When our team took the creative reins of the Verizon Business brand in early 2023, the goal was to bring the brand strategy of customer centricity through to the social channels and amplify engagement. With a small budget for production and paid media, we knew it’d be no easy feat, and that we’d need to develop new and differentiated content in order to do so. We needed to signal a new era of Verizon Business.
Alongside the key tenets of Partnership and Innovation, given the brand’s depth of 20+ years of expertise in cybersecurity, being built right into the network, we knew right away it was a clear differentiator. Something that no other telco could claim. And with a rising public interest in the topic? We were in …business.
In a landscape cluttered with dense cybersecurity content tailored for seasoned experts, we recognized the need for a refreshing and simple approach. Enter The Verizon Business Intelligence Briefing–a beacon of clarity and accessibility in the complex world of cybersecurity.
The Format:
Our goal was simple yet transformative: to distill intricate cybersecurity topics into digestible insights delivered in a conversational tone. The format was meticulously crafted to offer not just information, but actionable takeaways. Each episode would feature an internal subject matter expert, a renowned external source of intelligence, and a relevant topic.
The Internal Subject Matter Expert:
Leading the charge was Chris Novak, Managing Director of Cybersecurity at Verizon Business, and for all intents and purposes, the face of cybersecurity at Verizon. Having been regularly featured on major news networks like CNN and FOX to provide perspective on emerging threats and breaches, he has a way of bringing simplicity to the complex.
The Renowned External Source of Intelligence:
Joining Chris was Tony Sager, Senior Vice President for the Center for Internet Security and a veteran contributor to the annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), Verizon’s crown jewel of cybersecurity thought leadership. Tony’s dedication to demystifying cybersecurity made him an ideal collaborator for our work.
The Relevant Topic:
For our inaugural episode, we tackled a pressing issue: the Security Exchange Commission’s mandate requiring public companies to report material breaches. Chris and Tony dissected the implications, offering invaluable insights and practical tips for navigating the evolving landscape.
The Visual Treatment:
As our very first social-led content series, visual innovation was critical. The in-house studio was transformed with duvetyne, providing a striking backdrop for our talent, cueing the endless plane that is the world of cybersecurity. Immersive animations in bright Verizon red cued the brand while providing a futuristic aesthetic unparalleled in Verizon’s content history.
The Rollout:
Our rollout strategy was thoughtful and multi-faceted. Teaser assets and short-form videos were deployed across social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Leveraging Reels, story frames, and even a few static assets, we captured audience attention and elevated the look and feel of our feeds. The full-length episode found its home on YouTube, ensuring accessibility for all.
The debut of our first ever Intelligence Briefing episode saw an overwhelmingly positive response, marking a significant return on our modest investment. With just a few hours in the studio and a savvy post production team, we were able to develop a total of 29 pieces of content (and counting!), leveraging cutdowns of the key assets and the wealth of B-roll footage, tailored to each social platform.
Our series, fueled by organic reach and a budget just under $73,000, saw remarkable success, amassing over 4M+ impressions across platforms. Most notably, we achieved an unheard of Video Completion Rate of 17%, surpassing the platform benchmark by 303% to reach a total of 425K video completions—a noteworthy feat in an age of fractured attention spans.
Beyond mere metrics, the biggest win was the enthusiastic response from our clients, who commended our approach, the idea, and the execution, blowing expectations out of the water. Beyond that, internal teams expressed an eagerness to collaborate on future projects, signaling a promising trajectory for our work.
The Verizon Business Intelligence Briefing was not just a content series– it was a paradigm shift for our content. By seamlessly integrating expertise with accessibility and innovation, we set a new standard for cybersecurity communication. Mission, accomplished. And we’re just getting started.
