NOVA Southeastern University
H. Wayne Huizenga School
of Business & Entrepreneurship
Assignment for Course: MKT 5070
Submitted to: Dr. Selima Ben Mrad
Submitted by: Elizabeth Bryant, James Jahna, Errolisa McPhee, Jephte Privert, Janet Simon,
Shawn Sullivan
Date of Submission: June 2nd, 2015
Title of Assignment: Microsoft HoloLens: Marketing Plan
CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any
assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have
also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or
paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course.
Student Signature: Elizabeth Bryant, James Jahna, Errolisa McPhee, Jephte Privert, Janet
Simon, Shawn Sullivan
*****************************************************************
Instructor’s Grade on Assignment:
Instructor’s Comments:
Microsoft HoloLens: Marketing Plan 1
Executive Summary
In this document the reader will learn about the marketing plan for the Microsoft
HoloLens that makes the virtual world a reality. The plan includes a description of the market
and compares rival products. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)
analysis was completed in order to identify the best strategies for the product’s marketing plan.
Since it is a new product, Microsoft has both large opportunities and risks associated with the
product launch. Microsoft will attempt to integrate products with HoloLens, such as Windows
OS, that consumers are already familiar to help show the value of the product. Microsoft has set
up a plan for each quarter of the year of 2015 to help launch the product successfully. Such a
large marketing plan comes at a price and the only way the HoloLens will be deemed a success is
if it returns a substantial profit to Microsoft. However forecasting a budget and determining how
many HoloLens products need to be sold is difficult at the current time, as there is no set price
for the product at the time of this report.
Additionally, the product has new software and hardware that the general public has not
had experience with even in today’s technological age. The reader will see by the end of the
marketing plan that Microsoft is entering uncharted waters with their new product and the
success of the product will be determined how effectively Microsoft is able to communicate the
product’s capabilities to and usefulness to the general public. Microsoft will attempt to convince
consumers that the public does not only want the product, but that the public needs this product.
This will make the product less of an accessory and more of a necessity in everyday life, such as
a smartphone in today’s world.
Microsoft HoloLens: Marketing Plan 2
Current Marketing Situation Analysis
Market Description
Microsoft is one step closer to true holographic capabilities and has once again invented a
product that has the potential to reshape the world and how we use technology throughout our
everyday lives. The Microsoft HoloLens essentially is a fusion of both a hologram and
augmented reality headset that projects light onto the surface of the headset lens, therefore
creating the illusion of holograms. The Microsoft HoloLens is the first reality device of its kind
to be able to effectively respond to a user’s voice communication, hand gestures and eye
movement. Our current technology today in the market provides us with three different means of
projecting or altering reality: virtual reality, augmented reality and holograms.
● Virtual reality “replicates an environment that simulates physical presence in places in
the real world or imagined worlds. Virtual reality can recreate sensory experiences, which
include virtual taste, sight, smell, sound, and touch” (Schnipper, 2015).
●Augmented reality “is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world
environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such
as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing
one’s current perception of reality” (Bonsor, 2014).
● Hologram “is a three-dimensional and free-standing image formed by the interference of
light beams from a laser or other coherent light source that does not simulate spatial
depth or require a special viewing device” (Workman, 2012).
While there have been several alternative realty products, Microsoft HoloLens is the first
portable and comfortably wearable device that successfully delivers real world mass market
augmented reality and holographic capability and functionality. Microsoft HoloLens’ goal is to
target several industries segments all at once including but not limited to: smart phones, tablets,
Microsoft HoloLens: Marketing Plan 3
game consoles, television, laptops and personal computers. If everything functions as expected,
Microsoft plans to successfully replace all these devices simply with the HoloLens. “The vision
is ambitious: they want to fundamentally change the way people interact with computers, by
building a pair of glasses that can fluidly mix virtual and real content together in the physical
space of the user. Furthermore, they want to do all the processing locally on the glasses — no
computer, no phone, no cables. This is like virtual reality technology, but fundamentally more
powerful” (Ralph, 2015).
Microsoft HoloLens will revolutionize customer needs and wants. HoloLens is such a
groundbreaking device that the company expects the product to be the first all in one multimedia
device that will replace all individual consumer devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops,
computers, game consoles and television. Alternative realty devices have existed for some time
now, but none has truly been promising or mass produced for consumer use. With that being
said, even though this product will be revolutionary and one of the first in the market of its kind,
expect Microsoft to price the HoloLens as a premium and limited product at launch therefore
affecting customer purchasing. Other factors such as limited software availability and software
integration at launch will affect customer purchasing simply because customers want to make
sure that the HoloLens will deliver as promised and perform as expected.
