Demonstrating Impact: How We Help Cybersecurity Brands Scale and Lead
As a disruptive‑tech agency, we’re often asked about our cybersecurity pedigree. Few examples capture this better than our six‑year partnership with VMware Carbon Black. During that time, we supported the company through a rebrand, an IPO, acquisition, and ultimately the successful sunsetting of the Carbon Black brand as it became part of the VMware Security Group. Seeing a company through that full arc is what makes our partnership such a powerful proof point. It illustrates what happens when ambitious cybersecurity companies earn trust early and then build on it with consistent, credible visibility.
From start‑up to category leader
C8 helped Carbon Black navigate some of its most pivotal moments, with messaging and visibility evolving as the company changed shape. After Bit9 acquired Carbon Black, the combined business simplified to the Carbon Black brand. Our task went far beyond a name change. The market needed to understand what the company stood for, with next‑generation endpoint protection and behavioural analytics supported by a clear point of view on how attackers operate and how defenders should respond.
As the business accelerated, including a Nasdaq IPO and later VMware’s acquisition, our remit shifted. We focused on developing messages that would stand up to scrutiny, leadership preparation, and the visibility signals that build confidence with customers, partners and the wider market.
After the acquisition, the priority shifted to building an engine with lasting impact. We developed what became VMware’s most successful global communications asset, the Global Threat Report, and launched the pilot in the UK. From there we scaled it across multiple markets (18 in total) and supported a global rollout. The programme became a credible anchor for media and analysts, and a research‑led platform the marketing team could rely on to drive demand.
In 2022, we supported the strategic sunsetting of the Carbon Black brand as it transitioned into VMware’s Security Business Unit. It was the final proof point that when the story changes, you must steward it. Done well, the market understands what remains constant and what comes next.
What disruptive B2B tech businesses need now
In crowded markets, innovation isn’t enough on its own. The companies that stand out are the ones key audiences can quickly understand and trust. They have a sharp, defensible narrative, proof points that hold up under pressure, and a steady cadence of insight that keeps them relevant as the market shifts. That’s where the hard work comes in, turning technical advantage into authority and making sure communications strategy meets the moments that define the business.
We apply the same approach with today’s cyber innovators, helping them earn authority faster in high‑stakes markets. Recent and current programmes include 11:11 Systems, Securonix, Checkmarx, BlueVoyant, ThreatQuotient and Lasso Security, alongside emerging players such as Replica Cyber and Derive Risk Management.
Case spotlight on Reach Security
When Reach Security needed to establish trust quickly in a complex enterprise market it turned to C8. Configuration drift and misconfiguration risk are high‑impact problems in almost every enterprise environment, but they are often under‑explained and easy to overlook. C8 built a multi‑layered programme to grow Reach’s authority fast, spanning awards, high‑impact announcements, structured analyst engagement and executive positioning. At the centre sat a flagship research initiative on configuration drift, developed and led by C8. It became the anchor for Reach’s 2026 marketing strategy and a repeatable platform for media, analysts and demand generation.
In 2026 Reach reported 500% revenue growth and a 300% increase in new customers, including multiple Fortune 500 organisations. The programme also supported major recognition, including CRN Stellar Startup, SC Award for Best Continuous Threat Exposure Management, TechRound 100, Gartner Innovation Insight inclusion and acceptance into the Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program. These accolades reinforced Reach’s position as a category‑defining voice in AI‑powered security posture management.
From Carbon Black’s defining moments to Reach’s momentum, the through‑line is clear. We help disruptive cybersecurity companies earn trust, shape perception and build the credibility that supports growth. If you’re launching a new product, entering a new market, sharpening your story, or looking for a research‑led platform that creates sustained authority, get in touch with us.