Roll up to the Bing Magical Holiday Calendar tour

I'm a day late, but you shouldn't have to miss out. Caught up in reporting on the Carrier IQ scandal and editing responsibilities, I missed a Microsoft holiday promotion worth calling out: Bing Magical Holiday Calendar, which started yesterday.

Christmas is all about giving and people. Microsoft features Kelly Osbourne as centerpiece for a month of winnables, supposedly inspired from her gift list. That's a much better approach than some of Microsoft's past contests, which put faceless Bing front and center.

"In the spirit of celebrating traditions new and old, we’re trying something new and -- together with Ms. Osbourne and our partners -- Bing will unveil daily surprises in our Bing Magical Holiday Calendar this December", Lisa Gurry, Bing director says. "Part of the fun is the unexpected surprise awaiting you each day, and trust me you’ll want to check it out every day to see what we have in store".

Think of the promotion as a month-long advent calendar. It's smart marketing, and Microsoft needs to do more of it. As BetaNews reader Robert Johnson observed earlier this week: "Microsoft is in trouble", based on three Thanksgiving Day experiences. The company has perception problems, which promotions like this can change.