The challenge
Microsoft was seeking to consolidate a number of product-specific conferences into a single, world-class experience that inspired customers while feeding the sales pipeline. Microsoft faced the challenge of selling a new event to disparate audiences.
Here’s how our event demand generation campaign helped Microsoft attract 23,000 attendees to its new all-up technology conference, Microsoft Ignite.
Our results
Our strategy
Kitterman developed an audience-centric strategy that extended beyond Microsoft’s loyal technical audience to target new audiences with purchasing authority and influence. The strategy, segmented into waves of coordinated assets, directly spoke to the personal and professional needs of these audiences, rather than simply promoting an event.
Additionally, Kitterman targeted alumni of the previous conferences to reach a balance between fostering community and building new business. The campaign included an audience engagement strategy, a complex marketing architecture, editorial calendars, and analytics reports to regularly optimize the campaign.
The deliverables
Campaign assets by wave included targeted emails, display ads, social retargeting ads, SEM, landing pages, newsletter articles, blogs, social media posts, and videos.
Email and landing page
The Microsoft Ignite demand generation campaign was a rolling campaign designed to create and sustain interest in the event and drive registration. We created a series of emails with new information and reasons to attend, that were sent out in waves over the course of several months.
Email recipients were directed to the Microsoft Ignite landing page, where they could find updated information and register for the event.
Banner ads
We created a series of banner ads that provided reasons to attend Microsoft Ignite. The ads were placed across product-specific Microsoft websites and in Microsoft newsletters to reach as wide an audience as possible.
Social graphics
More Results
Great Partnerships videos
To promote the concept of Microsoft and its target audience as an ideal partnership, we created a fun video series entitled “Great Partnerships,” which highlighted other partnerships that ended up transforming the world–the Wright Brothers, Chuck Berry and his guitar, and others. The videos, posted on Microsoft social channels, drove viewers to the Microsoft Ignite registration page.
Wrap-up video
We sent a video crew to Chicago to capture the energy of the event and also to interview attendees about why they chose to attend Microsoft Ignite. We cut the interviews and b-roll into a short, energetic video that the client could share internally at Microsoft and also use as a marketing piece for the next Microsoft Ignite event.
Start a campaign reaction
Kitterman’s event marketing strategies drive registrations and engage new audiences. Discover how Kitterman can start a campaign reaction for you — with us today.