COVID has put cybersecurity in the spotlight – with recent high-profile personal healthcare info breaches in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia hospitals – and now email encryption software brand Echoworx is launching a campaign aimed at financial services, manufacturing, healthcare and government.

“The pandemic changed [everything] for us,” says Lorena Magee, VP of marketing at Echoworx, adding that, prior to the health crisis, the company was able to meet face-to-face with clients at events and trade shows. As a result, Echoworx worked with Grey to create an integrated marketing campaign, with a focus in North America and Europe, that looks to promote its services during a time when there’s an increased demand for cybersecurity.

Founded and headquartered in Toronto, Echoworx has had international clients for much of its history, working in the U.S. with the likes of AT&T and Verizon in 2005 and British Telecom since 2007.

The film, print and digital campaign, “Keep your business, your business,” features a commercial showing two C-Suite level executives confidentially speaking in encryption after a squash game. The idea, according to Magee, is to discuss cybersecurity in a relatable way by highlighting a scenario (a squash court) where a lot of business gets done. “As soon as we hit [on the idea], it made perfect sense,” she says.

Echoworx, in partnership with Forrester Consulting, conducted a Total Economic ImpactTM study to convey to C-Suite and technology leaders that by making cybersecurity a key business priority, they can protect their company while generating a significant ROI – a message that’s being communicated in digital banners (see below).

The campaign aims to communicate that, by using Echoworx services, “you’re protecting your business, your people, your intellectual property,” says Magee. She adds that the company combined the rational messaging of ROI returns with creative that’s a bit more emotional in order to more effectively appeal to business leaders.

When it comes to the targeting, Magee says Echoworx is specifically going after highly regulated industries and big organizations that can get into “messy situations” if they have security breaches.

There is also a print component to supplement the digital outreach. The company is running a full page ad in the paper of record for European business leaders, Financial Times. Magee says its seen a positive response in that market, and so it plans to run similar ads in Canada shortly.

According to research, 83% of Canadians feel businesses should be doing more to protect consumers against cybersecurity threats, while 71% concede it is impossible to use modern technology without giving up the privacy of their personal data.

Dodd Media Group is handling media for the campaign.