Communications software provider, Skype, targets enterprise market with new initiative to promote flexible working. Victoria Paley reports
Skype is a global IP telephone service provider that uses a peer-to-peer rather than client-server system, utilising background processing on user’s computers that run its software. With a reported 23 millions users online during peak times, Skype attracts both businesses and consumers alike.
A communication revolution
Although Skype was founded in 2003, it has only recently started to roll out marketing campaigns to promote its services to enterprise industries. Its latest marketing initiative ‘The living workplace’ comes as a result of Skype’s partnership with GigaOM – a provider of online media, events and research for global technology innovators.
The campaign aims to communicate and position the concept of the ‘living workplace’ revolution, as well as outline how Skype fits into this trend. The organisation says the campaign’s objective is “to win the habit of workplaces to adopt Skype.”
The campaign targets both businesses and business professionals from small, medium and large-sized organisations on an international scale.
Skype’s decision to target the enterprise market was a natural choice given that this audience, in particular, recognises the value of mobile working and collaboration. Commenting about why Skype chose to target this audience, marketing director at Skype, Joanna Brace, says, “As trends in workplace communication and technology continue to evolve, we believe that our offering can be successfully implemented into the enterprise as a key collaboration tool for today’s global workforce.”
Report insight
Skype is investing considerable resources to support the initiative and the campaign will be released in various stages. A purpose-built interactive campaign microsite – livingworkplace.skype.com – has been created, which went live on 5 April 2011. The site’s main call-to-action allows users to download a specially commissioned report by analysts at GigaOM. The report reveals results of an online study of 1000 technology-empowered workers in the US about their attitudes and behaviour
to mobile working and technologies. The free downloadable report allows Skype to generate customer leads for its business offering, while also giving visitors a comprehensive insight on these new trends.
Although the report is based on US findings, the insight delivered will resonate on an international scale. It is expected that UK surveys will also be commissioned as the campaign progresses.
Multi-channel messages
As well as the report, ‘The living workplace’ microsite will also leverage social media channels Facebook and Twitter to help drive awareness and create a buzz. It will also host viral online elements that encourage visitors to share content, infographics, videos and blogs from business influencers.
In addition to the microsite, the campaign will be marketed through a variety of other channels, including email marketing, SEO and PR.
A shift in mindset
Discussing the rationale behind the campaign’s message, Skype claims there are more forms of communication in the workplace than ever before – email, landline and mobile calls, instant messaging, texts, video calls, social media, online conferencing, etc. This adoption of so many types of technologies isn’t necessarily happening as a matter of IT policy or top-down control. It’s happening due to the broader acceptance of employees bringing their own personal technology into the workplace. The advent of different tools has not only shifted the way businesses communicate and collaborate, it’s also shifting the way they work.
Skype says its integrated campaign captures this revolution through its use of multi-channels – with content that encourages the target audience to share and collaborate.
Brace concludes, “The Living Workplace campaign represents the coming of age of remote working and signifies a larger trend that includes more than just technological advances but also organisational mindsets evolving to remove the stigma and encourage working in more flexible ways.”