Product Review
The Microsoft HoloLens is still a product in its development stages planned to be release
sometime in the Windows 10 timeframe. Due to secrecy concerns Microsoft only invited and
allowed a few journalists and developers around the world the opportunity to test and experience
the HoloLens functionality and capabilities. This product review is the account of Michelle
Fitzsimmons a technology journalist for techradar.
Microsoft HoloLens: Marketing Plan 4
Hardware: “Putting on the HoloLens is easy: twist a wheel on the back of the device to
adjust how tight the headband is, and plop it onto your head. The headband and the visor can
move independently of each other, so you’ll be able to get things situated just right. You can also
slide the visor in and out, so it’s closer to or further away from your face — the HoloLens doesn’t
rest on your nose, and folks who wear glasses (including prescription lenses) have told me they
felt fine using it. It’s a fairly simple, light device. It also feels sturdy; though these are prototypes
and we were politely asked not to test exactly how much stretching they could take. HoloLens
looks and feels like a premium peripheral. Nothing about it screams “cheap” in materials or
design, and that will likely be reflected in the price. HoloLens looks like it belongs in the office
and would blend well in any living room. As is, it felt too flimsy to stay clean and unscathed in
someplace like a construction zone. I found myself handling it gently, so unless Microsoft does
some strengthening, you’ll probably want to keep HoloLens out of the reach of children”
(Fitzsimmons, 2015).
Software: “The resolution of the holograms projected onto the real world around me was
very good. They were vibrant, sharp and realistic, though a little jittery. When I moved around
them, the holographic shapes behaved like real world objects would, so I could see their
backsides or not see them at all if they became obstructed by other holograms. When the paper
spheres rolled onto the floor, they rolled around just like real balls would, bouncing around
objects and looking real enough to pick up. When I peered into the underworld that opened up on
the floor, it was like I was looking into, as my Microsoft HoloLens “mentor” put it, a world I
didn’t even know was there the whole time.” (Fitzsimmons, 2015) One great aspect about the
HoloLens is that while viewing the holograms through the lens, you are still able to see people
and objects around in great detail. “My favorite part of this HoloLens demo was a wire frame
Microsoft HoloLens: Marketing Plan 5
mesh that appeared on real-world objects to show how HoloLens perceives them. The mesh
changed as HoloLens registered the objects and I moved my head to look at a new spot. It also
went over people around me, though I could still make out their features from behind the digital
framework. It was an awesome AR moment: the people around me became part of the hologram
themselves” (Fitzsimmons, 2015).
Product Review Results: As with all innovation Microsoft HoloLens is not flawless. Both
hardware and software needs improvement in certain areas. These issues are expected to be
corrected by official launch of the product. Overall Microsoft has created an amazing device not
only for entertainment purposes but for everyday use. Microsoft HoloLens is a product that has
unlimited potential and the opportunity to change the direction of how we use technology in our
daily lives.
The Microsoft HoloLens offers the following features and characteristics:
● 3D Augmented and Holographic imaging
● Audio communication and recognition
● Gesture, gaze and voice control
● Full Windows 10 compatibility
● Self-contained computer
● Take HD photos & HD capture video
● Contain dedicated central processing unit (CPU), graphic processing unit (GPU),
holographic processing unit (HPU)
● Accelerometer, Gyroscope, and Magnetometer combined for head tracking
● Weighs less than an average laptop
Competition Review
Alternative reality devices have existed for more than two decades now. There has been
several companies that have attempted to developed several variations of holographic, virtual
and augmented reality devices. Unfortunately the technology was never developed enough and
did not catch on or do well in the market. With the current advancement in technology and
Microsoft HoloLens: Marketing Plan 6
increased in competitive pressure, many companies has begun a race to developing alternative
reality devices of the future. Key competitors are: Google Glass, Samsung Gear VR and Sony
Project Morpheus.
●Google Glass. Google Glass is a headset that you wear like a pair of eyeglasses. Google
Glass displays augmented reality information from a small prism screen attached to the
right corner of the frame. Users communicate with the Internet, phone, text and other
notifications using voice commands. Google was the first company in the market to have
the ability to mass produced Google glass. The company had the opportunity to capitalize
on being first to release a product of this kind; unfortunately, the company failed to
deliver consumer expectation. Google struggled to sell Google glass priced at a whopping
$1,500 and consumers weren’t too fond of the product since they viewed it as an
