Thought Leader Success

Services Marketing Group has a history of producing marketing communications that have consistently enhanced shareholder value for both start up and established independent software vendors. Shown here are outstanding examples of how marketing leadership translates into increased sales and expanded shareholder value.

SaaS Thought Leader in Email Security       In 2004, SMG worked with Postini www.postini.com, leveraging its security expertise to help reposition this email security and integrated message management company based in San Carlos, CA. SMG helped to develop a new website and as part of a thought leadership campaign SMG created the first annual message security and threat report issued by Postini.In addition, SMG produced a wealth of integrated marketing content for Postini that included white papers, product briefs, case studies and a testimonial ad campaign featured Posting customers who “switched” to email security software as a service. Privately held Postini was acquired by Google in 2007 for more than $600 million.

PentaSafe “Human Firewall” Campaign  SMG developed marketing plan to reposition emerging independent software vendor, PentaSafe Security Technologies (www.pentasafe.com), for growth and domination in the information security infrastructure solutions market. SMG helped develop repositioning, write marketing plan, create new identity, and implement integrated marketing communications for rollout in March 2001.To support PentaSafe’s positioning, SMG developed the web site and launch for an information security industry thought leadership education campaign: The Human Firewall at www.humanfirewall.org. This thought leadership campaign focused on the people or human aspects of security as they relate to policy and technology, and substantially increased awareness of PentaSafe’s flagship policy software, Vigilent Policy Manager.The Human Firewall Campaign, combined with a fully integrated marketing communications program, established PentaSafe as a leader in the security software industry and contributed to consistent sales increases despite an economic downturn in 2000-2002. Privately held PentaSafe was acquired for $255 million by NetIQ in October of 2002.

The Security Compliance Thought Leader  At the beginning of 2005, SMG helped BindView www.bindview.com to build and execute an integrated marketing plan to reposition the company as a thought leader in security and regulatory compliance, implementing the plan within a six month period. The thought leadership campaign included a compliance summit in Washington, DC, a Security Compliance Benchmark Research Report based on an online survey, a new web site, a downloadable “compliance checker” as well as white papers, “Top 10 Reports” and online webinar events.BindView was acquired by Symantec for $200+ million in October 2005.

Creating the Security Event Management (SEM) Category    As Vice President of Marketing, John Ortbal planned, supervised and implemented the key marketing initiatives to successfully launch e-Security software by creating a new category in the growing information security marketplace (now known as Security Event Management). Successful launch introduced e-Security through an integrated marketing program including corporate and brand identity, advertising, web site development/promotion, public relations, trade shows, direct mail and other activities, creating a new category of enterprise information security—with e-Security software providing its first and only products. In October 2000, e-Security was featured as an “Emerging Company” in ComputerWorld magazine.Privately held E-Security was acquired by Novell in 2006 for $72 million.