Key Insights
- GenAI is in use across 71% of companies, yet real ROI lags outside of mature, measurement-led teams.
- CyberMarketingCon is where top cybersecurity marketers cut through hype: peer stories, field frameworks, and ROI clarity, not generic networking.
- The sessions with the biggest impact? Hands-on labs, Birds-of-a-Feather (BoF) tables, and GTM roundtables. Go for frameworks and actionable templates.
- Operational ROI appears first: AI-driven efficiency and content optimization drive the budget priorities for 2025.
- IOD’s take: The intersection of GTM strategy, GenAI workflows, and measurement is what will set this year’s agenda apart.
Why CyberMarketingCon 2025 Matters for Marketing Leaders
I’ve been director of business development at IOD for over four years now. During this time, I’ve met and spoken with hundreds of B2B tech marketers at AWS re:Invent, RSAC, Black Hat, and many other industry events. One thing becomes clear very quickly: Cybermarketing is different.
We see it every day at IOD. We work with many cybersecurity companies. We understand their challenges, their pains, and what it takes to work hand in hand with their teams. Wiz, one of the strongest players in the industry and proudly an IOD customer, is a great example.
That’s why CyberMarketingCon 2025 felt like the natural event for us to attend. It’s smaller than the mega conferences we usually go to, but that is exactly why the IOD team will be there. It is tactical, featuring real-world insights from top cybermarketing practitioners, and focused on what cybermarketers are actually doing and measuring.
If you own growth in cybersecurity (whether you’re a CMO, demand gen lead, PMM, or in content ops), CyberMarketingCon 2025 in Austin is likely on your “must-attend” list. This isn’t a broad networking event. It’s where enterprise brands and hands-on GTM leaders share what’s working, what failed, and how they measured it. The result: actionable intelligence you can bring home.
Who’s actually here? Cybermarketing practitioners, including enterprise brands and GTM owners comparing battle‑tested tactics (not theories). Expect a repeat of last year’s high-value peer workshops, CMO roundtables, and content strategy deep dives. This is a no-fluff, value-driven conference. Peer exchange is what sets the bar here.
Cybermarketing Field Signals: What to Expect in 2026
The latest industry surveys and market signals offer a clear-eyed look at how AI, particularly GenAI, is shaping real marketing outcomes in 2025 and 2026. I’ve also seen this first-hand at IOD, where we’ve been combining our deep practitioner expertise with GenAI capabilities to create real performance-driven B2B tech content.
GenAI Adoption Widespread, but Value Uneven
In 2025, 71% of organizations use GenAI in at least one function, according to the McKinsey 2025 State of AI Report, but less than 20% track meaningful KPIs. This leaves most teams with untapped ROI.
ROI Emerges First in Operations
We’re increasingly seeing our clients prioritize AI-driven optimization and creation in their marketing budgets. According to the 2026 Content Marketing Institute B2B Benchmarks report, 80% of B2B marketers using AI for content creation say operational efficiency improved; 58% report better content quality as a direct outcome. Yet measurement is still a gap: Only 40% highlight it as a primary driver for improved effectiveness, making it a top focus area for teams.
Marketing Leaders Want Measurable Gains
While 85% of marketers report using GenAI, only 15% are fully integrated; yet among those, 83–93% see ROI. The path to value: Move beyond pilots to systematic adoption, led by line-of-business owners.
Security As a Budget Focus
Google’s $32B acquisition of our client Wiz sent a clear message: Cloud security is now a top priority for both AI and marketing teams. If you can show how your company’s security features really help customers (and you can prove it with real examples, not just promises), you’ll see more people moving through your marketing funnel and better results for your business.
Tactical Agenda Picks: Make CyberMarketingCon 2025 Actionable
Here are my picks for the sessions and activities that deliver the most value for GTM, content operations, and measurement at CyberMarketingCon 2025:
1. DIY AI Agent Workshop: Build a Marketing Agent Using n8n
- When: Sunday, December 7 (12:05–3:00 PM CST)
- Where: Check the conference app or onsite signage
- Who: Presented by Dr. Anushika Babu, CMO, AppSecEngineer
- Why it matters: This is a hands-on session, not just a demo. You’ll actually build an AI marketing agent and get ready-to-use templates for automating tasks like lead enrichment, call summaries, and repurposing content. You’ll also get tips on how to prompt AI tools for better results and tone.
- What you’ll take back to work: A working agent connected to ChatGPT, Sheets, Slack, LinkedIn, and Notion, plus a simple rollout plan and a risk checklist (covering things like PII and AI hallucinations).
2. When GenAI Meets GTM: The Cybersecurity Unicorn’s Marketing Playbook
- When: Tuesday, December 9 (4:15–4:45 PM CST)
- Where: Check onsite signage or agenda app
- Who: Presented by Jenna Quigley, VP Growth Marketing, Cyera & Chris Hines, VP of PMM and Corporate Marketing, Cyera
- Why it matters: Discover how top-tier cybersecurity companies, those rare “unicorns,” are combining GenAI with GTM strategies to scale fast, capture market share, and lead category conversations.
