Background: Microsoft recently launched enhanced mobile versions of its Windows Live Hotmail and Messenger services, optimizing them for all browser and mobile phone types, including high end touch screen devices.   

 

They needed an effective and efficient way to announce the new and improved Windows Live experience.  Email was an obvious channel for Microsoft to use given its large base of users on the PC and targeting capabilities for email communications. 

 

Microsoft's targeting capabilities allowed them to segment customers by mobile users, non-mobile users, and previous but not active mobile users.  Further segmentation was done to break out users by mobile operator and customer profile segments that have been setup and scored across the Windows Live user base. 

 

Yesmail Creative Services designed the layout of each creative version to be simple, quick and scan-able, and with a clear call to action for recipients to respond to. Microsoft worked with its mobile operator partners (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon) to create cobranding within the emails that featured operator logos and phones specific to each partner.  This cobranding added relevancy in message and ultimately drove increased conversions vs. non-cobranded creative.

Last week we announced we also won the Silver Marketing Sherpa Award for Best Email Opt-In Campaign or list growth B2C for My Coke Rewards Community Invite Email.