Microsoft Software: "REAL LIFE TOOLS" Promo / PR Ad by Um

Category: Best Use of Magazines
Advertiser: MICROSOFT OFFICE
Product/Service: SOFTWARE
Date of First Appearance: Jul 15 2009 12:00AM
Entrant Company: UM CANADA, Toronto, CANADA
Manager Communications Strategies: Melissa Williams (UM Canada)
Marketing Communications Manager: Jennifer Meadows (Microsoft Canada)
Account Supervisor Digital Practices: Tania Montemarano (Wunderman Toronto)
Manager Integrated Accounts: Sean Smith (Rogers Media)
Media placement: Magazine - Drive To Contest - Today's Parent & Chatelaine - 15/07/2009
Media placement: Online - Drive To Contest - Today's Parent & Chatelaine - 15/07/2009
Media placement: Magazine - Cover Debut - Today's Parent & Chatelaine - 15/12/2009

Results and Effectiveness
- 6,000 personalised covers were created; 11,000 emailed - 1,300 incremental subscriptions were sold - consumers were so excited about the promotion they were ordering multiple copies to ensure they had a personalised cover for each child - Added value generated a 3:1 ROI in media spend - Campaign drove an incremental 350,000,000 impressions and 25,000 visits to the site; Microsoft received over 300 opt-ins

Creative Execution
In partnership with Rogers Media, the publishers of 2 leading women’s magazines, we developed the MS Office Cover Tool. Parents started their customised cover by uploading a photo to the online tool. They could then manipulate the photo’s position and size, change the colour of the masthead and choose from a selection of headlines that communicated the benefits of MS Office or were relevant to either magazine. The printed covers were mailed directly to subscriber’s homes with an additional personalised message from MS Office on the IFC. If they couldn’t wait to share their covers, parents could immediately post to their Facebook newsfeed, print copies or email to friends. Interest was generated in the tool via co-branded promo pages in magazines and online, in-book editorial, radio spots, e-newsletters, Twitter and blog postings. The tool was surrounded by MS Office demo banners to drive trial of the software.

Insights, Strategy & the Idea
Parents are using software to save time, be more organised and stay connected with their family and friends. Their lives revolve around their kids - they love to share photos, stories and brag about them at every chance. To drive purchase intent amongst parents, we needed to showcase MS Office as an essential tool for families. Demonstrating how 2007 MS Office could help them share family memories would convince them that their current software isn’t good enough. Using the MS Office Cover Tool, parents were able to turn their families into cover stars. Today’s Parent and Chatelaine subscribers could upload their favorite photo to myowncover.com and have it printed as the front cover of their December issue. These personalised covers could also be shared immediately on their Facebook newsfeed, sent to friends by email or placed on display as a framed print.