Business problem:

Younger audiences (18-34) are hyper-connected using multiple devices and tools, but associate Skype with occasional video calls to friends and family.

Goal:

Reconnect with this tech-savvy audience by demonstrating Skype’s relevance and creative capabilities.

Insight

Our 18-34 year old audience is keen to build careers in the creative industries but need support.

Solution

THE SKYPE COLLABORATION PROJECT: A digital editorial platform designed to inspire and enable our audience’s creative ambitions. Starting with fashion and then expanding into other passion areas.

Delivering a stream of exclusive articles, interviews, behind-the-scenes access and insider tips. The content was designed to be engaging, inspiring and helpful to young creatives, while seamlessly showcase Skype’s capabilities.

Role for PR

Scale: Focused marketing investment on creation of quality content rather than paid media, therefore choosing to utilise PR to build significant visibility and deliver a global audience.

Credibility: As a tech brand with ambitions to enter creative industries the platform had to be embraced not only by the consumer audience, but also by the industry and influential media - particularly the case with the notoriously closed world of fashion.

Results

Significant and positive adoption by the fashion industry with features in quality targeted outlets such as Vogue, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Telegraph, NY Mag, Refinery 29 and many more.

Credible amplification to a wider audience with 360m impressions including Good Morning America, E! news and Grazia front cover.

A new branded editorial platform designed to inspire and enable young creatives in the fashion industry, while showcasing Skype’s lesser-known features.

We created a series of exclusive articles, inspiring stories, and behind-the-scenes videos.

Narrative integration

Showcasing how industry insiders use Skype, including a groundbreaking interactive editorial with Victoria Beckham.

Storytelling vehicle

We used Skype as a platform to create unique content – hosting group video calls with experts, and capturing video messages with fashion insiders.

Inviting participation

We invited people to submit their questions via video message and instant message, which we put to the experts.

The campaign is ongoing but we have already established the Skype Collaboration Project as a credible editorial platform and built a large, active audience

$7m PR value to date including Good Morning America, E! Network and the front cover of Grazia magazine

391m social impressions

4m visits to the Skype Collaboration Project site

12 minutes average dwell time

613k sign ups

68k new Skype users