Our gamers generate a tremendous amount of data, all of it reflective of their personal Xbox experience. It tells a story and no two players’ stories are exactly alike. Our idea was to deliver that data back to them, to show them how they personally spent their time with Xbox One, and to give our customers the most in-depth analysis of their gaming life ever created. Basically, we decided to publish 11 million autobiographies—using data instead of words.

At the end of 2015, we sent 11 million personalized emails to Xbox fans. Apart from a few words here and there, the email was almost entirely composed of the recipient’s individual Xbox data, gathered dynamically to reflect the most recent, real-time numbers. We showed players exactly how they spent 2015 on Xbox One as well as how they ranked against their friends and the entire Xbox community. By giving each player his or her personal numbers, we engaged our players on an emotional level that they understood deeply.

Players showed deep appreciation for the initial email through an open rate that was 122% against the benchmark. On social media channels, they shared and compared their stats. They told their stories to each other. And among their differences they saw what they all have in common: a love of gaming on Xbox One. As word of the campaign spread, it was picked up by the media and received more than 80 mentions across gaming and entertainment press, blogs, and forums. We even got gamers on competing consoles asking for this same sort of personal treatment.