Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing

Partner Marketing: Strategies and Best Practices with Emily Cadwallader

Welcome to Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing, where we explore the hottest topics in cyber marketing, interview experts, and help you become a better cybersecurity marketer! In this episode, Emily Cadwallader, Partner Marketing Manager at Binary Defense, shares her expertise with Gianna and Maria.
 
Emily first joined Binary Defense as a marketing specialist wearing lots of hats. Once the company found its footing in channel strategy, Emily was able to focus all her efforts on that specific area. Channel marketing differs slightly from more traditional marketing, she explains, because it requires a more strategy-focused approach. When it comes to making things exciting, Emily believes that consistent contact with partners is super important. In terms of being there for marketing and collaboration, your partners can almost serve as an extension of your sales team.  Emily and her team at Binary Defense work closely with their partners to ensure they are involved in quarterly training and staying up to date with the latest offerings. 
 
Among Binary Defense’s partners include one tenure, several who are currently onboarding, and both regional and national partners. The first step of their most recent portal revamps was understanding what their ideal partner profile looked like. Next, Emily shares some of the company’s most successful field events. If a partner already has their year of marketing strategy planned out for the year, it can be a great opportunity to tie in with them. Many partners have a cyber-specific day in which they come to evaluate their clients and prospects. Then, she elaborated on centralizing communications and activities and why it is so important for a successful partner program. These come in two forms: centralizing your communications internally and keeping consistent, open communication with your partners.  
 
Emily received the Star Performer Award at Binary for her work as a partner marketer. She unpacks some of the qualities of someone who excels in partner marketing. First and foremost, you need to be a good communicator and have prior experience in the different avenues of marketing. This role can’t be done alone, so the ability to collaborate with others is key. Finally, they engage in a fun guessing game to reveal what career Jennifer would pursue outside of the cybersecurity marketing field.
 
Links:
 
Follow Emily Cadwallader on LinkedIn.
Keep up with Hacker Valley on our website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.
 

CPF Coaching & Breaking Into Cybersecurity with Christophe Foulon

In this episode, Christophe Foulon, cybersecurity manager at a Fortune 500 company and Founder of CPF Coaching, joins Maria and Gianna.
 
To begin, Christophe shares that his idea for CPF Coaching came from the pandemic when many cybersecurity employees moved from in-office to remote work. He noticed they struggled with communication, collaboration, and influence in the new setting. His marketing experience comes into play here as he must convince leaders that cybersecurity is crucial to their business. He would sum up his entire career as the connection between the people and the technical side. In addition, Christophe also hosts the Breaking Into Cybersecurity podcast, which stems from his own experience and challenges of breaking into cybersecurity. He is also the author of two books about cybersecurity.
 
Next, Christophe unpacks how marketers already have the skills needed to break into the cybersecurity field. These skills include communication, collaboration, influence, and prior knowledge of your industry. Together, all these skills can work together to help the business solve solutions in a different way than those from a purely technical standpoint. Today, Christophe’s clients as a consultant include different lines of business within a large credit card division, each looking to deliver solutions for their different types of clients. His job is to deliver solutions and ensure that their data is protected. Looking towards the future, his following vision is to lead a security program for a mid-large size organization to help influence the development of a great cybersecurity pipeline and help implement planned growth.
 
Christophe offers his best advice for navigating these tricky waters. Figure out what problems you want to solve, how you can solve them, and what might set you apart from the competition, and then work with leaders to see where they might be in their program and how your solution can help. Finally, they engage in a fun guessing game to reveal what career Christophe would pursue outside of the cybersecurity marketing field.
 
Links:
Follow Christophe Foulon on LinkedIn.
Keep up with Hacker Valley on our website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.
 
Christophe’s books:
Develop Your Cybersecurity Career Path: How to Break into Cybersecurity at any Level
Hack the Cybersecurity Interview: A complete interview preparation guide for jumpstarting your cybersecurity career
 
 

Cyber CMO Wisdom with Ashish Kuthiala

Welcome to Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing, where we explore the hottest topics in cyber marketing, interview experts and help you become a better cybersecurity marketer! In this episode, Ashish Kuthiala, CMO of Traceable AI joins Maria and Gianna.
 
To begin, Ashish shares his path to his current role. He was raised in several different countries and was able to experience different cultures, countries and schooling systems firsthand. He moved to the U.S. for his studies 25 years ago and now calls the country home. He has since worked in computer science, computer engineering, code writing product development and in various roles on the business side. His introduction to marketing was in product marketing, where he was able to merge his engineering background and his love for connecting people. Traceable is Ashish’s fifth startup, which he came to in the very beginning stages of the launch.
 
