‘We were digital first responders’: Why Microsoft wants a key role in the post-pandemic recovery
The tech giant’s UK CMO Paul Bolt believes future success will be gained by staying “humble” and remaining optimistic about the challenges of a post-pandemic world.
Whether it’s the mass adoption of Teams for communication in the remote working world, the production of ventilators to support the NHS or the creation of initiatives to enhance digital skills, Microsoft is experiencing something of a renaissance in 2020.
Testament to this is the tech giant’s ranking in BrandZ’s listing of the top 100 most valuable global brands for 2020. The company claimed third place in the ranking, growing its value by 30% to $327bn. This puts Microsoft ahead of the likes of Google, Facebook and Visa, and makes it the second fastest growing brand in the top 10 behind Amazon.
The BrandZ report makes much of the importance of brand equity and resilience. The idea is that having a core strength helps see brands through tough times, as does the ability to respond at pace to the ever-changing demands of a global marketplace.
For Microsoft, its communications suite Teams has become the most visible expression of that positioning in recent months. In a single day in late March, 2.7 billion minutes of meeting time were recorded on the platform, up 200% in usage from earlier in the month.
