At Cyber Marketing Con 2025 in Austin, TX, David Spark posed a question to the industry: “Have you ever done a marketing effort that didn’t sit well with a CISO?”

Cybersecurity marketers opened up about campaigns that missed the mark, including vague messaging, competitor attacks that backfired, and not-so-ethical engagement tactics. The takeaway? Your buyer is allergic to sales. Be the antihistamine.

Thank you to our video partner, Cybersecurity Marketing Society, and to all participants for their candid insights.

Watch the full conversation, and if you’re a cybermarketing professional, let us know, “What’s the harshest criticism you’ve received from a security professional?” Join the conversation on LinkedIn.