Microsoft Office 2007 Beta 2 launch in Latin America

Software Beta versions are a day to day thing for most IT profesionals and developers. It's a way to participate in the development, compatibility and usability testing of mainstream applications before they are release to market, while at the same time it provides them with the opportunity to evaluate the benefits of the upgrade to the upcoming version.

However when Microsoft asked us to target Information Workers to invite them to participate in the launch of the 2007 version of Microsoft Microsoft Office System, a completly different challenge was put in front of us.

Information workers are professionals who need to manage information, ideas, creating reports analyse data, communicate and collaborate with each other, mostly through electronic media. Although they use a computer in order to achieve this tasks but they are not technology experts. Therefore exposing their computer, their main tool to perform their work, to potentially unstable, unfinished products is a negative user experience waiting to happen. Additionally most Beta versions come with a built in time bomb that deactivates the product once a certain date is reached.

Therefore, the approach had to be different, instead of delivering massive quantities of CDs pushing long downloands and encouraging Information Workers to install the Beta 2 on their own.

e-volution developed an innovative approach to provide assitance and guide the IW evaluation of the new version of Microsoft Office System, limiting the risk associated with installing an application not yet signed for release while at the same time giving the IW the opportunity to experience it at the full extend, with content carefully selected to target their specific business needs. No feature by feature description. Activities are centered around business scenarios.

The 2007 Microsoft Office Challenge, running regionally in Latin America both in Portuguese and Spanish since mid July 2006, enhances the overall user experience by creating the ideal context to introduce the benefits of thenew version of Microsoft Office System, exposing online resources available to extend the product functionality while measuring the level of understanding of participats and identifying potential qualified leads.

The integration of video plays a key role in this project as users are guided by Dr. Primus. this character is a business consultant with the key to "become the first" in a diversity of scenarios, following the approach that lots of management gurues seem to simplified in n steps to sucess the most complex challenges of people's careers. However, most of Dr. Primus'key steps are related top new functionality or existing untapped features of Microsoft Office System.



The contest is set up in phases that will be released on specific dates in order to manage the flow and level of participation of the Information Workers and will provide Microsoft not only with a chance to communicate and expose the new version of Office System but also better understand what do Information Workers value and their preception of this acclaimed set of applications, servers and services.



This contest is based on e-volution's propietary SmartProm technology, proven throughout a diversity of markets and audiences that allow marketers to develop top notch campaigns in record time to market, while acquiring valuable information regarding consumer's perception and beliefs towards a particular brand.