Microsoft’s core aims for this campaign were to increase brand awareness among IT decision-makers in France and Germany and to increase awareness of the range of IT solutions offered by Microsoft’s portfolio.

Advance advised from the offset that in order to achieve this, it would be important to place ads in the best possible editorial environments, around topics such as Big Data and Cloud Computing. This would be imperative in reaching the key target audiences outlined in the brief for the campaign, and needed distinct consideration.

Having discerned the specific needs of the brief, the Advance Team recommended leading business newspapers in France and Germany, all of which are highly trusted and respected for the quality reporting of the latest business and technology news. These titles are also uniquely efficient in their penetration of the decision-maker audience – with volumes significantly higher than that of competitor titles.

In the actual implementation of this campaign, ads were placed repeatedly across an extended campaign period, in highly visible positions, including double page spread and outer back cover. Rates negotiated by Advance helped the technology giant to reach their objectives with the most prestigious ad placements at the best possible price.