Case study 04 · Category strategy · Cybersecurity
Defining a new category, so buyers stop comparing on price
Buyers who don't understand a category compare on price. Original research and a clear point of view gave regulated buyers a better way to judge, and a reason to trust us.
The situation
A public cybersecurity company had launched a bot-management product into a category most buyers didn't yet understand. They couldn't tell basic bot blocking from the more advanced approach we offered, so they compared us on price.
What we did
- We published original research on how bots exploit businesses, from human-like bots committing fraud to bots spreading misinformation during COVID-19.
- We built the category story around intent-based behaviour analysis: understanding what a bot is trying to do, not just whether it's a bot.
- We took that point of view to industry analysts and the press.
- We created a glossary of security terms, so buyers searching for answers found us first.
What happened
- The research was cited by BBC, Forbes, TechRadar and an industry guide from CSDE and USTelecom.
- Forrester made intent-based analysis a requirement in its Bot Management Wave and named the product a Leader.
- Revenue across the bot and API security products grew 55% year on year.
- A glossary of security terms became the main source of inbound leads.
- The company still publishes its annual report using the same framework.
What I took away
Advertising tells buyers what to think. Thought leadership helps them think for themselves, and for regulated buyers, that is where trust begins.