Trust, Credibility Are Core Of Cybersecurity Marketing, Says Palo Alto's KP Unnikrishnan

Cybersecurity or any other product, it's about delivering value to your customers, according to Palo Alto Networks Inc.'s KP Unnikrishnan. However, trust and credibility are the core of cybersecurity marketing, he said.

"As the role of technology expands and organisational processes increasingly go digital, cybersecurity becomes all the more critical. Cybersecurity marketing is about educating your customers, and it must be carefully customised basis the different target personas," Unnikrishnan told BQ Prime Brandsmiths' Ivor Soans.

This has gained more credence after digital dominated the marketing space post-pandemic, and organisations are increasingly undertaking digital transformation and connecting with and marketing to customers digitally, Unnikrishnan said. Marketers must formulate a digital marketing strategy that is consumer-centric, whereby they need to be catered to in their comfortable space, including through virtual events, he said The strategy must employ omni-channel media, for customers to consume content whenever and however they wish to, and must be personalised and customised.

Unnikrishnan underscores that marketing starts with storytelling. "Whether it’s making your customers understand what your brand stands for or communicating what’s your value proposition, storytelling forms the backbone of marketing communication," he said. "Great storytelling is about making a shift from mere product features (which organisations can get obsessed with) to the value those features bring to a customer."