Microsoft Australia has been recognized for Marketing Excellence in the World Business Awards 2016. The World Business Award for Marketing Excellence recognizes organizations that have achieved outstanding results through initiatives that demonstrate innovative marketing strategies and outcomes.

Established in 1985, Microsoft Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Microsoft Corp., a worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Acknowledging that the way consumers interact with brands is changing, and realizing that they could be more effective, Microsoft Australia undertook a comprehensive review of a legacy marketing program, focusing on small business. Following an audit into all marketing activities, Microsoft Australia identified a number of key improvements.

Where small business marketing had previously executed along corporate guidelines, the audit results prompted a shift in marketing to an inbound, content-led and customer centric approach. The central focus of the new strategy was to establish a digital marketing execution based on helping small businesses with pain points at the time they needed it. Actioning the strategy required educating internal stakeholders on small business pain points and convincing each product group to align behind a customer centric approach. Once this cohesive internal position was established, all interruptive marketing stopped, including call centers, database marketing and events. Instead, Microsoft established the small business website as the main channel for all communications with a year-round content plan to help solve customer problems.

The new program has seen the number of small businesses reached by Microsoft Australia increase ten-fold, with a reportable 1:10 return on investment impact. The new non-interruptive, content led approach is also now being considered a global best practice within the organization.