Decision Quality
Embedding User Research Into Marketing Decision-Making
Established VMware Marketing's first dedicated user research capability and embedded customer evidence into planning, prioritization, and leadership decision-making.
The Challenge
VMware's marketing organization invested in customer research, but lacked an organizational capability for turning that research into better decisions.
Customer insights were scattered across outsourced studies and disconnected tools. Research happened alongside planning rather than within it, leaving leaders to prioritize initiatives without consistent access to customer evidence.
The Solution
Established VMware Marketing's first dedicated user research capability by redirecting outsourced research investment into an internal function.
Combined research tools, dedicated expertise, and structured operating rhythms so customer evidence became part of weekly planning, prioritization, and leadership discussions. Rather than creating another research function, the work embedded research directly into the organization's decision-making process.
Before
After
What Changed
Research shifted from an occasional deliverable to an operational capability.
Leadership behavior changed noticeably. Instead of marketing teams pushing research to executives, vice presidents and senior directors began proactively requesting customer briefings before making investment and prioritization decisions. Customer evidence became an expected input into planning rather than an afterthought.
Results
- 100% of major marketing initiatives informed by user research.
- 26% reduction in research spend through insourcing capability.
- Improved information architecture based on customer behavior.
- Resolved a critical checkout failure point.
- Redesigned product messaging using observed customer behavior.
What This Proved
Customer insight creates value only when leaders can access it at the moment decisions are made. Evidence belongs inside governance—not beside it.