Objectives

1. Reframe Avanade’s narrative from AI visionary to AI enabler.
2. Build market credibility through first-party insight and research.
3. Engage and qualify senior decision-makers across Tier 1 and Tier 2 retail.
4. Capture executive signals that could directly inform Avanade’s go-to-market priorities.
5. Create a repeatable framework for other industries within Avanade’s portfolio.

The Challenge

Retail executives were overwhelmed with AI rhetoric and underwhelmed by practical direction. The real constraint was not innovation appetite but operational readiness.

Avanade needed to demonstrate how retail businesses could modernise the core without replacing everything. The message had to connect strategy with execution, speaking to both business leaders and technology stakeholders.

The Factor Methodology

Factor’s engagement model combined three core disciplines:

• Insight – first-party research gathered through surveys, transcripts, and facilitated discussions.
• Intelligence – structured maturity and intent analysis to identify where AI readiness existed.
• Influence – executive experiences designed to build trust, accelerate understanding, and qualify demand.

Each discipline reinforced the next, producing both strategic clarity and measurable engagement momentum.

Campaign Framework

Running from August to November 2025, the program progressed audiences from awareness to in-person trust through five integrated stages.

Execution and Delivery

1. Market Research and Insight

Factor conducted proprietary research on ERP and AI maturity across Australian retail.
The findings validated Avanade’s hypothesis that most AI initiatives were blocked by fragmented systems and outdated architecture. These insights became the backbone of the entire narrative.

2. Narrative Architecture

The campaign was built around a single storyline: ERP → Co-Pilot → Agentic Intelligence.
This maturity curve explained how retailers could evolve AI capabilities in stages, without disruption. It also became the unifying framework across all assets and sessions.

3. Media and Content Delivery

The Factor media team produced a cinematic 40-minute talkshow filmed with senior retail leaders and transformation experts. The content was repurposed into over 20 clips distributed through LinkedIn, YouTube, and executive outreach sequences.

The white paper, The AI Enablement Journey, served as a consulting-grade asset for Avanade teams. It included real survey data, maturity scoring frameworks, and practical recommendations for transformation planning.

4. Executive Engagement

Roundtables in Sydney and Melbourne brought together senior CIOs, CFOs, and Transformation Heads. The discussions were facilitated by Factor analysts and advisors including Craig Baty, Darren Adams, Burak Cankurtaran, and Madeline Palmer.
Outputs included:

• Detailed transcripts segmented by capability area.
• Insight summaries showing top barriers and enablers to AI adoption.
• Actionable frameworks shared back with Avanade and participants.

5. Intelligence and Signal Capture

All interaction data was integrated into a single dashboard, allowing Avanade to see where interest translated into intent.
Signals included maturity level, project timeline, persona engagement, and investment readiness. This system provided ongoing visibility for Avanade’s marketing and sales teams.

Operational Execution

Factor managed all logistics and coordination, from guest preparation and scheduling to filming, post-production, and on-site facilitation.
CX and production teams worked side by side to maintain consistency in tone, research accuracy, and delivery quality across every touchpoint.

Measurement and Insight

Factor provided a comprehensive impact report combining engagement analytics, sentiment data, and qualitative outcomes.

Quantitative Results

• Over 80 senior retail executives engaged across four connected experiences.
• 4x increase in executive engagement compared with previous Avanade campaigns.
• 90% of participants rated the discussion as highly relevant to their strategic priorities.
• 70% expressed interest in further engagement or follow-up sessions.

Qualitative Outcomes

• Executives described the content as practical, credible, and grounded in operational reality.
• The sessions generated continued dialogue between Avanade teams and key retail accounts.
• The narrative was adopted internally by Avanade’s regional teams as a model for other sectors.

Longevity and Reuse

The talkshow and white paper continue to drive inbound engagement through Avanade’s owned channels.
Clips from the campaign were featured in internal enablement sessions and reused for regional retail summits.
The maturity framework remains part of Avanade’s broader consulting toolkit for data and AI transformation.

Lessons Learned

• Executive engagement works best when content begins with real operational challenges, not product messaging.
• Combining research, media, and advisory within one program creates both credibility and efficiency.
• Story consistency across every touchpoint amplifies message retention and brand trust.
• Insight-led campaigns create shelf life beyond the event itself, turning thought leadership into a usable sales asset.

Impact Highlights

• Market Reach - 80+ senior retail leaders engaged through multiple formats.
• Engagement Depth - 4x increase in executive participation compared with prior campaigns.
• Content Longevity - 90-day sustained visibility across owned and earned media.
• Sales Enablement - 20+ executive briefs distributed to account teams for follow-up.
• Framework Adoption - ERP to AI model embedded into Avanade’s ongoing retail messaging.

Conclusion

The Avanade partnership demonstrates how Factor’s hybrid model of research, advisory, and media can transform how technology consultancies engage enterprise audiences.

By integrating first-party insight, tailored storytelling, and measurable executive engagement, Factor enabled Avanade to establish lasting credibility in one of the most competitive sectors in Australia.

Result: sustained visibility, verified executive access, and a replicable engagement model now used across multiple Avanade industries.