Insight and research expertise help Windows Live OneCare stand out in a competitive market

Windows Live is a set of free tools that help people stay in touch, share with friends, and use the web more safely. Windows Live OneCare is a comprehensive PC care service designed specifically for home PC users and small businesses to help protect and maintain computers with antivirus, firewall, antispyware, anti-phishing, PC performance tune-ups, and file backup and restore functionality.

The Windows Live group at Microsoft needed to increase sales among multi-PC households and small business customers for Windows Live OneCare, a computer security and care product. To position OneCare against entrenched competitive offerings in the consumer and small business security and personal computer care space, they needed a better understanding of competitive products, the nuances of the market, and the real needs of their target customers.

BuzzBee worked with the OneCare product team to design and execute a competitive research and analysis project of the consumer security and personal computer care space. Based on this research, BuzzBee provided strategic guidance to successfully differentiate OneCare in the crowded market and to speak directly to the true daily challenges faced by target customers. With the strategy in place, BuzzBee then created to-customer sales and marketing materials, including a product comparison slide deck to help the Microsoft field sales articulate the unique value of OneCare.

BuzzBee provided valuable insight to help the product team gain a better understanding of the competition, the market, and its customers. Through BuzzBee’s research expertise, the Windows Live group was able to make smart decisions about the future of the product and the business. Its sales force was able to engage with customers more effectively, as the product value finally resonated with customers. A slide deck of the results debuted at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show and, according to the client, created immediate positive traction and buzz.