Microsoft (UK) and Xbox (UK)
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “ MSFT ”) is the worldwide
leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and
business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services
designed to empower people through great software.
Xbox was launched in November 2002 across Europe and is Microsoft's
future-generation video game console that delivers new and unforeseen
gameplay experiences. With more than three times the graphics
performance of other game consoles, top-quality DVD playback,
Dolby 5.1 surround sound to make games and movies come alive,
and a hard disc that opens up new kinds of gameplay, Xbox is
the video game system that delivers more of what gamers want.
Xbox is also the first and only video game system designed from
its inception to be ready to play online broadband games right
out of the box. Xbox Live is the first comprehensive, online
game service fully dedicated to fast-action broadband gaming
experiences. Xbox Live will allow gamers to play multiplayer
Xbox games with other gamers everywhere via a broadband Internet
connection. With a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port, the
Xbox console was built from the ground up to be an online gaming
system so there's no need to buy additional peripherals.
The Brief
To run an Xbox promotion and technical merchandising via one of the UK’s
leading family leisure, toy and multimedia superstores. This required
Creative Personnel to supply over 100 specialist gamers and games industry
professionals to 64 different locations across the UK for an 896 man
day project over 3 weeks. These gamers had to have strong experience
of the games industry, and be able to promote the Xbox objectively to
the general public. In addition to this they had to have confident customer
facing skills. The gamers brief was to promote, evangelise and sell the
Xbox. Creative Personnel had only 3 weeks to put this project together.
The Process
Database Search, Advertising & Networking:
Creative Personnel used its extensive database of games industry professionals
to find suitably appropriate individuals with industry experience using
the Xbox. In addition to this we advertised using online/offline media
channels. Creative Personnel also used targeted research/networking,
an activity in which we are very experienced and have found many suitable
candidates with the required experience. This method of candidate generation
was selected in addition to the adverting as it is very proactive and
the client requirements were very specific.
Training:
For the first phase of the project Creative Personnel organised the gamers
into 3 training sessions that were facilitated and run by Microsoft.
Here, the gamers were presented with strategic marketing information
about Xbox, as well as a technical overview. This also allowed us to
look at the gamers from the perspective of how they would perform on-site.
In addition to this, we ran a number of training sessions and workshops
at our offices for the same purposes of maintaining high standards
of personnel supplied on-site and back-up personnel also.
Back-up & Contingency:
Once the Xbox Promotion was underway, Creative Personnel supplied 64
trained Xbox promoters with games industry experience located at 64
sites across the whole of the UK. Due to the scale of the project and
to ensure it’s success, we also provided contingency support/back-up
promotions staff, who were also trained and briefed on the project.
These individuals were always on stand-by to go anywhere in the UK
at short notice, for the duration of the project.
The Results
Xbox significantly increased sales through this channel by running this
promotion and this increase tracked well above the market average.
In some locations the Xbox outsold rival next-generation video consoles
too! This project was made successful through empowering customers
with knowledge and feedback from industry professionals, and getting
the Xbox in the customers’ hands. |
