Chris Cochran on Marketing to an Audience That Doesn’t Trust You
Episode Summary:
This week, we’re going full circle with the one and only Chris Cochran, VP of Marketing at AKA Identity and Founder of Audacious GTM. Chris is a former cybersecurity practitioner, Netflix threat intel lead, Marine Corps vet, and one of the original champions behind this very podcast.
Gianna and Maria sit down with Chris to trace his journey from the intelligence trenches to the marketing boardroom, blending creativity, psychology, and strategy. They talk about the unique challenges of marketing to cyber pros, bridging the gap between art and science, and the delicate dance between taste and truth in brand messaging. Chris also drops wisdom on authentic communication, building community with content, and why mutual benefit is the secret sauce of GTM.
Timestamps:
03:14 – From Marine Corps to NSA to Netflix: Chris’s practitioner roots
08:10 – Hacker Valley origins: How podcasting sparked a creative empire
12:35 – Joining the Society: The invite that changed everything
15:02 – Building brand and community at aka Identity
18:27 – Art + science: Chris’s marketing philosophy
22:15 – Empathy between marketers and practitioners
26:48 – Campaigns, AB testing, and dopamine hits
31:05 – Leading marketing teams and educating across the org
34:22 – Taste vs. truth: Internal feedback challenges
38:45 – Wins, video campaigns, and building for conversion
43:30 – Escaping cyber (briefly) and coming back home
📢 Upcoming Events:
CyberMarketingCon 2025 – Call for Speakers Open!
🗓️ December 7–10, 2025 – Austin, TX
📝 Submit by April 15th to share your brilliance with 700+ cyber marketing pros.
RSAC 2025 Marketers Party
🎉 Sunday, April 27th – Food, friends, and fun with the Cybersecurity Marketing Society.
🎟️ Tickets: cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com/event/party-for-marketers-rsac-2024
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned:
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See you in the next episode!
