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Microsoft Canada - No Friend Left Behind

How do you capture—and hold—the attention of consumers in a crowded market where users literally have countless options at their fingertips?

Microsoft Canada – No Friend Left Behind

The Challenge

How do you capture—and hold—the attention of consumers in a crowded market where users literally have countless options at their fingertips? That was one of the challenges facing Microsoft Canada when the software company called on Delvinia to help launch the Windows Live Messenger iPhone App in Canada.

The platform was losing users to Facebook chat, text messaging and competing instant messenger services that had been quickly adopted by the younger market. To complicate matters, rogue clients had also gained first-market advantage, securing millions of iPhone app downloads.

But, with robust contact lists of friends, family and colleagues gained and managed over time, Windows Live Messenger had one key advantage over their competitors.

Delvinia’s challenge was to generate awareness, drive conversion and encourage usage of the iPhone app by leveraging Microsoft’s media inventory on the MSN, Hotmail and Instant Messenger platforms.

The Solution

To attract the attention of consumers, we first wanted to better understand app download behaviour. Our initial research uncovered a few key insights:

  • 62% of people searched for apps in the AppStore, while 60% browsed apps. This made it critical to maintain position in the top 5 downloaded apps
  • 46% of iPhone owners found out about apps through word of mouth, so targeting social influencers—individuals who are considered to be early adopters of technology that are highly active in social networks—was essential.

Finding a way to engage these consumers, and encouraging them to engage their friends, was the goal. The PR initiatives lined up for the app’s launch in Canada and the US would undoubtedly drive the app to a top download within the first few hours. But, we wanted to maintain this position, and increase the number of anticipated downloads, in the months following the release.

Enter No Friend Left Behind, a creative concept that highlights the critical moments in life when you need the expertise of the friends on your IM list the most—all while poking fun at the fact that different friends meet different needs in our daily lives.

The app encouraged users to download a badge that best describes their personality—examples include stylista, foodie, wingman and party pro—and then add it as their Messenger, Facebook or Twitter profile picture. Participants were then challenged with getting their friends to vote for them to unlock higher level badges and gain street cred.

By leveraging the power of social media, we were able to increase awareness and encourage activation through this unique media platform. And, through the use of browser detection techniques, iPhone owners were provided with a unique experience, and badges, to further drive the connection between Windows Live Messenger and the iPhone.

The Results

More than 300,000 users interacted with the No Friend Left Behind website within the first six months, 10% of users created profiles and more than 4,000 badges were downloaded.

In addition, 29% of participants posted messages to Facebook and 9% via Twitter. Most importantly, the program generated ongoing awareness of the iPhone app maintaining its top 10 position within the social app category.