Product Marketing And Management Alignment At FreeWheel

Innovation in the fast-paced media landscape is the engine that drives growth and relevance. At FreeWheel, a Comcast company powering the premium streaming advertising ecosystem, innovation is more than a buzzword — it’s a strategic imperative. With a strong foundation and a commitment to excellence, FreeWheel saw an opportunity to evolve its internal processes to better serve its customers and accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge solutions.

Rather than being hindered by the complexities of legacy systems and operational silos, FreeWheel embraced these challenges as catalysts for transformation. The company’s leadership proactively identified ways to enhance clarity across product team roles, improve long-term planning consistency, and deepen customer understanding. At the same time, the product marketing team focused on refining audience segmentation, sharpening buyer personas, and elevating go-to-market strategies to drive greater impact.

Jeanne Brown, VP of product marketing, and Kim Girard, head of product operations, recognized that meaningful change required more than process improvements — it demanded a cultural shift toward customer centricity and stronger cross-functional alignment. With this vision in mind, FreeWheel launched a transformation focused on the following key areas:

Fostering collaboration and agilityTo strengthen cross-functional alignment and accelerate decision-making, FreeWheel introduced new internal forums, including a launch steering committee and weekly operating huddles. These collaborative spaces empowered teams to share insights, align priorities, and drive accountability — creating a more agile environment where ideas could move swiftly from concept to execution.

Guiding transformation with a unified frameworkFreeWheel embraced the Forrester Product Marketing And Management (PMM) Model as a foundational framework to unify product marketing and product management efforts. This model provided a clear structure for transformation, beginning with a comprehensive assessment of current capabilities. Brown and Girard led the charge, identifying opportunities to upskill teams and clarify ownership. Through a robust learning series, teams gained expertise in product development best practices, go-to-market strategy, buyer persona refinement, and messaging.

Tailoring tools to fit FreeWheel’s needsRather than applying a “one size fits all” approach, FreeWheel tailored Forrester’s templates to reflect its distinct business context. Structured deliverables like idea briefs helped teams evaluate and prioritize opportunities with greater precision. A consistent framework for audience segmentation and launch tiering brought clarity and efficiency to execution. New processes for managing product sunsets, migrations, and roadmaps ensured transparency and alignment with customer expectations — reinforcing FreeWheel’s commitment to delivering value at every stage of the product lifecycle.

The results of this transformation were both immediate and far-reaching. FreeWheel significantly improved its ability to prioritize product opportunities and build customer-centric roadmaps. Enhanced resource allocation enabled the company to launch more capabilities than ever before, while streamlined review processes accelerated delivery timelines.

Most notably, FreeWheel achieved over 90% of its launch goals — a powerful reflection of the company’s renewed focus on strategic alignment and customer centricity. By embedding these principles into its culture and operations, FreeWheel not only elevated internal efficiency but also strengthened its ability to deliver meaningful outcomes for its customers.

Want to dive deeper into FreeWheel’s transformation journey? The full case study report, including detailed metrics and frameworks, is available exclusively to Forrester clients. Read the full case study report here.