THE CHALLENGE
Xbox Live Gold subscriptions spiked with major game releases, then dropped just as quickly.
Players treated it like a cover charge, join for a month, play, leave. Retention was breaking down.
THE INSIGHT
Retention wasn’t driven by features. It was driven by connection.
Players with 10+ friends on Xbox were significantly more likely to stay engaged and stay subscribed.
The value of Gold increased with every connection.
THE IDEA
Reposition Gold from a service to a network.
From pay-to-play to play-together.
Alone you are mighty. With others, you’re Gold.
THE SYSTEM
We redesigned how Gold was experienced across key touchpoints to reinforce connection as the core value.
Website experience centered on community and belonging
Messaging reframed around shared play, not access
Product story aligned to behavior, not features
THE ACTIVATION
Experience Refresh
We rebuilt the Xbox Live Gold pages, shifting from transactional messaging to a clear, community-driven narrative.
We rebuilt the Xbox Live Gold pages, shifting from transactional messaging to a clear, community-driven narrative.
Personalized Outreach
Players with fewer than 10 friends received targeted CRM encouraging connection, with suggested friends and multiplayer prompts.
Players with fewer than 10 friends received targeted CRM encouraging connection, with suggested friends and multiplayer prompts.
THE RESULTS
+9 million new memberships in one quarter
30.2% membership growth
Retention stabilized and scaled
Seven years later, the core positioning and strategic architecture are still in use.
MY ROLE
Led brand strategy and creative execution across web, CRM, and positioning.
Worked across marketing, product, and UX to align messaging with how players actually experience value.
