Baltic PR Awards 2010 Category: Consumer Relations

The most Latvian Windows ever

Situation Even Microsoft themselves have admitted that Windows Vista was a fail. A lot of resources

were spent to promote and develop it, but consumer refused the product as it was too “heavy”

and unstable. Moreover, it brought damage to the reputation of both Microsoft and Windows

“family”. Also in Latvia Windows Vista is perceived as a worst option for personal computers

(PC).

Microsoft learned from mistakes, engaged with more than 200 000 PC users, asked their

opinions and developed a brand new product – Windows7 (W7). It has even more option than

Vista, and is much faster and easy to use. Latvian version of W7 was not only translated as

Vista, but also fully localised and adapted.

Client briefed a Consultancy to develop a fully local tailor-made campaign that was unusual

for local Microsoft representative. The main goal of the campaign was to focus on reputation –

to use the excellent reputation of upcoming W7 in order to regain the good reputation of

Windows brand and to grab attention of “ordinary” PC users.

Research Study of global feedback on W7 showed that positive feedback dominates and there is a

bunch of references to use for local communication.

Interview with localisation team resulted in a new strong strategy line.

Social media analysis showed that W7 has a rather good reputation in Latvia but still a low

awareness of upcoming launch and the Latvian version. It resulted in traditional media-

oriented strategy.

According to international experience primary target group was specified: personal computer

users with low or average interest about technologies.

Stakeholder Analysis helped to identify key IT journalists, bloggers, life-style and business

media; IT specialists; potential partnerships for communication.

W7 Beta version was installed on computers of all involved Consultancy team members to

test the product.

Strategy

- Share of Latvian version of Windows 7 is at least 15% of sold software.

Objectives

- Sales in first month after launch at least in the same level as Windows Vista.

- Key bloggers and IT journalists engaged.

- Life-style and regional media covered.

- To focus on traditional life-style and regional media as well as news portals

as key communication channel as social media is covered by international

positive influence

Strategy

- To highlight the resources Microsoft has invested to localise the Windows 7

for Latvian users

- To focus on simplicity, low price of upgrade version and global demand

- Strategic focus on traditional media resulted as:

Tactics

- Tailor-made trainings/demonstrations for bloggers, life-style and IT

journalists. Content was tailored according to the knowledge level of each

training group.

- Based on needs of journalists an on-line survey was conducted that

discovered level of knowledge about operating systems in Latvia. Data was

used for several press releases; meanwhile, some media interpreted them

by their own.

- Tailor-made information for Russian media with focus on the fact that

Russian version will be available one week earlier than Latvian

- Security tips for dummies – widely used in women magazines

Strategic focus on Latvian version resulted as:

A nation-wide non-professional photo contest to collect photos representing Latvia in a

collection of upcoming W7 wallpapers

Interviews with localisation team leader Artūrs Rožkalns

Media activities to highlight topic of Latvian language development in IT world, context of

International Language Day used

Strategic focus on simplicity, low price of upgrade version and global demand resulted as:

Results of abovementioned on-line survey demonstrating that “average user” still considers

Windows as “hard to understand” environment.

Publicity event in cooperation with association “Go Blonde” gathering 16 blond top-celebrities

spending more than 2 hours to get familiar with the new Windows 7. They announced later for

present life-style media that Windows 7 is even more easy to use and more “cute” than they

could ever imagine.

Weekly report on global and local demand. Faster interpretation of market share data helped

to reach a high awareness of W7 success story both in on-line and traditional media.

Results In first month Windows 7 sales in Latvian market over-scored Windows Vista for 20 times

while in USA it was “only” 234% up

Share of Latvian version of Windows 7 sold in Latvia up to 28% compared to 7% in Vista

case.

16 bloggers, life-style and IT journalists visited tailor-made demonstrations of Windows 7, 14

PCs given for test periods, 12 reviews followed

87 on-line media clips, 34 printed media (14 in leading regional newspapers) clips, 3 TV

broadcasts reaching more than 72% of target group.

39% positive, 53% neutral, 8% critical media clips, 91% includes product photos.

Penetration of conveyed messages in 77% of media clips.

Kautkādu tekstiņu prasās