Kaspersky Lab launches free IT security program

PR and influencer marketing boost product launch

As a new marketing initiative, IT security firm Kaspersky Lab offers consumers a one-year free license to their antivirus software. In return, they receive the consumers’ contact information, allowing Kaspersky Lab to build a permission database for use in future marketing campaigns. Denmark served as a test country for the global IT security firm.

When Discus Communications and Kaspersky Lab began the market analysis, Kaspersky Lab already had some preliminary experience with giving away free software. In the words of the General Manager, Nordics, Leif Jensen, it was extremely difficult to actually give something away for free. Also, they were far from satisfied with the number of downloads at the time.

Communication strategy considerations: Creating awareness in a low-interest subject area

Digital security is as much top-of-mind – or rather bottom – for most consumers as both insurance and pension savings are. We know how important it is to protect ourselves. But the reality is that there is a long way from awareness to action and purchase.

The assignment, therefore, was to call so much attention to digital security that consumers would go online and actually download a free antivirus program – Kaspersky Free. The target group was initially defined as anyone over the age of 18. And the goal was at least 1,000 downloads.

Solution: A powerful story is the key to promoting awareness

Experience shows that it is primarily men who purchase digital protection. And this was supported by the findings of our consumer survey of 1,000 adult Danes. But then we discovered a completely different and more interesting story in the figures.

It turns out that younger women not only have the highest online consumption, but they are also most likely to pay hackers to get their data – typically photos – back. And they are willing to pay much more than the cost of IT security software. This became the core story.

Armed with this knowledge, we developed an integrated communication campaign for earned, owned and paid media:

1. “Free antivirus from Kaspersky Lab”

A traditional product press release generated the desired attention from a range of trade media and had a potential reach of 287,000 readers.

2. “We don’t put a price on our data until it’s too late”

The consumer survey revealed the real story of interest, and once pitched, several media gave it their own angle. Danish news media Finans.dk, BT, MetroXpress and IT-Reload featured stories and the publicity generated a reach of more than 2 million potential readers, while a radio interview on the programme Aflyttet (Wiretapped) on the Danish talk radio station Radio24Syv had a potential audience of more than 500,000 people.

3. Influencer marketing collaboration

The online media Elektronista targets everyone with an interest in digital culture and the interplay between humans and technology. Because this online universe has a strong female following, an influencer marketing collaboration with Elektronista was a perfect match for the campaign’s target group and message.

4. “This is how easy it is to hack you”

Video is a truly powerful tool and can definitely be used in a journalistic context. With a young woman as the case story and statements by Kaspersky Lab’s Nordic manager, we created a video press release that was pitched to a broad range of online media. This gave us an overall Opportunity to See (OTS) of more than 5 million online views in 11 different national, regional and local media in Denmark.

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