Each company Asish has worked for has taught him value lessons and skills which he has brought on to the next. With the mindset of experimenting a lot, learning from your experiments and reiterating a lot to find out what does and doesn't work, he believes you will be successful in any role. As a leader, it is crucial to build a culture in which employees feel free to experiment and learn from their failures. A key goal of marketing is to build a sales pipeline, which takes time and patience. Each quarter, he and his team look at all of the data to determine where they are on their trajectory.
 
Next, Ashish unpacks his fundamental approach to marketing. Today, most IT buyers educate themselves before deciding on a software. They already know what problems they want to solve, who can do it best and how much they should be paying for the service. From a marketing perspective, the most critical pieces are to be transparent, trustworthy and know your stakeholders. Employees and customers alike should be passionate about what they are building and eager to talk about it. He also addresses the common privacy concerns that transparency entails. This all comes down to velocity and moving faster than our competitors. Finally, our hosts and guest engage in a fun guessing game to reveal what career Ashish would pursue outside of the cybersecurity marketing field.
 
Links:
 
Follow Ashish Kuthiala on LinkedIn.
Keep up with Hacker Valley on our website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.

It’s 2008 Again…Everything Old & Horrible is New Again with Jennifer Leggio

Welcome to Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing, where we explore the hottest topics in cyber marketing, interview experts, and help you become a better cybersecurity marketer! In this episode, Jennifer Leggio, CMO at Netography, joins Maria and Gianna to discuss the changes she has seen in marketing throughout her career.
 
To begin, Jennifer shares that she began her career in journalism. In 2000, she decided to make a change and moved to Silicon Valley. She first worked for a small PR agency specializing in cybersecurity for clients. Here, she was able to spin her journalism background into PR. She fell in love with working at startups. Then, Jennifer shares her perspective that comm is separate from marketing before unpacking her perspective of the current market shift. Marketing and the economy come and go in cycles. Throughout her career so far, Jennifer has found that security is very resilient and an always-needed market. 
 
After unpacking how the journey of buyers and marketers has changed, hear what marketers can do to make sure our heads are above water with these changes. Jennifer shares that, sadly, many companies have had to make major cutbacks for their marketing teams, and there will likely be even more to come. Some leaders are making these decisions based on 2008 principles of how marketing is done. Jennifer talks a lot about the importance of doing “outside-in” programs, meaning going where the buyers are. While a sales force is important to build a business, it can’t be the only area companies rely on for growth and scale. Cutting off the resources which are more difficult to track right away will nearly always backfire. 
 
 The best communications, Jennifer explains, include industry analysts. This all comes back to go where your buyers are rather than waiting for them to come to you. Getting the right type of content that ties into your values and will move a buyer persona in the right direction requires a strong communication team. Before wrapping up, Jennifer shares her best advice for sales and marketing alignment and tips for marketers who want to become CMOs one day. Finally, they engage in a fun guessing game to reveal what career Jennifer would pursue outside of the cybersecurity marketing field. 
 
Links:
 
Follow Jennifer Leggio on LinkedIn.
Keep up with Hacker Valley on our website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.

Journey Into Security And Digital Experience: Exploring Different Personas And Strategies For AR Program with Ashish Malpani

! In this episode, Ashish Malpani, the head of global product marketing for DX, joins Maria and Gianna to discuss the journey into cyber security and digital experience for AR programs.
 
Ashish shares his thoughts on digital experience, how they provide the right tools to maintain good cyber hygiene, and how to improve the cyber security program. They also try to see what the customer experience is like. He goes on and explains how DX team is spread out in different parts, the types of content Ashish sees resonating so well with developers and technical customers. There are things you can do to reach out to the practitioner developer audience but still reach a high level of management in the IT space. Ashish explains that in the space of cyber security, we are either victims of it or itself serving the narrative.
 
Ashish further explains how he dealt with analyst relation programs in the past, He explains the different analyst firms and their categorization. Foresters spend a lot of the time in research doing analyst experience, which is the experience of your product to cybersecurity analyst within the company. He shares the tips to get the most out of your product analyst. Ashish shares his opinion on the employee-to-analyst ratio and why marketers need to know employee to analyst ratio. Ashish also tells us how many people are at his firm vs. employees. Market studies can be future looking, but it’s a challenge for product marketers to talk about the future and address today's reality. People need to evolve their cyber security programs to address the needs of tomorrow.
 
Before wrapping up, Ashish is engaged by our hosts in a fun guessing game to reveal what career he would pursue outside of the cybersecurity marketing field.
 
