Research firm IDC came out with new numbers on the use of Google Docs in the corporate environment.

About 20 percent of companies now use Google Docs, the free Web-based productivity suite. That’s up from 5.8 percent a year ago.

Not that Microsoft Office is going anywhere: it’s used by 97 percent of U.S. corporations, unchanged from a year ago.

But these figures got me thinking about how these two companies — both giants and undeniable leaders in their respective categories — are perceived.

Microsoft, which has been a part of our lives in the office for 20 years or longer now, is simply tolerated. We all use its products. Its software makes us more productive. That’s a fact. For working professionals, Microsoft is as ingrained in our daily lives as coffee breaks and rush hour traffic. But most people don’t really love Microsoft. I don’t know anyone who is passionate about Microsoft Windows. Or Word. Or PowerPoint. All three are wicked effective at what they do. But consumer — and corporate — energy about these products are at nearly zero.

Now, let’s compare to Google. As a mainstream technology company it’s equally sprawling in size and scope, and perhaps even more dominating in its categories. Google dominates online like Microsoft dominates offline. The only difference is the online category is growing exponentially while some argue that offline productivity is going the way of the film camera. Google is equally ingrained into our lives. It is also wicked effective. But when most people think and talk of Google they do so positively and warmly. Google is liked by most, and passionately evangelized by some. Microsoft does not enjoy such standing among consumers or corporations.

How did they get here?

Google aggressively develops good feelings with effective language, outreach, and media strategy.

For many years, Microsoft did not. They were pleased to dominate and take in revenues. Consumer moods were irrelevant because market share was never a question. Now that the foundation of Microsoft’s business — offline desktop computer software — is literally disappearing, we’ve seen the company do some creative outreach to consumers. Their recent ad campaign has been brilliant. They’ve started opening up Microsoft retail stores in close proximity to Apple stores. They’re finally competing for consumers’ hearts.

Of course, this comes naturally to Google, as it has been doing this kind of work since day one. As such, Google has developed a clean, friendly if quirky public image. People see it as cute, sweet, approachable. The $155 billion cutie! That’s effective consumer outreach, folks.

Which outreach strategy are you employing? Google’s today, or Microsoft’s over the past decade? Are you aggressively shaping the public’s positive opinion of your products and company? Are you reaching them directly with effective language from a number of multimedia platforms?

How are you perceived in the marketplace? And what are you doing to shape that perception?