Client Objective
Boost internal engagement and social learning across the enterprise by increasing daily usage and visibility of Viva Engage as a hub for peer connection, knowledge sharing, and change momentum.
The Challenge
Viva Engage had been deployed, but was underutilized.
- Few employees actively posted or engaged with content
- Departments worked in silos, with minimal cross-functional sharing
- Leaders wanted more authentic, bottom-up communication and energy around transformation initiatives like Microsoft Copilot
New Era was brought in to energize adoption and make Viva Engage a trusted, go-to platform - not just another app.
Our Approach: Gamified Engagement, Peer Recognition, and Role-Based Activation
Gamification Engine
We turned Viva Engage into a dynamic, fun, and social learning space by launching:
- Daily Challenges tied to Microsoft Copilot (e.g., “Share your favorite prompt,” “Post a time-saving tip”)
- Themed Weeks (Prompt Week, Productivity Week, Power Prompters Week) with curated content and missions
- Departmental Leaderboards to showcase posting activity, feedback shared, and engagement per team
- Digital Badges for milestones (First Post, First Tip, 5 Prompts Shared, Team MVP)
Interactive Engagement Activities
We layered gamification with interactive experiences that pulled people into Viva Engage organically:
- “Copilot in Action” Story Campaign: Employees posted real stories of how they used AI to save time or solve problems
- Ask Me Anything (AMA) with AI Champions: Internal experts hosted open threads where employees could ask Copilot questions in Viva Engage
- Weekly Shoutouts: Leaders spotlighted contributors with high-value posts and comments, driving recognition and reinforcing desired behaviors
- Crowdsourced Prompt Library: Top-voted prompts from Viva Engage were collected and published to a shared resource hub
Executive and Manager Buy-In
We provided managers and leaders with:
- A weekly playbook of messages to amplify the campaign
- Pre-written engagement prompts to post in Viva Engage
- Dashboards showing their team’s engagement levels
- Talking points to discuss the “why” behind Viva and Copilot adoption
What Made It Work
- Gamification tied to real work (e.g., Copilot usage), not just points-for-posting
- Recognition and visibility at multiple levels; peer, manager, and exec
- Consistent rhythm of posts, prompts, and campaign moments to keep momentum
- Community-first mindset that positioned Viva Engage as a space for sharing, not pushing
Client Testimonial“We thought Viva Engage would be a slow burn. New Era made it explode. People were posting, learning, and connecting in ways we hadn’t seen before. It’s become a part of our change culture, not just a communications tool.” |
The TakeawayWhen you infuse gamification and peer storytelling into adoption strategies, tools like Viva Engage become more than a platform, they become part of how your organization learns, grows, and connects.
Want to drive authentic engagement with Microsoft 365? |