According to a report from The Information, Asha Sharma, the recently appointed CEO of Microsoft Gaming, has reportedly made the decisive move to cancel the “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign. Originally championed by Phil Spencer, the campaign’s remnants were allegedly removed from official channels within weeks of Sharma taking her new role.
A source, described as having ‘direct knowledge’ of the matter, indicates a clear intention to end the confusion generated by the previous communication strategy and to redefine the brand’s identity. While maintaining the core “Play Anywhere” strategy, Sharma is reportedly keen on boosting hardware sales, an area where Xbox has not outperformed competitors since 2008 and currently faces significant challenges.
New Strategic Directions
During her initial internal meeting with fellow executives, Sharma reportedly outlined an ambitious vision: to establish Xbox as the ‘console of reference,’ serving as the benchmark for the entire market. This perspective, according to General Manager Chris Charla, had an immediate positive effect on the team. “It resonated very well. People transitioned from being quite anxious, wondering ‘what’s going on?’, to feeling a sense of relief by the end of the day,” Charla stated.
This new strategic direction emerges after a turbulent period for the division. Sharma was personally selected by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to succeed Phil Spencer, who resigned last month. Shortly thereafter, Sarah Bond also departed; she was widely considered one of the key figures behind the controversial advertising campaign and had faced both internal and community criticism. “If you didn’t align with the vision or questioned it, you were out,” a former employee commented, describing her previous management style.
Sharma appears to be adopting a distinct approach. As Vice President Jason Ronald emphasizes, the new CEO aims to “preserve what makes Xbox great, but at the same time is willing to question everything,” thereby avoiding the ingrained biases that can develop after years within the same industry.
Among the identified strategic priorities is also Project Helix, a forthcoming hybrid platform that will be a central focus for the group’s efforts.