Challenge:
As part of the product release strategy for Windows XP, Microsoft decided to launch a community web site around their new product. They wanted to create an online community designed specifically for the technical enthusiast. The site would feature links to news groups, white papers, and other kinds of information. A key element of the web site would be weekly feature articles written by regular columnists who would become part of the Windows XP community identity. And the site needed to launch before the product actually released.

Microsoft asked Studio B to put together a team of high-profile columnists for them. They wanted excellent writers with expertise in several different areas of the technology. Ideally, these writers would already be well-known through their other writings, and they would have plenty of experience with beta versions of the software.

Solution:
Studio B assembled a team of outstanding authors, including a couple of authors Microsoft specifically wanted to have as contributors. We assigned a project manager to work with Microsoft on the editorial calendar and to manage the writers' work schedules. We also helped with other community activities. For instance, there was a tips contest. Studio B set up an email address for tips submissions, and we assembled a team of independent judges to evaluate the tips and select prize winners. The community web site was launched on schedule and became known as the Windows XP Expert Zone.

Results:
After Windows XP was released and received market acceptance, Microsoft asked us to help reshape the Expert Zone content so that it would appeal to a broader audience. We expanded the number of columnists, devised a strategy to enhance the dialogue between columnists and their readers, phased out the tips contest, and added other features, like special articles and live chats with the columnists.

The Windows XP Expert Zone quickly became a tremendous success. As a community web site, it became a model that other product groups within Microsoft emulated. It also broke all of its own goals for growth in readership, showing a steady growth in site visits throughout its 18 months of operation.

Bottom Line:
Studio B offered an efficient, single-source solution for multiple content providers and multiple services. The solution easily scaled as requirements changed over time.