Irdeto is a world leader in digital platform security. Its cybersecurity technology protects platforms and applications in a variety of connected industries. Daniel Thunberg is the founder of the company’s automotive business unit—but in 2015 that industry wasn’t yet on Irdeto’s radar. Daniel first needed to prove that it was a viable market for the company to enter.
When customers don’t fully understand the problem
Around this same time, awareness of the cybersecurity threat to vehicles hit automakers’ radar in a big way thanks to the Jeep hack. Learning that a car could be remotely controlled was a wake-up call to the industry and the public.
Yet, as Daniel recalls, there was still a big gap between that awareness and an understanding of what was needed to address the problem: “People had very limited knowledge of the scope of the cybersecurity issue. The hack raised awareness, but there was no appreciation of the kind of security required to prevent it from happening again. Car makers thought SSL protocols protected them.”
“Third Law helped us to understand the automotive industry buying cycle and the kind of message that would resonate with important stakeholders.”
To pursue the opportunity and validate whether Irdeto should continue to invest in a solution for the auto industry, Daniel’s team developed a demo for CES in 2016. That experience did three important things for Irdeto: it convinced the company that there was enough interest to continue to resource the project, it made them realize that they were miles apart from their target customers in terms of understanding the problem, and, it introduced Daniel to Third Law.
Translating cyber-speak into auto industry value
With its deep security knowledge, Irdeto was too in the weeds when they first talked to auto prospects; Third Law helped them elevate their message and clearly communicate their value.
Daniel engaged Third Law to help Irdeto validate its opportunity in the auto industry and to develop the value proposition needed to approach that market. Third Law began with a day-long session with the Irdeto team, then performed a thorough SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and competitive analysis before presenting its findings and recommendations to Irdeto’s executives.
“Third Law showed us how to position our deep security knowledge and experience for the auto industry. They also translated our seven layers of security lingo into something the auto industry could understand.”
Key among its findings was that the opportunity in automotive was strong but that success would require Irdeto to use a new approach to positioning, messaging, and pitching. Daniel says: “Third Law helped us to understand the automotive industry buying cycle and the kind of message that would resonate with important stakeholders.”
Learning how to close the gap between its technology and its customers was key for Irdeto. Daniel recalls: “Third Law showed us how to position our deep security knowledge and experience for the auto industry. They also translated our seven layers of security lingo into something the auto industry could understand. And they helped us understand the auto industry’s language—some of the words we used meant completely different things in that industry.”
Furthermore, Third Law showed Irdeto what was needed to elevate their message around cybersecurity. “The OEMs and tier ones saw us as fearmongers. We had to first establish trust and identify real use cases that made sense to them,” Daniel adds.
Making headway in the automotive industry
Third Law produced a new messaging strategy, pitch decks, marketing and sales collateral for Irdeto’s new automotive business unit. Daniel learned that, in comparison to other industries, “more storytelling is needed than datasheets and technical presentations. Third Law excelled at understanding what was needed and producing it.”
He also found Third Law able to ramp up very quickly: “They understood what we needed, they have the relevant background in product marketing, and they are well liked and well networked within the industry.”
“They understood what we needed, they have the relevant background in product marketing, and they are well liked and well networked within the industry.”
Daniel concludes: “If we hadn’t worked with Third Law, we would have been spinning our wheels trying to get people to understand what we were doing. Third Law helped us move forward much faster than we could have without their help.”