How does an unfamiliar product break through when playing catch-up against entrenched competitors with loyal customer bases? That was the situation Microsoft Corp. faced as it prepared to release version 7.5 of its Windows Phone mobile operating system in the fall of 2011. Research indicated familiarity with the phone, introduced to the marketplace less than a year earlier, was low. But favorability and purchase intent increased significantly when consumers were able to experience the Windows Phone firsthand. Microsoft overcame the challenge of getting its product into consumers’ hands, in a scalable manner, by employing mobile web technology to remotely take over competitors’ smartphones to demo the Windows Phone.
Microsoft used the mobile web to deliver a touch-enabled demo of the Windows Phone Metro user interface directly on iPhone and Android devices. This allowed customers to interact with the interface as though they had a Windows Phone in their hands. The demo was effortlessly delivered to the consumer’s iPhone or Android phone via the mobile web, using HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS3. No app downloads, installs, or app store visits were required to view the demo experience.
The demo was optimized to take advantage of Microsoft’s competitors’ market share and strength in touch- and gesture-based mobile browsing by leveraging other device’s browsers in a new way. Staging a takeover of consumers’ handsets enabled Microsoft to highlight the unique features of its new operating system using a truly immersive hands-on experience.
The “Windows Phone Demo Takeover” was promoted through a modest mobile media campaign targeted at iPhone and Android users, combined with a highly targeted social media execution that pinpointed influential technology bloggers and publications with high amplification probability.
The campaign initiated five million demos at a cost of $.07 per demo. Post-demo attitudinal survey data revealed an 18-point lift in product familiarity and a 32-point lift in purchase intent with iPhone. Android visitors reported an astounding 73 percent level of purchase intent after completing the demo. All campaign goals and client expectations were exceeded beyond measure.
The Windows Phone Demo Takeover also received solid industry coverage, with more than 200 media and blog citations. A PC World reviewer said it was “so slick and snappy I had to keep reminding myself it was only an HTML5 demo.” A CNET reviewer said, “Mission accomplished. Microsoft got me thinking about adoption.”
Consumer reaction was also positive, with more than 1,000 reader comments posted within 24 hours of Engadget publishing a story about the demo. One comment read, “This is honestly one of the most brilliant pieces of marketing for WP7 they’ve come up with so far.”
In total, 96 percent of all campaign traffic was driven organically through social media amplification and word-of-mouth.