know Apple is the cool, hip brand right now, but if Microsoft keeps coming out with new tech I’m sure it’ll be back soon."

The survey "definitely shows that Microsoft’s efforts are paying off, but we’ll have to see how cool translates into customers," said Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg. "It’s also hard to compare ‘cool’ factor as a quantitative measure against Apple, a company, and Android, a platform."

Reuters intend to repeat the poll at regular intervals, so we look forward to seeing how the improved consumer sentiment also reflects in sales of Surface and Windows Phones.