Atlassian (Team & Project Management SaaS) – Case Study
When Atlassian announced the end-of-life for its server / on-prem support, it faced a major activation challenge: a massive base of existing customers who were unaware, unwilling, or uncertain about migrating to cloud. Despite built-in product incentives, 95% of their user base remained unaware of the cloud advantage or the urgency to migrate (our target segment).
Key obstacles included:
- Technical risk perception: customers feared data loss, downtime, or integration issues
- Low cloud literacy: many customers didn’t understand the differentiated value of cloud features
- Inertia / switching cost: moving from on-prem required effort, change management, and stakeholder buy-in
- A global rollout across markets (not just Australia) with regional nuances
Atlassian needed a global activation strategy to push existing users toward cloud migration, educate them on value, counter objections, and accelerate uptake across legacy segments.
Strategy & Execution: Activation Through Education, Segmentation & Multi-Channel Content
Dipity was brought in to design and execute a full-scale activation campaign across global markets, with particular emphasis on Australia as a launching ground.
1. Deep segmentation & persona modeling
We deployed user analytics to cluster behaviors and attitudes, and developed 16 unique personas (e.g. “Enterprise skeptic,” “Technical champion,” “Compliance averse,” “Feature explorer”). Each persona received a tailored content journey.
2. Activation playbook & content funnel
Using the persona framework, we built a structured content funnel combining:
- Thought leadership articles & white papers
- Webinars (technical deep dives, migration best practices, Q&A)
- Customer case studies & testimonial videos
- On-site personalization (e.g. contextually triggered banners or messaging in Atlassian’s own site)
- Email / nurture flows linked to engagement signals
We also packaged an Activation Playbook shared internally (Atlassian + partners) detailing trigger points, content paths, handoffs to sales / support.
3. Multi-channel distribution & feedback loops
We orchestrated content across multiple channels—organic search, paid media, email, social, webinars—with tracking. We monitored engagement in real time, then iterated messaging, timing, and segmenting to improve conversion.
4. Change management & enablement
To mitigate resistance, we built a support layer:
- Migration guides, checklists, and toolkits
- Migration office hours & technical office hours
- Regional webinars to address compliance, regulatory, and localization objections
- Incentives & limited-time offers to accelerate decisioning
We aligned closely with Atlassian’s internal product / migration teams to integrate content handoffs and follow-through.
Results: Rapid Awareness Shift & Explosive Cloud Conversions
| Metric | Before | After (6 months) |
| Unaware segment | ~95 % | ~37 % |
| Activated users pushed toward migration | — | 250,000 users |
| Outcome revenue quarter | — | $1 B (first $1B quarter via cloud migrations) |
| Global reach / scale | Legacy on-prem across multiple markets | Full activation campaign across multiple regions |
Key outcomes / impacts:
- We slashed the “unaware” cohort from ~95% to ~37% in just 6 months, meaning a vast majority of the base was now aware and primed for migration.
- We directly influenced 250,000 users into migration paths (trial, planning, or execution).
- Atlassian hit its first $1 B quarter of cloud revenue—an inflection point in their business model.
- The activation program became a proven internal playbook, reused and adapted across geographies.
Beyond revenue, the campaign drove long-term brand and product outcomes:
- Migration risk objections dropped (supported by lower drop-off in later funnel stages)
- Sales and product teams gained more mature, qualified leads ready for cloud transition
- The campaign established trust narrative via peer stories, use cases, and technical depth
Lessons & Best Practices from the Campaign
- Persona-first activation beats one-size-fits-all: Tailoring content to distinct user mindsets drives higher engagement and trust.
- Content + product handoff alignment is critical: Without tight integration, users slip between marketing and migration pathways.
- Iterate based on real-time analytics: We continuously refined messaging and segmentation based on observed behavior.
- Offer practical support & proof points: Webinars, toolkits, and videos from real customers help reduce fear.
- Launch in a strategic pilot region (Australia) before full global scale: This allowed us to test messaging, fine-tune segments, and prove impact before rolling out globally.
Conclusion
The Atlassian activation campaign is a powerful testament to how content-led, persona-based, multi-channel strategies can accelerate B2B product transitions—especially in high-stakes, risk-sensitive migrations. By reducing customer ignorance from 95% to 37%, activating nearly 250,000 users, and driving a historic $1B cloud quarter, Dipity proved not just tactical execution, but strategic influence over client business outcomes.
If you’re facing a similarly complex product migration or adoption challenge, we’d love to help you design a custom activation program that delivers measurable business impact.
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