ATLANTA, Oct. 22, 1998 — Americans make an amazing array of decisions every day. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by the MSN® Sidewalk® online guide revealed that Americans make about 73 decisions each day regarding work, purchases and home and family (work 39, purchases 11, home and family 23). The study also showed that decision-making styles vary significantly among men and women, with women relying more on their instinct or intuition to make decisions and men relying more heavily on research. While decision-making styles may vary among gender, everyone needs help.
Microsoft Corp. announced this week its expanded version of MSN Sidewalk ( http://sidewalk.com/ ), an online guide to help consumers make better decisions about how to spend their time and money.
“In honor of the nationwide launch of MSN Sidewalk, we developed the Decide Guide, a fun and interactive online quiz that allows consumers to find out instantly what kind of decision-maker they are,”
said Cella Irvine, general manager of New York Sidewalk at Microsoft.
Anatomy of a Decision-Maker
MSN Sidewalk teamed up with Dr. Keith Harary, co-author of the best-selling book,
“Who Do You Think You Are?”
to develop the quiz and provide psychological insight into the art of decision-making. Users can find the Decide Guide at http://sidewalk.MSN.com/decision/ and meet Doctor Decision, the Decide Guide’s virtual psychologist, who will guide guests through an eight-question, multiple-choice quiz. Inside the Decide Guide, visitors will face fun scenarios, like deciding on a Halloween costume or choosing a spot to dine. An instant
“decision diagnosis”
will tell users what kind of decision-makers they are and provide personalized tips for tackling future decisions.
“This quiz is unique in that it gives consumers insight into their own decision-making styles, rather than bunching them into categories,”
Harary said.
“Whether they tend to do a ton of research before making a decision or make decisions based on instinct or impulse, the decision diagnosis will tell consumers a little about themselves and, like MSN Sidewalk, will help guide users through the decision-making process.”
Search for the Least and Most Decisive Americans
Whether consumers want to take the doctor’s orders or not, they can enter the Beyond Help contest, a search for the least and most decisive person in America. Consumers can enter themselves or a friend into the MSN Sidewalk national Beyond Help contest. All they have to do is tell Microsoft in 250 words or less what makes them the most or least decisive person. Two grand prize winners will each be awarded one round-trip airline ticket by Continental Airlines Inc., in addition to being featured on MSN Sidewalk.
Win Anyway
Whether consumers take the Decide Guide, enter the Beyond Help contest or not, visitors can register into the MSN Sidewalk sweepstakes for a chance to win one of five pairs of Continental Airline tickets for a trip anywhere in the United States – they decide where to go!
All contest and sweepstakes entries are due by midnight, EST, on Nov. 20, 1998, and will be announced by Jan. 4, 1999. Complete rules can be found at http://sidewalk.com/ .
MSN Sidewalk is free on the World Wide Web (connect-time charges may apply) at http://sidewalk.com/ and is a featured offering on The Microsoft Network at http://www.MSN.com/ . MSN is the network of Internet products and services from Microsoft that helps people tailor the Web to what’s important to them. MSN offers award-winning e-mail functionality; personal communications services; customizable access to news; popular sites for travel, investing, automotive services, shopping and more; an online community; a Web search engine and directories; and top-rated Internet access. MSN Sidewalk has been integrated into the MSN Network of Internet services, which makes it easier for consumers to keep in touch, stay informed and get more done.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
#########
Microsoft, MSN and Sidewalk are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
