Bringing a Campaign to Life: Varonis

Varonis’ cybersecurity software protects companies’ private data. Their product is game-changing, but wasn’t well-known among their target audience. And with competition high in the cybersecurity space, investing in their brand and generating awareness was a key way for Varonis to grow. So we got to work, launching an awareness campaign and a city takeover. Here’s how a look at our process:

Discovery

Before dreaming up moodboards and concepts, we started with research. Having a deep understanding of Varonis, their customer base, and the cybersecurity industry gave us a foundation for the strongest possible campaign. During the discovery phase, we gathered as much information as possible to guide us through the rest of the process. Our discussions included:

• What they’ve done in the past, what’s worked, and what they’ve always wanted to try
• Their current marketing funnel, including owned assets and paid media
• Their target audience
• “What makes Varonis different?” from the perspective of current customers
• “Who is their target audience and what are their pain points in cyber security and beyond?”
• The crowded competitive landscape
• “What are people saying about Varonis?” from online and Gartner reviews

Concepting

As soon as we had a clear picture of Varonis’ goals, we pulled all those bits and pieces of information together and let them spark fresh ideas. Their target audience of Chief Information Security Officers are generally busy and stressed, so the concepts needed to create an emotional experience that instilled positivity and confidence. This phase was incredibly collaborative with the client—we all got together for an ideation session rooted in the strategy and creative briefs, and the chosen concept was a result of that session.

Here are the three concepts we developed for the Varonis team:

Concept 1: Well-Behaved Data

The state of data security today is…hairy. Everyone’s data is running loose. Untrained. Incapable of picking up after itself. Worse yet, your company’s data just keeps…multiplying. Every second of every day there’s more and more data. Fortunately, we protect your company’s data from the inside, out. You’ll know where your data is - at all times. Who can access it. And, what they’re doing with it. Which makes you…well. The Data Whisperer. Varonis. Become a data behavior specialist.

Concept 2: Reach Data Zen

Data security pros are stressed for billions of good reasons. The endless endpoints. The constant threat of ransomware. The interns and their temporary passwords and…public WiFi. Don’t worry. At Varonis, we build data security software that takes care of everything. Every piece of information, even data that hasn’t been created yet. Ahhh. Yes, take a deep breath. That’s right, Varonis offers totally balanced, complete data protection that works from the inside, out. Varonis. Reach data zen.

Concept 3: See More Possibilities

Data’s vastness, even inside one company, is hard to fathom. From the outside all that’s visible is a broad, choppy surface. What’s below the surface, we can only imagine. But diving in, the picture becomes clear. Three-dimensional. You see an entire ecosystem, working together. Full of potential and possibility. See data security in a new light. Varonis.

Execution

Drumroll, please. The team chose concept #1: Well-Behaved Data. It stood out. It felt risky in the best way and in line with the strategy. The other two were solid and directly delivered on the brief, but the client wanted an attention-grabbing campaign—and there’s nothing more attention-grabbing than adorable pups.

From OOH across New England to Connected TV to digital display ads to a 3 day dog park experience, this campaign gained massive reach. OOH alone brought in 67 MM impressions. There was a 186% increase in meetings, 200% increase in demo requests, and over 27k visitors to their website during the campaign. Best of all—10 dogs were adopted. Here’s a look at some of the creative: