5 Tips for Creating a Memorable Cybersecurity Brand (And 5 That Will Crush You)

With Black Hat USA and the “summer camp” conferences in the rearview mirror, and the fourth quarter of the calendar year quickly approaching, security vendors are putting all efforts behind closing out the year with big revenue realization. The current economic climate isn’t helping sales teams move prospects along swiftly, forcing marketing and brand teams to execute on a winning brand strategy.

In a highly competitive market, where each technology category seemingly includes dozens of viable options, cybersecurity vendors need to stand out. According to the Senior Director of Brand at Axonius, Kaite Rosa, “go big or go home” is a motto to abide by…but with caveats. In this article, Kaite and I lay out the top “dos” and “don’ts” for brand optimization.

In the days leading up to Black Hat USA 2023, I watched on social media as cybersecurity product vendors leaked tidbits of their conference brand strategy. Some companies revealed new slogans. Some posted pictures of their to-be swag. Others, still, hinted at major announcements that would be revealed during the conference, at the vendor’s booth, through one-on-one scheduled meetings, and via planned talks. The whole goal of the social media campaigns was buzz. And lots of it. 

Hinting at what’s to come is a tried-and-true strategy for heightening audience interest. But as I scrolled through LinkedIn, I noticed that a few companies had revealed some cringe-worthy suggestions, the likes of which I hadn’t seen in years. At least two companies posted sexually suggestive and potentially offensive new slogans to be used at the conferences. One of the companies had printed up t-shirts with those slogans. Fortunately, someone with a modicum of sense made an eleventh-hour decision (perhaps based on audience sentiment) to replace them with much more appropriate conference wear. 

In my day job at Axonius, I am part of the marketing team (product marketing, to be exact). But in previous roles, I’ve been part of various departments — from sales to research to content — and have attended security conferences for almost two decades. While I get the most value out of listening to talks and presentations, my greatest amusement comes from walking the trade show floor. Every vendor is trying to one-up every other vendor — whether or not they’re competing in the same or adjacent category — to generate the most booth scans to hand off to hungry sales teams. This end goal results in bright lights, over-the-top decor, loud music, special guests, enticing giveaways, food, games, and more. Conference trade show floors are an experience, akin to the spectacle that is Las Vegas, itself. 

Although I’ve not attended the larger conferences in the past two years, in all the previous years I attended conferences, I watched both the event, themselves, and exhibiting companies evolve. An industry once run by hackers without experience or expertise in business strategy has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry that demands polish and professionalism. Questionable content has been largely banned (and where not banned, not tolerated by conference attendees), and sponsoring companies employ top-notch marketing, brand, and events teams to ensure a seamless experience and financial return on investment. 

Of course there is some push and pull between the self-proclaimed techies and their marketing counterparts. Most technical cybersecurity practitioners would prefer to do without the “jargon” and “flash” they see as unnecessary — it’s all about the technology: Does it work? Does it solve a problem? Is it cool? But the reality is that cybersecurity is big business. Big business requires a well-oiled, well-executed marketing and advertising approach. Technology and tools — even good technology and tools — don’t sell themselves. 

Don’t believe me? Ad Age reports that, in 2022, Amazon (the retail portion) spent $16.9 billion in advertising. They’re the largest ecommerce platform in the world. And they spend the most on getting users’ and potential users’ attention. 

Comcast, Procter & Gamble, American Express, and Walt Disney round out the top 5, demonstrating that name brands understand the value in advertising and marketing. Cybersecurity companies, most of which are far from household names, can steal a page from their playbooks. The top companies already do.

After Black Hat, I asked Kaite Rosa about creating a strong, memorable brand. Rosa has earned herself various awards throughout her career, repeatedly demonstrating her grit and savvy in a crazy competitive industry. How does she approach brand, which includes the advertising and marketing that rolls up into it? It’s all about connection, she says.

“My biggest frustration with most companies’ brand strategies is that so many marketers and brands do not connect to the overall experience they’re trying to create for customers, prospects, and partners. They don’t think through how their message — represented in swag, event presence, advertising campaigns, data sheets, website experiences, or anything else published on behalf of the company — connects back to the company.” Instead of simply choosing  a theme, a logo, colors, or giveaways that fit into the budget, she says, “think: big picture” and align everything with that theme or desired experience. 

