VMware Carving a new niche

A 1:1 ABM campaign that positioned VMware as the platform of choice for GE, securing 190% of pipeline target in the process.

$9.5M

Pipeline generated

13

Meetings secured with key execs

$5.4M

In closed-won business

In 2022, multinational conglomerate GE ​set an objective to reduce costs by 40% over four years, while splitting into several different entities. As part of this they needed to transition from legacy IT systems to a new, standalone, flexible infrastructure.​

As an existing cloud partner, VMware, found itself potentially at risk as GE ​began making cutbacks.​

The ABM team needed to find a way to ​get to the right people at GE’s Separation Management Office, and new standalone, sustainable energy company GE Vernova, to demonstrate how VMware could help drive down cost across the business.​

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The idea

Our strategy was to demonstrate ​that GE’s planned multi-cloud path would lead to unnecessary complexity; while a VMware-led approach would simplify the separation process, ​cut costs, and improve flexibility.​

The ABM team mapped VMware's solutions to GE’s five strategic priorities: accelerating separation, reducing costs, minimizing risk, simplifying operations, and long-​term flexibility. This ensured that ​the concepts and messaging immediately felt familiar and ​relevant to GE target contacts.​

The story

Operating in a crowded market, it was imperative to stand out. The creative team devised messaging to help them do that based on two, interlinked themes: ​

  • “Cloud cohesion”

VMware offers a single, agnostic operating model across all clouds. Rather than being perceived as ‘just another supplier’, leading with this angle allowed them to position themselves as a partner alongside GE Vernova, helping to manage other, disparate cloud providers more efficiently.​​

  • “Winning now and in the future”

The GE team had been given an uphill task: not only to cut costs today, but to build in flexibilities and growth opportunities for tomorrow. By explaining how they would help GE achieve that balance in the ABM assets, the VMware team made sure the collateral made for compelling reading.

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The experience

A comprehensive 1:1 ABM plan was rolled out, from sales and strategy workshops through buying committee mapping, value proposition development, account plays ​and go-to-market plan.​

The ABM team researched the decision-making unit and influencers; exploring ​their job scopes and interests to craft relevant messaging.​

The team knew one-to-one relationship building would be vital for the size and importance of the targeted deal. Assets were designed to support that activity, ​from raising awareness to eliciting invitations to present at senior-level ​GE meetings.​

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The outcomes

By interrogating the problem and ​working out what the challenge really was, the campaign allowed VMware to carve ​a new niche in a complex customer landscape, securing 190% of pipeline ​target in the process. ​

Meetings were booked with previously unreachable execs and VMware moved ​from being at risk from GE’s cost-cutting objective, to becoming a key enabler of ​that cost reduction. ​

Due to the success of the program, invitations were secured to present to the exclusive GE CTO Council for the first time in two years, as well as the GE Edge Symposium.

  • $9.5M pipeline generated

  • $5.4M in closed-won business

  • 3 new relationships with GE separation leaders

  • 13 meetings secured with key executives


“The Premier ABM program enabled us to put forth our (POV) tied to GE’s five ​most significant priorities, and our customer loved it. Sent the deck you created ​to the CTO and he invited the VP of Cloud to join. They liked the message so much they ​invited us to present at GE’s CTO Council.”

Monica Elliot
Account Manager, GE