Hotmail Activation

Driven by their innovative character, Microsoft decided to add new features to their e-mail service Hotmail. While frequent Hotmail users immediately made use of these new functionalities, the low users however didn’t really notice them.

In order to encourage the low users to use Hotmail more, we set up an activation campaign to convince them that Hotmail had really changed to their advantage.

Interactive banners, specifically targeted at the low users, were developed to trigger their attention. We disguised the Hotmail icon and let it talk to them as an old friend saying: do you still recognize me?

Each banner announced a new feature of the improved Hotmail and ended with a simple button that linked directly to their Hotmail inbox where an informative e-mail awaited them.

This e-mail granted them a nice overview of the newest Hotmail features which we visualized as well enabling them to find the new functions very easily.

Of course saying Hotmail is new and fresh is one thing, but if we wanted people to actually believe it, we needed to let them try it out theirselves.

This initiated the launch of a huge contest targeting at both existing and non-Hotmail users, simply rewarding them for participating with their Hotmail account.

People who wanted to take a shot at one of the prizes (trip to Bodrum, Kreta,…) but didn’t have a Hotmail account, could create one very quick and easy.

The contest lasted 4 weeks, equaling 4 chances to win a trip to a sunny destination. High volume targeted bannering both on- and off Microsoft’s network, Hotmail mailings, social media, visual presence on MSN, Windows.be and Microsoft.be and an attractive landing page were set up to lead the target group towards the contest.