Background
Microsoft Surface excelled at launching and selling new products but lacked focus on building brand love. This led to consistent feedback that customers struggled to understand the brand’s identity. As a member of the Surface Brand Strategy team, I was brought on by Product Marketing to establish a strong, data-driven portfolio narrative and strategy, creating an evergreen campaign to deepen the Surface brand’s meaning.
Responsibilities
Strategic lead for Product and Brand, responsible for developing a compelling portfolio strategy for Surface. Guided the team in defining clear value propositions and data-backed differentiators to help customers understand and choose Surface. Led integrated marketing team to produce a portfolio centric campaign, enhancing brand awareness and love for the Surface brand.
Core skillsets
- Creative strategy
- Brand strategy
- Value prop and messaging
- Product positioning
- Campaign strategy
Key teams and stakeholders
- Brand
- Integrated marketing
- Product marketing
- Creative agencies
- Research and insights
- Legal
01
CHALLENGE
Increase awareness and love for Surface, building a focused portfolio messaging framework that focuses on winning value props for Surface, while creating an evergreen campaign strategy for brand building.
02
INSIGHT
Customers struggle with understanding what the Surface brand stands for, decreasing sales and affinity for brand love.
03
TARGET AUDIENCE
All Surface current users and aspirational consumers, with a focus on female and Gen Z audiences.
Deliverables
Creating a single source of truth
I created and designed Surface Storybook, a centralized SharePoint that serves as the single source of truth for all Surface portfolio-related messaging. This resource has been invaluable for partners, agencies, and channels, enabling them to deliver consistent messaging by accessing a dedicated internal messaging platform.
Value proposition development: Laptops designed by Microsoft
Led and designed the portfolio value propositions for Surface, collaborating with the Research and Insights team to delve into brand analytics. This effort resulted in a structured value proposition framework that includes the brand tagline and distinct reasons to believe, setting Surface apart from competitors.
01
Thoughtfully Designed
We’re dedicated to thoughtful design, innovation, and crafting original experiences for all the ways you work and create. With a focus on craftsmanship and human-centric testing, plus meaningful decisions to make a better impact on the world we live in.
02
Versatile and Adaptable
Surface is versatile and adaptable, transforming to fit your unique lifestyle. Choose your perfect match — a fresh, colorful take on a familiar laptop, an immersive creative canvas, or the iconic Surface Pro 2-in-1.
03
Powerful Productivity
Surface brings the best of Microsoft hardware and software together to power your productivity. From multitasking in Microsoft 365 apps to AI-enhanced workflow with Windows 11, Surface sets you up for success.
04
Simple and secure
Designed by Microsoft, Surface devices are built to be simple to set up and secure straight out of the box. From the moment you power on, Windows 11 is working to keep you protected with layers of industry-leading security built into every Surface device.
Leaning into emotional drivers
Recognizing the focus on Gen Z, I crafted the strategy to highlight Surface’s sustainability and accessibility initiatives, leveraging ethnographic insights that show Gen Z consumers prioritize these values the most when choosing a brand.
Campaign Strategy
Building on the brand line, “Laptop designed by Microsoft,” I collaborated with the Integrated Marketing team to create a series of campaigns aimed at generating awareness and excitement for the Surface portfolio.
Together, we developed campaigns for “Laptops Designed by Microsoft,” driven by the insight that Surface users see themselves as true originals in every aspect of their craft. This insight inspired two campaigns: “Original by Design” and “Designed by Microsoft, Made for You.”
"Original by Design"
Original by Design was a campaign designed to celebrate the innovation of the Surface portfolio, working with influencers like world-famous DJ Deadmau5, DFX artist Cache Bunny, and pro race car driver Collette Davis to show how they use Surface in their everyday lives that empower them to be Original by Design.
"Designed by Microsoft, made for you"
“Designed by Microsoft, Made for You” is a series of design-led videos that delve into the craftsmanship of Surface, covering aspects from keyboard obsession to sustainable Alcantara fabric material.
The series also features influencers who share the joys of owning a Surface and how it empowers them in their daily lives.
Outcomes
01
Clarity & Focus
I developed the Surface portfolio narrative, which has stood the test of time and continues to be used across all teams and channels. Feedback indicates that it has never been clearer what Surface stands for.
02
Seasonal Brand Campaigns
The integrated marketing team expanded by making additional hires to sustain the momentum for portfolio brand campaigns, alongside seasonal product launches.
03
Channel Support
All channel teams were fully engaged in bringing the Surface portfolio narrative to life. Amplifying this narrative is an annual core KPI set by the CMO. For instance, the Why Surface webpage was created as an educational tool to help consumers better understand the Surface brand.
