Microsoft Windows 10 Global Launch

After the backlash to Windows 8, Microsoft needed more than a new operating system. It needed a reputation reset.

The challenge? Launch Windows 10 across 190 countries, unify multiple platforms, and rebuild trust with users and developers. All under the intense scrutiny of a global tech media and stakeholder audience.

This wasn’t any old product launch. It was a communications pressure cooker.

People don’t get excited about upgrading software. But they do get excited about the chance to upgrade their life and the world around them.

By shifting the focus from features to real-life input and impact, Windows 10 could shift from a dreaded OS update to a platform for personal and global progress.

Help position Windows 10 not just as a software release, but as a global step forward.

As a core contributor to the development and execution of the global communications strategy, I worked across teams to help devise and roll out the “Upgrade Your World” campaign –  a unifying message that framed Windows 10 as a product shaped by its users, and a tool for real impact in communities.

Our strategy was built on co-creation, transparency, and empathy and executed with precision across earned, owned, social and experiential.

Upgrade Your World Campaign: Rolled out globally with real user stories and NGO partnerships in 190+ countries making the launch about people, not just product

I personally managed comms for the first-of-its-kind Windows Insider Program initiative bringing over 5 million users (including many journalists) into the dev process and generating early earned buzz and credibility.

I was also a core part of the v-team for major milestones like MS Build and Ignite, including real-time news monitoring, messaging, and mitigation. I supported executive media engagement and messaging alignment across global regions, and worked across consumer engagement, content, social and PR to ensure every touchpoint drove a consistent narrative

Rapid Response: Delivered high-pressure messaging under tight deadlines, helping to navigate early privacy and update concerns swiftly and transparently

One of Microsoft’s most successful OS launches ever with 75 million installs in the first month and 1 billion+ devices reached by 2020. The Insider Program became a model for co-created product dev, and we helped reverse negative PR from the Windows 8 era by mitigating multiple comms issues without damaging brand trust.

We didn’t just launch a product. We helped the world upgrade its perception of Microsoft.