- What you’ll take back to work: A complete GTM playbook template tailored for GenAI‑powered cybersecurity marketing, covering buyer journey mapping, content velocity frameworks, measurement scorecards, and operating models you can adapt immediately.
3. Marketing to the Technical Buyer: What Red Teamers Really Think of Your Campaign and How to Win Them Over
- When: Wednesday, December 10 (10:50–11:15 AM CST)
- Where: Check onsite signage or agenda app
- Who: Presented by Maril Vernon, Principal Solutions Architect, NetSPI
- Why it matters: If your cybersecurity campaigns look sharp but fall flat with technically-minded buyers, you’re not alone. This session breaks down exactly why red teamers and engineers ghost your content, and how to fix it.
- What you’ll take back to work: A checklist of phrases and messaging approaches that turn off technical buyers, and what to use instead; real examples of how to translate product features into value narratives that resonate with red teamers and engineers; tips for collaborating with your product or technical teams to co-create content that earns trust, not eyerolls.
4. How We 10x’d Our Team’s Creativity with AI/The Practical AI Playbook for Cybersecurity Marketing
- When: Wednesday, December 10 (2:15–2:40 PM CST)
- Where: Check onsite signage or agenda app
- Who: Tom Orbach, Head of Growth Marketing, Wiz
- Why it matters: Leading cybersecurity marketing teams are using AI far beyond experiments: They’re multiplying creative output, scaling content ops, and positioning themselves for growth in 2026. This session deconstructs how they moved from “trying AI” to building a repeatable AI‑powered playbook.
- What you’ll take back to work: A ready‑to‑adapt AI creativity playbook, covering workflow templates, role definitions, prompt engineering best practices, and content‑production ARCs you can plug into your team immediately.
5. Lunch + Birds-of-a-Feather (BoF) Tables
- When: Daily, December 8–10 (12:00–1:30 PM CST)
- Where: Conference Networking Area
- Who: Open to all attendees
- Why it matters: This is your chance to stress-test your playbooks with other marketers running similar tools and stacks.
- What you’ll take back to work: Insights and practical solutions you gathered through live, small-group networking real-world answers to your top measurement and content ops questions, peer benchmarks for time-to-value and risk, and actionable strategies you can immediately use to improve your cybermarketing programs.
5 Ways Leading B2B Tech Teams Turn AI and Marketing Data Into Real ROI
Across IOD’s client base, here’s what we’re seeing right now. Leading cybermarketing teams are capturing real value from their AI and marketing data investments. If you want to close the measurement gap and show true impact after CyberMarketingCon, here are five practical steps you can take.
1. Make Measurement a Priority, Not an Afterthought
You’ll hear it again and again at CyberMarketingCon: AI means little if you’re not measuring its impact. Set clear KPIs before your next campaign. Think content velocity, pipeline coverage, cost per lead, and win rates tied to AI-enabled activities. Use dashboards or simple tracking tools so results are visible, not just shared in post-mortems.
2. Build an “AI ROI checklist” for Every New Initiative
After attending hands-on workshops, apply what you’ve learned by creating a quick “AI ROI checklist” for any new tool or workflow. Ask:
- What metric will improve?
- How will we measure it?
- Who’s responsible for tracking and reporting?
- What metric will improve?
This checklist (even just a single slide) ensures you’re not just experimenting with AI; you’re connecting it to business value.
3. Create a Living “Security Proof” Hub
Peer sessions at CyberMarketingCon highlight the need for trust. Build a resource hub featuring up-to-date case studies, data visualizations, and third-party validations from industry experts. Make it easily accessible for your sales and marketing teams.
This not only demonstrates outcomes but gives your prospects real evidence (not just promises), especially important in today’s competitive cyber landscape.
4. Benchmark with Your Peers
Don’t just attend Birds-of-a-Feather tables and roundtables; use them to compare what metrics other cyber marketers are tracking for GenAI, security, and attribution. Take notes, swap dashboards, and adjust your own scorecard based on proven strategies you discover on-site.
5. Move from Pilots to Process
Inspired by what you learn at CyberMarketingCon? Make 2026 the year you scale GenAI from experiment to standard operating procedure. Tie GenAI outputs (content, campaigns, workflows) directly to your marketing and sales KPIs, and review them quarterly.
Transform Your CyberMarketingCon Insights into Action
CyberMarketingCon 2025 isn’t just another conference for me. It’s an opportunity to hear leading marketers benchmark what’s working, test new playbooks, and bring home strategies for our clients that drive real business impact.
Here are some of the deep conversations I hope to have in Austin:
- How are advanced teams structuring handoffs between AI and humans?
- Which KPIs truly reflect GenAI’s impact on pipeline and content velocity?
- What are the best new practices for proving brand trust and security outcomes in a crowded cyber market?
My team and I will be on the ground, listening for actionable insights, success stories, and real-world examples directly from cybermarketing practitioners, so you can turn field-tested ideas into measurable business results.
We’re looking for the frameworks and measurements that turn GenAI from pilot to process, and for proof-driven strategies that win buyer trust.
Let’s connect in Austin! Come meet the IOD team to swap lessons, benchmark your GTM model, or see how IOD GenAI Labs delivers practitioner-led, AI-powered content strategies built for cybersecurity.
