Microsoft had a great story to tell—and told it with tremendous results

Microsoft Story Labs, the platform for original long-form multimedia content, was home to a remarkable piece of storytelling about the development of the first-ever game controller that could be adapted based on a user’s unique disability. The story has won first place in the “Article” category of PR Daily’s 2018 Content Marketing Awards

The article, “Plugged In,” delved deeply into the inspiration for the product, an idea created in an employee hackathon. The tale also addressed the challenge of convincing higher-ups of the value of introducing this product into the marketplace, considering the massive investment required. The article details everything from the product’s uniquely accessible packaging to how Microsoft obtained feedback from gamers and disability advocates.

Writer Deborah Bach interviewed some 30 people from both inside and outside of Microsoft; she even traveled to Colorado to talk with patients and clinicians who are using the controller as part of a therapeutic program at Craig Hospital, which specializes in rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord and brain injuries.

Congratulations to writer Deborah Bach.