IBM
IBM
At IBM, I lead content strategy for enterprise products and launches. In 2025, I took everything I've learned making viral content at BuzzFeed and applied it to... mainframe computers.
IBM’s biggest launch of 2025 was for the new AI-powered z17 mainframe. I oversaw our creative strategy, contributing to Z’s best quarter in two decades. Our content approach proved that you can make even 60-year-old technology compelling if you focus on the humans who build, test, and rely on them every day.
z17 launch: From AI to Z
Opportunity: The z17 mainframe launch — our biggest infrastructure moment all year — needed to solve a perception problem. Mainframes are incredibly powerful and important, but they're often dismissed as "legacy technology." Our goal: reposition them as AI-powered enterprise solutions central to modern data strategies, not relics from the past.
Challenge: The campaign needed to reach both executives (CIOs/CTOs making purchase decisions) and practitioners (the people actually using mainframes) across global markets. We needed to drive upgrade consideration among existing customers, and hit aggressive pipeline goals. All while shifting perceptions about mainframes being outdated when they're actually more powerful than ever.
My role
I owned the messaging and narrative strategy across the launch, working with cross-functional teams to develop the integrated campaign narrative “Z makes more possible.”
I led creative strategy for our episodes within IBM's content franchises like AI Academy, and built creator-driven content connecting technical specs to business results.
I also embedded with the social team to coach IBM's internal talent, like test architect PJ Catalano, into becoming on-camera creators. We developed a 30/60/90 plan that turned engineers into authentic voices for the brand.
Results:
$2.3B sales pipeline for 2025; Q3 was Z’s best quarter in two decades
18% conversion of "Skipper" accounts previously not expected to upgrade
26% retention of "Attrition" accounts at risk of leaving platform
9M+ impressions across campaign assets
693K+ engagements on creative content
z17 launch content:
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Hero video
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AI Academy: What's next for mainframes and AI?
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z17 Earthquake test (social)
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From AI to Z use case series
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Smart Talk with Malcolm Gladwell podcast + video
Hybrid Cloud social revamp
Opportunity: IBM’s Hybrid Cloud social channels were seeing diminishing returns. The content was fine. The technology was interesting. But something wasn't connecting. Impressions were declining, engagement was flat, and we were losing in a sea of enterprise tech sameness.
My role
Instead of operating as separate functions, I embedded directly with the social team for our hybrid cloud work. Not as an occasional consultant or approval layer — as a working partner in the room (well, Slack channel) every day. We showcased real IBM engineers and architects, not stock photos and generic messaging. We leaned into what made our technology genuinely interesting to our audience instead of sticking to the same old status quo.
The approach:
Ran collaborative workshops to align on audience understanding, not just personas but actual human beings making technology decisions
Developed creative pillars together that balanced campaign and brand goals, platform best practices, and what actually resonates with our audience
Co-created content from ideation through execution rather than handing off strategy documents, working to make things as authentic and unpolished as we could
Tested rapidly based on real-time performance, iterating together instead of in silos
Results:
2,204% over impression KPIs (exceeded goals by 22x)
1,443% over engagement KPIs (exceeded goals by 14x)
Established a workflow and framework across strategy and social that scaled to our z17 launch