Demonstrating Microsoft’s commitment to New Zealand

We’ve shifted Microsoft to a dynamic, integrated local storytelling model driven by a media relations drumbeat, thought leadership and reputation campaigning with key audiences. Our approach focuses more on issues and solutions than products or services, to lift relevance and engagement.

Our storytelling has evolved the global narrative into a local, relevant voice supported by rich and engaging video, infographics and animations and an amplification strategy. ​This is to support a growing need to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to Aotearoa NZ.

We lead B2B campaigns both from a thought leadership and sales-driven focus using activities like roundtables, panels, digital events and scripted programming, gated content and amplification, LinkedIn campaigns for targeted acquisition, physical DMs to reach CIOs, video and written case studies, and sector-driven, account-based marketing initiatives.

We also have a regular earned media programme that supports media coverage across its key storytelling pillars to drive trust, and also, we also manage an agile and busy reactive press office supporting on issues as they arise.

Recent key projects include:

• Devising an omni-channel storytelling celebration of Microsoft’s Partner Awards (to its channel). We turned a typical 500 in-person event into a digital and social-led campaign reaching 45K+ reseller and tech industry professionals, achieving 15 earned articles and 2.2 million impressions from our social activity. The project also won two PRINZ awards.

• Launching Microsoft’s ‘Scaling SaaS’ initiative with the PM’s trade delegation to the US securing a feature interview with Stuff, among other articles.

• Launching SMB research and campaigning the data with earned media, webinars, social media and events.

• Developing a three-year reputation building strategy for the Microsoft Datacenter Region launch in Aotearoa. From the disclosure announcement with the PM (achieving over 100 articles) to ongoing communications and marketing activities around cloud education, sustainability, Skilling campaigns and thought leadership content.

• We developed a campaign targeting IT professionals to upskill in Azure Cloud using KOLs and content. This work was placed as a finalist in the Best Use of LinkedIn at the Social Media Marketing Awards.