Integrated Marketing Campaigns
As Creative Director at SANS Institute, I lead the creative strategy and execution for integrated marketing campaigns that drive lead generation, course enrollment, and brand awareness across the cybersecurity training industry. These campaigns span multiple touchpoints—from strategic content (whitepapers, infographics, decision guides) to multi-channel promotion (email, organic and paid social, digital advertising, landing pages). Each campaign is designed to educate technical audiences while driving measurable business outcomes. Below are examples of recent campaign work demonstrating strategic thinking, creative execution, and multi-channel coordination.
CAMPAIGN 1: SIEM OPTIMIZATION
Tactical lead generation campaign
Challenge:
Position SANS as the authority on SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) optimization and drive enrollment in related security operations courses. The cybersecurity market is saturated with vendor messaging—we needed to cut through with practitioner-focused education that demonstrates expertise.
Approach:
Created an integrated campaign around "Beyond the Tool," an educational infographic addressing the most common SIEM implementation challenges. Rather than product-focused promotion, we led with strategic insights that established SANS as a trusted advisor, then activated the content across multiple channels to maximize reach and conversion.
Role:
Creative Director—led campaign strategy, designed all creative assets, and coordinated execution across marketing, sales, and product teams to ensure consistent messaging throughout the customer journey.
Deliverables:
Custom Landing page design
Custom landing page design (sans.org/mlp/siem-optimization)
Educational infographic "Beyond the Tool"
Multi-touch email marketing campaign
Organic and paid social media assets
Course decision guide helping prospects choose relevant training
Blog post creative and promotional materials
Outcome:
Successfully positioned SANS thought leadership in security operations while driving qualified traffic to related course offerings.
CAMPAIGN 2: Cybersecurity Workforce Research Report
Strategic multi-phase thought leadership program
Challenge:
Generate qualified leads from HR managers and cybersecurity leaders while positioning SANS beyond training provider to strategic workforce development partner. The cybersecurity skills gap is a well-documented problem—SANS needed to demonstrate unique expertise in solving it.
Approach:
Multi-phase campaign around SANS's annual Cybersecurity Workforce Research Report—a flagship content asset based on international survey data from industry professionals worldwide. The campaign spanned pre-launch awareness, coordinated launch activation, and ongoing content amplification across multiple quarters.
Role:
Creative Director—led campaign strategy and execution of all creative assets, working across marketing, sales, and product teams to ensure integrated delivery.
Campaign Phases:
Pre-launch: Teaser campaign building anticipation through social and email
Launch: Coordinated activation across email, social, web, and sales channels
Post-launch: Ongoing amplification through webinars, case studies, and sales enablement
Extended value: Report findings inform thought leadership content throughout the year
Deliverables:
50+ page research report design and layout
Campaign landing page (sans.org/mlp/2025-attract-hire-retain-cybersecurity-roles)
Pre-launch, launch, and nurture email campaigns
Organic and paid social media creative
Webinar/webcast presentation materials and promotional graphics
Sales enablement kits for account managers
Case study templates highlighting key research insights
Promotional flyers and leave-behind materials for events
Presentation templates incorporating report data
Infographic series breaking down research findings
Outcome:
Annual flagship campaign establishing thought leadership in cybersecurity workforce development while generating multi-persona leads across CISO, HR, and team lead audiences.
CAMPAIGN 3: SANS 35th Anniversary
Brand celebration + product launch integration
Challenge:
Celebrate SANS Institute's 35th anniversary while demonstrating continued innovation and market leadership. The campaign needed to honor legacy while positioning SANS as the future of cybersecurity education—particularly as AI and new regulatory requirements reshape the industry.
Approach:
Created a comprehensive anniversary campaign that balanced celebration with forward-looking thought leadership. Rather than a retrospective "look back," we positioned the milestone as validation of SANS's ability to continuously evolve and lead—leveraging the anniversary moment to announce next-generation training innovations including AI-integrated courses and regulatory compliance solutions.
Role:
Creative Director—led campaign strategy, designed all creative assets across brand celebration and product launches, coordinated with PR, marketing, executive leadership, and global events teams to ensure cohesive execution.
Multi-layered approach combining:
Brand celebration: 35 years of cybersecurity leadership positioning
Product news: Launch of next-generation training portfolio
Thought leadership: Forward-looking perspective on AI integration
Proof points: Quantifiable impact (85+ courses, 239,000+ GIAC certifications, 149 countries, 90% job placement rate)
Multi-layered approach combining:
Custom 35th anniversary logo and visual identity system
Multi-touch email marketing campaign
Organic and paid social media assets celebrating milestone and announcing innovations
On-site anniversary branding for global conferences and events
Internal communications celebrating achievement with employees and instructors
Anniversary-branded presentation templates
Video content and motion graphics
Executive communications and thought leadership materials
Outcome:
Successfully celebrated organizational milestone while generating media coverage, strengthening brand positioning, and creating momentum for new product launches. The anniversary campaign reinforced SANS's market leadership while demonstrating continued innovation and relevance.
