We transformed retail
demo experiences
for Microsoft.
Thousands of PCs in stores worldwide. Each with the potential to educate shoppers, cement buyer confidence, and shape purchase decisions. Microsoft wanted to help their global ecosystem partners make the most of display PCs and looked to do so with their own proprietary content platform.
With the Microsoft Retail Demo Experience (RDX), the tech giant could provide retailers and OEMs a solution that was universal, always up-to-date, and intuitive to use. RDX is ideal for landing scalable, self-guided experiences at retail. But managing such a robust offering requires the right team behind the scenes.
As a Microsoft Preferred Supplier, EFM leads creative development and ongoing strategy for all things RDX. Our agency works year-round with Microsoft and their partners to meet evolving customer expectations and influence decision-making on the sales floor.
Services
Business Consulting, Customer Strategy, Marketing Strategy, UX Strategy, Experience Concepting, UI Design, Prototyping, User Testing, Application Development, Messaging & Content, Content Management, Product Launches, Embedded Team
Our partnership with Microsoft is built on consistent follow-through and exceeding expectations. In just the first year, we went from supporting a single in-store application to more than 10—each translated into 32 languages and deployed globally. Today, our team launches full suites of retail apps multiple times a year.
This track record is why we now manage Microsoft’s RDX platform as it develops into a complete profit-driving program. We create content for Retail Sales Pros. We drive marketing and sell-in initiatives. We redesigned their content creation, distribution, and management utility. Through the years, our collaboration with Microsoft has evolved into a successful creative consultancy—strengthened by the trust we’ve earned along the way.
A relationship forged one app at a time.
Delivering the best customer experiences at retail.
Our interactive applications transformed display devices for education, exploration, and most importantly, sales. Customers could get hands-on with the latest PCs, learn about new features in Windows, and try live demos of Microsoft 365 software. For the premium Surface brand, shoppers could test out the newest devices and unique hardware like touchscreens and digital pens, plus compare the full lineup to find their perfect Surface.
Always building for what comes next.
Microsoft looks to our team to anticipate and adapt to modern retail challenges. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we knew in-store behavior would change in a big way. We created RDX Link as Microsoft’s platform for contactless shopping. By scanning a QR code, customers can explore everything they would on a display PC right on their own mobile device. No extraneous handling or exposure risk necessary.
Brand managers, device manufacturers, retail pros—our job is to make their jobs easier. This idea fuels our efforts, whether producing presentations, brochures, and other marketing assets for Microsoft Regional Teams, a revamped RDX website to host it all, or training materials and how-to guides to ease the learning curve for new users.
As the RDX platform and its userbase continue to gain traction, we step in wherever needed to keep momentum going strong. Our redesign of the RDX content management system simplified the process for Microsoft partners to create, distribute, and manage their content on devices worldwide. We develop original RDX content for OEM product launches, Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 showcases, seasonal campaigns, and more. Moreover, we set clear content guidelines to give Microsoft partners a consistent standard for their own customer experiences.
Equipping everyone behind the brand for success.
The key to a successful creative consultancy.
Always learning. Always improving. Our relationship with Microsoft would not be possible otherwise. For every build, usability testing ensures our creative team makes decisions based on how long people spend with an experience and the paths they take. Post launch, our strategists work with our clients and key partners to review outcomes, define new objectives, and improve processes moving forward. All while account and project managers are already planning what’s next.
Growing a one-off project into a long-term creative consultancy was no accident. It took a concerted collaboration across our agency to make it happen. Finding efficiencies. Streamlining processes. Pursuing the right opportunities. Client services, strategy, and creative working together to always do what’s best for our client.