Follow Ashish Malponi on LinkedIn, Twitter, and  Website
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.

Sip some #RSAC2023 tea with Maria and Gianna... From Innovative Booths to the Reunion of Marketers and Co-Marketing Activities.

Welcome to Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing, where we explore the hottest topics in cyber marketing, interview experts, and help you become a better cybersecurity marketer! In this episode, Gianna and Maria share some powerful insights into cybersecurity marketing society, what they do, and what other cybersecurity marketing societies are doing.
Gianna and Mariana shed more light on the cyber security marketing society. It is the world’s largest community for cybersecurity marketers built by cybersecurity marketers for cybersecurity marketers. The cybersecurity community has created an opportunity to get together for those working hard in cybersecurity. They have provided an all-day marketer launch for people and also did a marketer party which was completely sold out. There were around 800 people on the waitlist. The party felt like a reunion where all marketers were coming together. Mariana and Gianna continue to talk more about the changes in cybersecurity since the previous year. They say that the cybersecurity industry lacks creativity. It is great to see vendors stepping up and thinking outside the box, pushing the envelope to get creative, and having fun doing what they are doing. This year there were a lot fewer outside activities than last year. The vibe overall, from the security perspective, feels normal and big again.
Maria and Gianna also discussed their favorite booths they had seen. There are fully immersive booths with screens on the ceiling above people’s heads. Nowadays, things are moving to screening and lighting. Games are also taking the floor. Multiple people are doing comic superheroes, which is appealing to the audience. Magicians are back, and they are also drawing the crowd. There are so many ways to do things to grab attention. Some other security vendors even use sneakers for everyone to wear. There is also a continuation of the axonious campaign, controlling complexity and more. Even No name security provides rides to go to places around the city. In the marketing community industry, we do not want to lead with fear, uncertainty, and doubt, this industry is stressed enough, and we do not need to add stress from our messaging and marketing perspective. Selling, educating, and helping is a way to market, and the cybersecurity marketing society is here to help you stand out.
Finally, Gianna and Maria conclude with conferences for more cybersecurity marketers where they say cybersecurity marketing will host an annual cyber marketing conference in Texas. Cybersecurity is ready to open opportunities for marketers in cybersecurity, cybersecurity agencies, and more. If you work with cybersecurity customers and have references for all customers who are happy with your services, members can find a free and open vendor directory.
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.

Marketing in FedGov: From Space Force to Security Consultant with Wesley Belleman

In this episode, Wesley Belleman, Consulting Engineer at Colossal LLC,  joins Maria and Gianna to discuss marketing in the federal government.
 
Wesley began his career in the military in acquisitions, specifically as a cybersecurity operations officer. Here, he was in charge of multi-million dollar programs, acquiring cybersecurity for the space force, and more. From there, he went into Palo Alto Networks and finally Colossal LLC, a value-added reseller providing services specific to the products they sell. Because he has advertised and marketed products internally as a customer in his previous roles, Wesley has a solid understanding of the challenges marketers face. Since the Department of Defense is the country’s largest employer, there is a ton of internal business that goes on within it overall. Wesley touches on Kraken, a newly released product that the Space Force is currently leveraging for public defense.  He worked with a team of engineers and contractors to design, build and deploy the product. It required marketing to get people within the space force on board with implementing the product. Wesley also highlights the various AFCEA events coming up nationwide.
 
When building Kraken, Wesley also had to build consensus internally to get the product off the ground. He began this process by getting certified on the product and fully understanding it inside out.  On that, he leveraged the strength of his colleagues on his team to fulfill different operational roles. The final step was to get to know the customers and what exactly they are looking for. It is crucial to leave your opinions and ideals at the door and understand what the customer wants from a cybersecurity product. He also recommends all founders use the resources and team members they already have. Although it is still growing, Kraken officially launched in 2019. Finally, our guest and hosts engage in a fun guessing game to reveal what career Wesley would pursue outside of the cybersecurity marketing field.
 
 
Links:
Visit Wesley on LinkedIn.
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.

