Corporate Ink consistently leverages its understanding of our market – and what motivates the news media – to generate visibility for us in key publications, providing us with the market validation, branding and leads we’re looking for. They’re smart and results-oriented, they listen – and they’re fun to work with. 
Phil Neray
vice president of marketing
Guardium
Building a Brand
Guardium is creating the market for database security. It protects organizations’ most valuable asset – its data – from external hackers and trusted insiders, both those attempting corporate espionage and those who mistakenly violate network policy.
Challenge
We began working with Guardium in 2006, when the company was considered one of a handful of venture-backed companies vying for this early-stage market.
As with any early market, education was essential. We also had to overcome initial resistance, and clearly explain why existing solutions, like encryption, are inadequate.
Strategy
Within months, Guardium moved to the lead position, based on a strategy of industry-centric news and highly proactive outreach on boardroom issues of compliance and data protection.
We leveraged core technical and vertical press with whom we had deep relationships, and cultivated new contacts in database and compliance publications. Executives have explained complicated technologies, pieces of legislation and best practices for readers, making themselves frequent experts for ongoing market developments.
Most notably, we bested competitors by securing company executives to address breaking news, including new data breaches and critical software vulnerabilities in Oracle products.
Additionally, we orchestrated a four-month “launch” campaign around a new product and funding from Cisco, highlighted by 6 desk-side briefings with key reporters and editors.
Results
Guardium leads thought leadership in the market, and is framing key issues around safeguarding databases – without on-the-record customer endorsement. A feature piece in The New York Times defined the market, and profiled only Guardium.
Guardium continues to educate the market about the value of dedicated database security and compliance solutions. The company doubled the size of its program with us the following year.