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I was sitting down at a meeting the other day with someone who works in the cyber security space. And as we were discussing the industry, he informed me that there was so much information and hyperbole in the messaging and marketing that’s going on in cyber security.
This made me think about marketing in general. As marketers, we naturally lean towards being hyperbolic. We want our customers to think we’re the #1 or we’re the best. But in truth, maybe we’re not. And maybe they’re okay with that. After all, I got to restaurants all the time that I know aren’t the best in town. But I go there because I like their food, I like their service, and I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a meal.
So, if we’re so worried about always being perceived as the best and the greatest, I think we’re missing out on the opportunity to connect with our audiences and let them see a side of us that is authentic.
It’s Okay To Talk About Reality
The person I mentioned earlier, Greg Hoglund, is the CEO of Outlier Security. And the bone he had to pick with the marketing in the industry was the idea of artificial intelligence. AI has become such a buzz word in all industries that it’s pretty much lost its original meaning.
And in cyber security it’s touted as the solution to hacks and the ultimate prevention in security breaches. But Greg has a different take on things. He said he wanted a message that embraced the idea that a hack or a breach will happen. Because, as he puts it, “If you’re a big enough company, it’s going to happen. You’re going to be hacked and you’re going to get breached. It may not be today or tomorrow, but it will happen. And you need to be prepared for that.”
His concern is that the reliance on artificial intelligence is causing corporations to not be as prepared as they should be. And they’re doing that because they’re believing the marketing hype.
Yes, AI is helping the industry, but mostly from a forensic point of view. In terms of prevention, it’s not clairvoyant. It can’t tell the future and prevent bad things from happening. And that’s why Greg and Outlier are pushing for the industry to embrace authentic intelligence .
He’s not suggesting you don’t buy the best and most advanced protection. But rather, you purchase those systems while also understanding that you have to plan for the worst. So, you should contingency plans in place and you should have systems ready to leap into action when it counts.
And, on a personal level, I love this. The idea that you talk about the scary things with your clients but not to scare them but to prepare them, really resonates with me as a marketer. I don’t like fear-based advertising and I’d like to see a shift away from it.
Talk About The Boogeyman
Another trend I see in marketing is the idea of extending lifespans. With an aging population and people living longer than ever before, our lifespans have become a hot topic. Thus, supplements, medical centers, and doctors are all clamoring that they can extend your life. And in truth, what they’re saying is they’re going to push off death.
But everyone dies. In fact, I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t died or is going to die. And that’s okay. It’s a natural part of life. And I think that trying to extend life isn’t inherently a bad thing. But I think a more authentic way of positioning it would be to add health to your years instead of years to your life.
If the medical community touted the benefits of health as opposed to the fear of death, I think that would resonate strongly with an audience that is okay with the idea of dying some day.
Have A Conversation
Regardless of your industry – heaven knows I’ve picked two wildly different ones for this article – the fact is your audience is craving authenticity . They want to trust you and your brand. But everyone can’t be the best. By definition, that’s impossible. So, let’s stop fighting to be the best and let’s embrace the idea of being the most authentic.
