When CSID first came to INK, it was in a tough position. As is common in the cybersecurity space, CSID was doing fascinating work behind the scenes, but it couldn’t share any details. CSID’s technology scoured the dark web for stolen personal credentials and then alerted the rightful owner through a variety of services. But because of the sensitivity of this work, they did not want exposure around how their technology worked. In other words, a traditional tech media relations approach was out of the question.
Even so, INK was still responsible for building brand awareness and positioning the company as a leader in identity protection and management. We decided to focus on a multi-channel program leveraging CSID’s expert knowledge and insights through a variety of data-driven content positioned to answer the questions and concerns of targeted customer groups. Five years later, CSID was part of credit giant Experian Partner Solutions.
INK helped us to build CSID’s brand value leading up to acquisition by Experian through excellent thought leadership and data-driven content.
Cody Gredler
Director of Marketing and Communications, CSID
Protecting the Secret Sauce
At the beginning of our partnership, CSID was in a high-growth stage, which brought high-pressure client engagements and goals. CSID was working with companies to solve issues making national (and international) headlines but couldn’t discuss any of it, making increasing brand awareness and customer acquisition challenging to say the least.
CSID also had to get the attention of stakeholders and thought leaders, a difficult feat in the highly-skeptical, oversaturated cybersecurity space. To create unique, compelling content to boost brand awareness and market position for CSID, INK turned to research.
Writing Our Own Story
INK began by conducting audience research and analyzing CSID’s data from the dark web. We then supplemented these findings with custom survey research. After compiling the data, we crafted strategic content marketing and thought leadership campaigns.
Our team transformed data into white papers, blogs, infographics, and even a podcast series. We wrote bylines for Entrepreneur and HuffPost in a running column and used our data-driven approach to secure high-profile speaking opportunities at events like SXSW.
In addition to sharing via social channels, we also shared our findings with analysts and non-profits, giving our data even greater validity. By developing lead generation capture forms and hosting webinars with relevant industry experts, INK continued to help CSID shape their data and expert insight into thought leadership and brand awareness.
Information Sells
The campaigns we created for CSID focused on “white space,” or topics lacking data. These topics included SMB security threats and child identity theft. Through the power of data-driven storytelling, CSID’s brand awareness grew, relationships developed and strengthened, and customers and partners turned to CSID as a leader.
Data was the driving force behind building brand awareness for CSID. We used research to illustrate the company’s expertise and its unique value. We were able to give CSID a strong and credible voice in an environment that had previously stifled it. Our efforts helped position the company for a successful acquisition in 2016, making CSID now part of Experian Partner Solutions.