At Black Hat, Rosa picked up a flashing yo-yo from the Flashpoint booth, noting how cheeky the trinket was. “It wasn’t some enormous, over-the-top campaign, but it was memorable and I immediately thought it was clever of a company called ‘Flashpoint’ to give away something flashing. I gave it to my son, and he loves it.”

She also noted how Human Security built their booth to look like a bookstore, replicating the real-life science fiction bookstore in which the company was founded a decade ago. “The backstory,” she said, “was fun and engaging. It wasn’t readily apparent why their booth was designed like a bookstore, but it made attendees want to know more. It drew people in. It gave people a reason to engage. That's a good brand strategy.”

Creating a memorable brand: The Dos

Stepping back for a 10,000 foot view of brand, here are Rosa’s tips for creating a memorable brand experience.

1. Be relevant. Carefully choose themes and items that support the company’s product vision, mission statement, or values. Align messaging and experiences with the big picture to create a “sticky” experience and ensure that audiences are engaged for the entirety of their experience, That will lead to longer, deeper, and continued engagements and relationships.

2. Think outside the box. Brand strategy should be fun! Sure, brand experience and all the marketing and advertising that goes along with it are “big business,” but safe ideas are rarely memorable. Go big or go home.

3. Consider the customer: Brand reflects the company creating it, but must also incorporate the perspective of the customer. Research the ideal and average customer and integrate likes, trends, and commonalities into the brand. That way, the company can ensure it is connecting with its intended audience instead of something the marketing team or CEO thinks is “cool.” It’s all about connecting with the customer.

Rosa advises brand marketers to embrace a broader view of their target and ideal customers. “Brand teams in B2C do this so well. They understand that customers are more than buyers of a particular product or service. In B2B, we often see marketers only looking at their audience’s day job and not considering who they are and what they do after hours.”

4. Be consistent. Rosa advises companies to apply a chosen theme consistently across entities. For instance, be consistent with brand — messaging, content, colors, logos — across all company web properties. If it’s branding for an event, go all in; don’t have one brand experience at the booth, another at the hosted afterparty, and yet another in the collateral or swag handed to prospective and current customers.  

Importantly, Rosa notes that companies don’t have to stick to one brand experience at disparate events. “Create new experiences for different events. Incorporate attendee demographics, cues from the physical location of the event, a backstory related to the product or company, or anything else that is fun and engaging. But stick to that branding for the entire event and then dream up something new for the next one.

5. Tell a story. The best brand marketers, says Rosa, are storytellers, people who are innately creative and who want people to feel and think after engaging with someone or something. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Authenticity is born from vulnerability, and people connect with authenticity.

Creating a memorable brand: The Don’ts

In contrast, there are some things Rosa says brand marketers and companies, in general, should stay away from.

1. Don't be inappropriate. It’s 2023. We’ve moved on from crude sexual jokes and slogans that alienate, hurt, or discriminate against people. If something has the potential to hurt people, don’t use it. Don’t be a Dove.

2. Don’t check a box: Just like security practitioners hate the “checkbox mentality” of compliance, security companies should steer clear of brand experiences that simply check a box. When strategizing on the best ideas for the next big conference, think about what’s relevant and fun. Don’t have a beach theme at an event in Missouri, or choose to give away Omaha steaks at an event in Hawaii (a top vegan state). Take a cue from Gap’s failed rebranding campaign; companies need a strategy, not just something different for the sake of being different.

3. Don’t discount the value of good swag: Lots of people love to come away from a conference with swag. But an equal number of people will throw swag in the hotel trash if it isn’t valuable, relevant, or fun. Further, if someone takes home swag and can’t remember your company or product because it isn’t branded well, how does that engage your audience and help with marketing and sales goals? Thoughtful, well-planned, and branded items are the way to go with your swag bag giveaways.

4. Don’t value size over substance. “Go big or go home” doesn’t mean a company has to offer up a car giveaway to be impressionable. I, personally, love my conference socks. And all of them include the vendor’s name. Sure, a car would be cool, but I don’t want to pay the taxes on it. Give me socks with your logo.

5. Don’t forget about people. People buy products (AI be damned), and they’re more likely to buy products from companies that create a good experience for them. In security, yes, the technology is important, but a company that shows it cares about its customers, that cares if it connects with its customers — that’s a company that will achieve success. It all starts with a first impression, be that a trade show booth, a data sheet, or a website visit. Make that brand experience memorable and relatable — and yes, even a little bit catchy or funny — and people will come back for more.