Kapil Ohri
Digital

Microsoft lets users explore Internet Explorer 8

The software giant has created a microsite named Exploremyway.com, wherein consumers can experience the features of the Internet Explorer 8 by watching videos and playing a game

Microsoft Corporation, which has released the eighth version of its web browser Internet Explorer (IE) in March 2009, has opted for an online marketing campaign to gain share in the browser market.

The software giant has opted for a two pronged strategy. While on one hand, it attempts to change the perception of web browsers among the Internet users, on the other hand, it aims to create a high level of preference and stickiness towards the IE 8 by offering an online experience of its functions and features.

Microsoft lets users explore Internet Explorer 8
"A lot of Internet users still believe that web browsers are meant to access websites only, while the reality is that Internet browsers have evolved and offer a lot more features and functionalities, apart from just opening the websites," Guneet Singh, lead - integrated marketing and communication, consumer and online, Microsoft, tells afaqs!.

To inform that the IE 8 has a lot of new features, the company has created a special online destination, a microsite called Exploremyway.com, which is active since April 2009 and offers information about the utility of the features.

Microsoft has also put up online banner ads across major websites such as Rediff.com, MSN.co.in and Zapak.com, which redirect users to the microsite and allow them to download the IE 8.

Microsoft lets users explore Internet Explorer 8
Singh claims that about 2,00,000 download requests have been received from the two websites within 12 weeks. He is not ready to reveal the total number of download requests received from all the websites where the online banner ad campaign is live.

The features of the IE 8, as highlighted by Microsoft on Exploremyway.com, include Inprivate browsing, which enables users to browse the web without storing the addresses of websites visited by them; Webslices, which helps users to track and check the updates of a specific portion or section of a website; Accelerators, which allow netizens to select any content piece and right-click on it to search or e-mail it, and a Crash Recovery feature, which reloads the previously opened tabs or restores the last browsing session.

Apart from textual information about the features of the IE 8, Exploremyway.com also has four funny viral videos and a game, which communicate the benefits of each feature mentioned above.

For instance, a viral video on the Crash Recovery feature shows a boy getting irritated on being interrupted by a fat man, who comes in front of him while he is watching a girl. Soon, a message box appears on the video screen, which offers the option to restore the last session, and as boy clicks on it, the fat man disappears from the scene.

Singh reveals, "We have already received more than one crore video views for all the four video virals combined together."

Users can also share viral videos through Facebook, blogs, email and other social media sites such as Digg.com. The company claims that its viral videos receive about 1,00,000 forward requests on Facebook.com.

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