The Goals
GuardKnox was founded in 2016, a late entry into the automotive cyber security arena. At least eight established players were already 3-5 years ahead, five of whom had raised significant capital, and nearly all of whom had begun developing relationships with leading global automotive manufacturers and major automotive suppliers.
In 2017, GuardKnox realized that developing state-of-the-art technology was not enough; they needed to invest in building a brand. It was imperative that they employ a team of professionals tasked with establishing GuardKnox as a thought leader in automotive security, and position the company in front of vehicle manufacturers like Porsche, Daimler, and Faurecia. GuardKnox believed that if they could successfully position themselves as trusted advisors in the field, they would be positioned to raise the necessary Round B capital needed to transition their startup into a company which is a major provider of essential hardware and software for the leading OEMs.
In May 2017, Jillian Goldberg, VP Marketing at GuardKnox, chose Penguin Strategies to be the marketing agency at her side and presented us with the challenge of building the GuardKnox brand and establishing its authority worldwide.
The Solution
At the time, GuardKnox was the newest player entering the automotive cyber security space, where a handful of startups, heavily backed by VCs, had already been establishing their position for the last 4-5 years. The immediate need was to build a brand that would stand out and be seen as the leading industry authority. This was a huge challenge.
The GuardKnox Home Page ‘Hero Image’ on the day Penguin signed on
GuardKnox’s website had a trickle of traffic, and lead generation activities consisted of word of mouth and existing professional relationships. With the focus on developing cyber security solutions, little consideration had been given toward marketing.
In bringing on Penguin Strategies, all that was about to change.
GuardKnox’s initial brand positioning emphasized their differentiation around the fact that they provided hardware- and software-based cyber security solution, where their competitors were providing purely software-based solutions. Their new brand strategy centered around the fact that GuardKnox was bringing aviation defense methodologies to automotive cyber security. This brand story stood out and drove copywriting, web design, blog posts, and marketing collateral, quickly creating the picture of a unique cyber security leader.
The GuardKnox Home Page ‘Hero Image’ rebranded by Penguin
Penguin Strategies built the marketing foundation for GuardKnox. We analyzed the buyer personas - mainly system engineers and “chief architects” for leading automotive manufacturers, responsible for designing the vehicles of the future. This is a very challenging audience to appeal to. They are busy people who are not easily impressed, and will take absolutely no “marketing fluff”. All of the GuardKnox digital assets had to be built to be both visually appealing and intellectually thrilling for this very highly educated audience.
We implemented a Hubspot based marketing automation program, utilizing CRM tools to continually engage with the market, and measure which stories resonated most with the audience.
The SEO strategy coupled with blogs and social media posts began delivering relevant traffic to the site. Once there, we provided our prospects with an array of industry reports, eBooks, and webinars. Data and sales sheets followed, giving our prospects everything they needed as they traversed the customer journey.
The assets Penguin created impressed this niche audience, and within 18 months GuardKnox had managed to digitally engage with the majority of the worldwide community of Automotive Software and Hardware Architects, pulling them regularly into their website.
Throughout this process, GuardKnox informed the market what was needed to protect their vehicles from cyber threats. GuardKnox’s value as a thought leader rose as they advised the industry on how to protect from hackers, ransomware, malware, and infected over-the-air (OTA) code attacks that stemmed from seemingly legitimate sources.
The automated email campaigns helped maintain relationships with targeted prospects, keeping them up-to-date on the latest industry news while reinforcing GuardKnox’s position as a trusted industry expert.
Meanwhile, social media campaigns promoting original content, company PR and news clippings, and curated content demonstrated GuardKnox’s authority as a thought leader.
The Penguin Strategies – GuardKnox relationship embraced all the key elements of a successful inbound marketing program.
By any measure, the GuardKnox inbound marketing program has been a tremendous success. From being a complete unknown in the industry, with the help of Penguin Strategies, within 18 months GuardKnox has become a recognized and sought-after industry leader.
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