Scope
UI/UX & Web Design, Copywriting, SEO Strategy
Industries
Technology, Enterprise Software, SaaS, Cloud
Year
2016-2017
In a sea of enterprise jargon, VMware needed a reset. The mission: move from talking about software specs to showing what technology makes possible. We reframed VMware’s story around people: how they work, create, and collaborate when the technology gets out of the way.
From thought leadership to playful campaigns that roasted IT pain points, everything laddered up to one truth: When the tech disappears, people do their best work.
Metrics
35K
Radius subscribers
within six months
within six months
1M+
Radius monthly
page views
page views
150%
Average year
one ROI
one ROI
The Challenge
Old Reputation vs New Innovations
VMware had enterprise credibility but a brand perception stuck in the past. It was seen as a virtual-machine company, not a digital transformation partner. While early adopters were thriving with Workspace ONE, most decision-makers still thought “mobility” meant device management, not workforce empowerment. So we dug in:
- Conducted research with 1,200 IT and business leaders across North America, EMEA, and APAC.
- Found consistent blockers: fragmented systems, security fatigue, and a belief that digital transformation was a “Fortune 100 problem.”
- Discovered an emotional truth: People weren’t afraid of new tech. They were afraid of the complexity that came with it.
Our takeaway: the story wasn’t about transformation. It was about removing friction so people could move faster, collaborate better, and focus on what matters.
Research at Scale: A global survey of IT and business leaders revealed what was holding digital transformation back: fear of disruption (and costs), not a lack of innovation.
The Big Idea
The Future is Human
We built VMware Radius, a global thought leadership hub dedicated to people, not platforms. The goal was to make technology feel approachable, something that amplified human creativity rather than competing with it.
- Flagship Campaign: “The Future Is Human.” Every asset, from keynote decks to digital banners, reinforced one idea: the future of work belongs to the people who build it.
- Tone Shift: Reports, case studies, and data stories read like industry journalism, not vendor blogs.
- Humor in the Wild: The “Employees First” sub-campaign ran at VMworld with playful takes on universal IT headaches — endless passwords, app overload, and inbox chaos. Each pain point ended with one solution: Workspace ONE simplifies everything.
- Tools That Teach: Interactive maturity quizzes helped teams benchmark digital readiness; decision-tree carousels guided adoption paths; snackable infographics turned complex systems into “aha” moments.
Results
35K
Radius subscribers
within six months
within six months
1M+
Radius monthly
page views
page views
150%
Average year
one ROI
one ROI
The campaign helped reshape how VMware talked about digital work. Workspace ONE gained stronger traction as a secure, user-first platform, and early adopters reported measurable improvements in efficiency and lower management costs.
At VMworld, engagement increased significantly. The “Employees First” campaign drew steady booth traffic, and interactive tools like the maturity quizzes generated valuable leads and audience insights.
Most importantly, the work helped VMware evolve its perception from a legacy infrastructure brand to a trusted partner in digital transformation. The new voice felt current, confident, and aligned with the people and teams it supports.
Takeaways
VMware reminded us that the most advanced technology still succeeds or fails on one thing: people. By building stories around empathy instead of infrastructure, the brand turned enterprise software into something relatable, relevant, and worth rallying around.
Building effective B2B thought leadership
The strongest thought leadership starts by teaching, not selling. VMware Radius proved that when insights lead the message, authority follows naturally. By framing reports, interviews, and data as editorial stories, the brand built credibility with decision-makers who wanted expertise, not advertising.
The strongest thought leadership starts by teaching, not selling. VMware Radius proved that when insights lead the message, authority follows naturally. By framing reports, interviews, and data as editorial stories, the brand built credibility with decision-makers who wanted expertise, not advertising.
Humanizing enterprise messaging
Complex doesn’t have to mean cold. VMware shifted from product talk to people talk, showing how Workspace ONE simplified daily work for real teams. Humor, empathy, and plain language made digital transformation feel less like a buzzword and more like a shared goal: turning trust into traction.
Complex doesn’t have to mean cold. VMware shifted from product talk to people talk, showing how Workspace ONE simplified daily work for real teams. Humor, empathy, and plain language made digital transformation feel less like a buzzword and more like a shared goal: turning trust into traction.
Driving innovation storytelling through content systems
Content ecosystems are the architecture behind modern storytelling. VMware’s connected framework linked education, campaign creative, and live activations so each reinforced the other. With data and design in sync, every story fed the next, creating a scalable model for continuous engagement and measurable growth.
Content ecosystems are the architecture behind modern storytelling. VMware’s connected framework linked education, campaign creative, and live activations so each reinforced the other. With data and design in sync, every story fed the next, creating a scalable model for continuous engagement and measurable growth.
