Zune Hits Play

Microsoft Corp. turned up the volume for the Nov. 14 release of Zune, its entry into the portable mp3 player market.As the backbone of the launch campaign, displays produced by Milwaukee-based DCI Marketing were installed in 22,000 retail locations. The program featured interactive kiosks, shelf displays, endcaps and floorstands. (See Related Articles.) The P-O-P showcases Zune's features -- especially the ones that make it unique from the category leading Apple iPod. Those include wireless content sharing, a three-inch LCD video screen and customization capabilities. At launch, Zune was available at 30,000 retail outlets spanning multiple categories, including office supply, mass merchant, discount, department store and consumer electronics. Displays were installed at Wal-Mart, Target, Circuit City, Best Buy, CompUSA and other chains.The Zune, which retails for $249.99, was featured in November circulars of retailers including Circuit City, Target, Wal-Mart and Sears. On the cover of its Nov. 19 circular, Target offered a $25 store gift card with purchase. CompUSA featured Zune on its Nov. 19 cover as part of its "TechToyland" initiative. (See Related Articles.) Sears also gave the product a cover feature.Under the tagline "Welcome to the Social," Microsoft held various launch events at venues around the U.S., such as concerts from top musical acts including T.I., Red Hot Chili Peppers and Queens of the Stone Age. The company also launched a dedicated Zune web site and ran national TV spots.Unlike other chains, which exclusively showcased Microsoft's entry, Best Buy took the "democratic" approach by featuring both Zune and iPod on its Nov. 19 cover -- alongside its own digital music store, which launched in October through a partnership with SanDisk and RealNetworks' Rhapsody. (See Related Articles.) Zune's release was somewhat overshadowed in the electronics category by the near-simultaneous launches of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo of America's Wii video game consoles. (See Related Articles.) At the end of November, however, Microsoft anounced that Zune is on track to sell more than one million units by June 30, 2007.

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

You May Also Like

Best Buy's Holiday Livestream Promotions

Save Mart Bets on In-Store Retail Media