Every day, we create and are surrounded by 2.5 quintillion bytes of data and 90% of it has been produced in the last two years alone. This huge amount is impossible for one person to comprehend, therefore we analyzed the data to demonstrate how Microsoft is able to filter and leverage it, in order to turn a global campaign into a local relevant one. We identified the six most important data streams for the local consumer, which are traffic, weather, time, location events and local insights, to directly address them and gain their attention. These data sources led to 211 unique creative executions which were built and displayed in real-time to always show the most relevant one at the right time.

It was the first time in Germany that such an amount of different data sources was connected with an Out-of-home solution, to generate an individualized output simultaneously. Even though big data and digitalization are the hottest topics for marketers, the Out-of-home business is slowly adapting to these changes. Due to that we were limited to only 18 screens, which just has been launched, in order to meet our ambitious plans to bring data and outdoor advertising closer together.

Working with a data driven solution taught us that preparation is key, which means that analyzing and implementing the data is fundamental for a successful campaign. Before we could even start to gather the data we had to make sure that a reliable infrastructure is given, which meant finding Out-of-home placements that were connectable with different data sources and also capable of coordinating multiple creatives across various screens. Hence we implemented the proprietary developed technology “Liveposter”, which is connected to the content management systems of all leading DOOH publishers. This allowed the real-time display of unlimited creatives and was the center of all data streams. Next we formed a content team consisting of creative, media and IT specialists to analyze and interpret the data. This was necessary not only to choose the relevant data, but also to discover cultural insights. Furthermore we screened the surroundings of each display and linked it to the local transportation system to be able to exactly target consumers who were waiting or even sitting in a specific bus. Additionally time and event data allowed us to target at specific occasions like Halloween or local football matches.

With a global campaign Windows 10 was launched with a big bang and generated mass awareness. But in order to bring the message across that Windows 10 empowers you to achieve more, we needed more than just awareness. The Liveposter case enhanced the consumer experience by creating emotional involvement. Especially for the Out-of-home industry this media first execution was a true door opener for the next years and gave a glimpse of the huge impact that data will have on the industry. By creating 211 unique executions in only a short matter of time, we have proved that data is a key driver for the convergence of various media channels.

This was also acknowledged by the client who stated the following:

“Our analyses say that 60% of our customers prefer “contextual advertising” as it is more relevant to them and arouses emotions. By way of live communication – using integrated data streams like weather or public transport data – we can address this insight. A direction we will continue to pursue in the future.” Robert Kämper (CMO Lead Microsoft Germany).

In the end Microsoft celebrated its most successful Windows launch of all time by reaching a market share of 17%.