The following has been cross-posted from the Global Microsoft Advertising Blog.
As my post explained on Friday, although this was Microsoft’s last keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show, we wanted to re-affirm Microsoft Advertising’s commitment to continue partnering with advertisers and agencies at the event, and keep demonstrating that the consumer is absolutely placed front and center of the ad solutions and campaigns we build.
Tonight, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer - with the help of Ryan Seacrest, a gospel choir and some of our very best demoers - placed engaging, seamless and portable consumer experiences right at the heart of his speech.
He talked about Windows Phone and the new handsets coming from Nokia and HTC (the latter with a 16 megapixel camera), we were treated to an in-depth demonstration of the Windows 8 platform and the new Metro UI, after some fun and games (!) with Kinect, it was announced that from February 1st, Microsoft is opening it up to Windows developers, and we heard the Xbox suite of content partners were expanding with Comcast, Verizon and News Corp coming into the fold soon.
Now being numbers people, us digital marketers always like a few stats thrown in to qualify statements, so I encourage you to peruse Frank Shaw’s post, that looks back on phenomenal figures surrounding some of our wins in 2011.
Looking forward, there’s the Windows 8 launch next phase announced in late February, continued momentum for Xbox and Kinect, and the compelling opportunity Skype poses for brands to engage with consumers that spent 300 billion (yes BILLION) minutes on calls through the platform in the last year.
We’ll be posting some interviews I’ve done with industry leaders here in Las Vegas over the next few weeks, but it’s interesting to hear them say that their advice to brands and marketers in this rapidly changing consumer environment, is to make sure your start with the consumer and their experience. That’s where they concentrate their time and energy, which is just as well, because that’s where we’re concentrating ours.
Our focus on consumers, brings you closer to yours.
Please watch the whole speech online at the Microsoft Facebook Page, and stay tuned here and on Twitter for more CES fun in the sun!
Cheers
Mel