Twistlock offered the first security solution designed specifically to protect containerized computing and micro-services. The company provided the ability to detect vulnerabilities, harden container images, and enforce security policies across the lifecycle of applications, running everywhere containers do, including developer workstations, public clouds and private clouds.
Twistlock Chief Strategy Officer Chenxi Wang, Ph.D. chose 10Fold for its stellar reputation as a PR firm representing cybersecurity clients and her longstanding relationship with our CEO. In initial meetings with Chenxi, the agency counseled her that the cybersecurity media was not yet focused on her company’s core competency of container security. Containers were only starting to be adopted by enterprise and container security was even less of a priority.
Another challenge facing Twistlock was that its largest source of revenue came from Docker, a provider of cloud-native tools, which was also the company’s No. 1 competitor because of Docker’s integrated container security. Also, Twistlock had beat its competitors out of stealth mode, giving the company a head starts in defining the nascent industry’s narrative, but also serving to undercut the idea of a rising tide of companies offering container security.
Strategy
To neutralize these challenges, 10Fold recommended the PR program initially focus on Chenxi’s considerable reputation in the industry. Dr. Wang is a professor and former Forrester analyst turned Chief Strategy Officer for CipherCloud and at the time Twistlock. She is a sought-after public speaker and a trusted advisor for many IT executives and had been named by SC Magazine as a 2016 Women of Influence. By leveraging her reputation in the industry, 10Fold could raise the visibility and credibility of Twistlock with opportunities to include messaging regarding container security.
Chenxi agreed to the strategy, and so !0Fold aggressively pitched her as a cybersecurity expert to media on breaking news such as data breaches as well as in proactive outreach regarding DevOps, business and general cybersecurity issues and trends.
Results
By focusing on the reputation of Chenxi as a cybersecurity industry expert instead of the nascent field of container security specfically, 10Fold was able to garner 223 business and trade media stories in one-year, exceeding Twistlock’s entire previous coverage by over 200 articles. The coverage was also of higher quality with a focus on relevant issues and in top media outlets such as Forbes, Dark Reading and CSO. In many instances, Chenxi was able to deliver Twistlock’s container security messaging as well.
One article in the Los Angeles Times regarding a battle between the federal government and Apple Inc. over unlocking the contents of an iPhone put her front and center as an industry thought leader. Appearing just before the RSA security conference, Chenxi’s prominent quote in the article on a highly controversial topic enhanced the credibility and visibility of her company: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-apple-vs-fbi-is-epic-fight-over-privacy-national-security-20160218-story.html
Impact:
- 223 business and trade media articles secured
- 200 more articles on company than all previous coverage