Empathetic Product Marketing, from Product Launches to CABs with Beth Barach

This week, Beth Barach, the Director of Product Marketing at Onapsis, joins the hosts to discuss the intersection of product marketing with product launches, Cabs, and eCabs. With over 20 years of experience in tech, Beth began her career working with channel and technology partner programs, which ultimately led to her pivot into product marketing.
Beth also shares that to execute a successful product launch, it's important to create a plan and synchronize the different teams and departments involved, such as sales, marketing, customer success, and product. getting into the idea of using product launch as an opportunity to educate customers and partners on the value and benefits of the product. Lastly, Beth stressed the importance of using marketing channels to create a buzz and engage the target audience.
The conversation also touches on the importance of getting executive buy-in for a product launch. Beth gave an example of someone on the team who is often overlooked but should be included, the support team. While Maria highlighted that product marketers should aim to think beyond their usual suspects when planning a launch. Finally, Beth provided a story about a manager who was great at recognizing the importance of executive support.
Timecoded guide:
0:02:44
Product Launch at a Billion Dollar Company: People, Process, and Performance
0:04:43
Conversation on Securing Executive Buy-In for Product Launches
0:07:42
Presenting to the Executive Team: A Successful Product Launch Story
0:09:43
Conversation on Applying the RACI Model to Product Launches
0:11:51
Discussion on Detailed Content Planning for Product Launch
0:13:39
Conversation on Adapting to Delays and Roadblocks in Product Launches
0:16:05
Conversation on Empathy, Cabs, and Testimonials in the Cybersecurity Industry
0:18:04
Exploring the Benefits of Customer Advisory Boards for Product Marketers
0:25:21
Conversation Summary: Potential Career Paths for Product Marketer Beth
0:27:38
Interview with Beth Barach: Exploring the Intersection of Coaching and Entrepreneurship
Links:
Check out Beth on LinkedIn
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.

Israeli vs American Cyber Marketing with Daniella Alpher

In this episode, Daniella Alpher, VP of Marketing at RevealSecurity joins Maria and Gianna to discuss Israeli vs American cyber marketing.
 
To begin, Daniella shares that she began her career in film and television as a producer for ABC News. In the early 2000s, tech began threatening the television industry. This inspired her to get a degree in business administration and enter the tech sector, specifically focusing on marketing. Next, Daniella highlights the differences she has noticed working as a marketer in Israel vs. America. 10% of attacks at a national level are directed at Israel, 40% of investments in cybersecurity go to Israeli companies and 16% of  cybersecurity vendors are Israeli. Compared to the size and population of Israel tech (specifically cybersecurity) is a huge income-driving sector for the country.  In the last 20-30 years, Israel also built a large strength in product and development of cybersecurity products. In more recent years, it has naturally become a hub for cybersecurity marketing.
 
For most Israeli startups, the sales portion is often based in the U.S. Marketing, however, is often a mix between the two companies. In Daniela’s experience, American marketing tends to have a more long-term philosophy, while Israelis often have a much shorter-term strategy for survival. Israeli marketers are still learning the importance of branding over performance. Most Israeli marketers are focused on selling in the U.S., but it is rare for a U.S.-based company to consider marketing in other countries. Stereotypically, Daniela shares, Israelis tend to come off rude, aggressive, and emotional to American analysts, whereas Americans are the opposite. Then, there are those smaller, technical differences like the use of WhatsApp vs. Slack for digital communication and group messages.
 
Before wrapping up, Daniela engages alongside our hosts in a fun guessing game to reveal what career she would pursue outside of the cybersecurity marketing field.
 
Links:
 
Follow Daniella on Linkedin.
Keep up with Hacker Valley on our website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.

Wearing Many Marketing Hats with OxEye VP Marketing, Brandon Hoe

This week, Brandon Hoe joins hosts Gianna and Maria to discuss controversial topics related to cybersecurity marketing. Brandon is the VP of Marketing at Oxeye and has held CMO and head of marketing positions at multiple cybersecurity companies, including SCYTHE, HackEDU, and StrongKey.
Brandon and the hosts also discuss in depth the idea that demand generation as a marketing discipline is the key to success. How while the funnel is still alive, the timelines associated with each step have changed, and the idea that companies often think that bringing on a demand gen wizard will solve all their problems. They concluded that the marketing environment is much more challenging for everyone involved, especially in the cybersecurity world.
 
Timecoded Guide:
 
[06:29] Cybersecurity Regulations and Market Trends
[12:17] Advice for Marketers Considering Joining an Israeli Startup at the Seed Stage
[16:30] Balancing Strategy and Volume of Activity in Early-Stage Leadership Positions
[17:59] Demand Generation and Critical Hires
[27:35] Pizza Toppings and Alternative Careers
[33:28] Starting a YouTube Channel and Noodle Shop Business
[34:52] Exploring the Journey of Launching a Product Company
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LINKS:
Follow Brandon on LinkedIn
Check out and follow Oxeye on LinkedIn
Keep up with Hacker Valley on our website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
Follow Gianna on LinkedIn.
Catch up with Maria on LinkedIn.
Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, and keep up with us on Twitter.