CANNES – Microsoft believes its Xbox game console can take marketers’ messages to consumers beyond gaming’s traditional hardcore audience.

“The fastest-growing demographic on Xbox today is females aged 18 to 39, who happen to be the chief decision-makers on purchases in most households around the world,” Microsoft’s advertising and online corporate VP Frank Holland said.

Holland spoke with Beet.TV during Cannes Lions, where Microsoft is announcing its new Windows 8 Ad Pano format.

Xbox’s upcoming Xbox One successor has drawn a degree of consumer scepticism following its recent reveal, but Holland said one of the biggest criticisms would be a benefit: “The box is 100% of the time connected to the internet , so it will be able to take advantage of all the richness there.”

Correction to Video:
There are 48 million Xbox Live members worldwide and 76 million consoles.
Skype users made 2 billion minutes of calls in one day.