Microsoft: shaping the security industry with rich B2B thought leadership 

The Challenge

Microsoft’s thought leadership initiatives attract significant attention in trade media and on platforms like Reddit and Discord where IT professionals exchange ideas. Together, we saw an opportunity to drive meaningful conversations around security, data privacy and more.

We were brought in to help Microsoft lead the conversation on emerging B2B topics. Microsoft wanted to engage IT, business and security decision-makers across the globe to understand topics like investment in IoT, data security and data privacy – uncovering the current state as well as illuminating future trends and needs.

The Approach

Through forward-thinking insights, compelling authorship and impactful design, we helped Microsoft maintain its position as a respected global thought leader, staying top of mind with B2B customers across various industries. We designed several multi-faceted engagements, integrating primary research with thoughtful storytelling and compelling deliverables. Studies included multi-national quantitative and qualitative research as well as expert interviews. Leveraging a highly collaborative approach we worked with dozens of Microsoft stakeholders to develop and deliver the work.    

The Impact

The conversations sparked by our work, along with media coverage, conference discussions, podcasts features and sales inquiries, have reinforced Microsoft’s expertise in key areas like data security, data privacy and the Internet of Things. Notably, our research led to the creation of the ‘IoT Signals’ content series, which was recognised as the most “influential publication” on IoT in 2019.