Good to the Last Drop: Extract the Value of Threat Research for Your Marketing Program Session Recap Blog

If you’ve ever tried to get a threat researcher to contribute to a marketing campaign, you know the struggle is real. Marketers want engaging, insightful content. Researchers want accuracy and credibility. Too often, the result is a stalemate—with marketing teams waiting for insights that never come and researchers dodging every content request like a phishing attempt.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way?

At CyberMarketingCon24, Pam Cobb, Tricia Howard, and Mitch Mayne took the stage to reveal the secrets of making this collaboration work—and the results were eye-opening. They showed that when done right, threat research is one of the most powerful marketing assets a cybersecurity company can have. The challenge is figuring out how to extract its full value without frustrating both sides.

Check out how to create a research-driven content strategy, get researchers on board, and quickly tackle emerging threats.

Why threat research is marketing gold

One of the biggest takeaways from the session was how threat research sets great cybersecurity content apart. Threat research is the goldmine of cybersecurity marketing. It separates your content from the flood of generic “Top 10 Cyber Tips” posts, but how do you get it out there in an accurate, digestible, and engaging way? That’s the challenge.

The four pillars of great threat research content

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1. Proprietary data and disclosures: Your secret sauce: original research, attack trends, and fresh discoveries.
2. Market observations: Reacting to trends, vulnerabilities, and security events (think Patch Tuesday breakdowns).
3. Customer-centric insights: Translating all the nerdy stuff into “why this matters for businesses.”
4. Memes (yes, really): – Sometimes, a spicy meme does more than a thousand words.

How to build a strong threat research content strategy

1. Define your goals (Because not everything needs a form fill)

Some research-driven content is about brand awareness (social media, blogs, PR pushes), while others are demand-gen gold (gated reports, webinars, and deep dives). Knowing the difference up front makes execution way easier.

2. Plan the content calendar (And leave room for chaos)

How do you balance long-term research pieces with rapid-response content?

• Quarterly reports: Deep-dive reports like "State of the Internet" that establish authority.
• Rapid response blogs: When a big vulnerability drops, you must get content out now.
• SEO-driven content: Steady, evergreen pieces that help maintain search visibility.

Tricia Howard makes a great point here: “If you don’t leave space in your calendar for reactive content, you’ll always be playing catch-up.”

3. Getting buy-in from researchers without losing your mind

This was one of the most relatable parts of the session: How do you get researchers to collaborate on content when their priorities are entirely different?

The key, according to the speakers, is showing them what’s in it for them:

• Industry credibility (being cited as an expert)
• Career growth (thought leadership opens doors)
• Proving impact (seeing their research drive real-world conversations)

Case Studies: When research and marketing play nice

1. The State of the Internet (SOTI) Reports

• The backstory: Massive research reports positioned Akamai as a cybersecurity leader.
• The results: 10-14 million in influenced pipeline revenue.
• Lesson learned: If you’re going to do a big research report, make sure sales and field teams actually USE IT.

2. The ExeUtils Vulnerability Blog

• The backstory: Akamai dropped a blog the day a major vulnerability went public.
• The results: 75% organic traffic and tons of media coverage.
• Lesson learned: Speed wins. But only if you’ve got a rapid response system in place.

3. Anonymous Sudan Takedown

• The backstory: Akamai worked with the FBI to remove a major threat actor.
• The challenge: Six months of secrecy, then BOOM—press coverage.
• Lesson learned: Trust, timing, and legal approvals are everything.

How marketers can work with researchers (Without annoying them)

Collaboration is excellent, but only if we don't step on each others’ toes. It is possible for marketers and researchers to collaborate without friction. 

Some tips from the panel: 

• Build trust and speak human: Drop the marketing jargon. Researchers care about credibility, not "pipeline attribution."
• Don’t force a company take: If it doesn’t align with your brand’s expertise, it’s okay to sit one out.
• Handle data with care: A misused statistic can destroy credibility; always get researchers to sign off before publishing.

How to nail rapid response content

Pam Cobb shared some great advice on how to build a fast, no-BS process for responding to breaking threats:

• Have a dedicated Slack/Webex channel for quick collaboration.
• Keep an approval team small to move fast.
• Prioritize speed but don’t sacrifice accuracy; publish quickly but refine as needed.

It's essential to look at how incident response teams work: structured roles, escalation paths, and a single source of truth. This is a smart way to think about cybersecurity content operations.

The magic of marketing and research together

When done right, cybersecurity research-driven content is unbeatable. It builds credibility, attracts leads, and cements your brand as a leader. However, it only works when marketing and research teams learn to trust and collaborate.

Success in this space requires balancing speed, accuracy, and collaboration. Marketers must respect research integrity while researchers need to recognize the value of strategic content distribution. The best results come when both sides work together, leveraging each other’s strengths to create content that is insightful, impactful, and widely shared.

Want the full CyberMarketingCon24 slide deck? Hit up Pam Cobb, Tricia Howard, or Mitch Mayne on LinkedIn!