Types of Sponsorship

In interest of full disclosure to both sponsors and readers of the CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Series, this page details the different types of sponsorships and what they entail. We explain what sponsors are paying for, and what if any influence they have on the editorial we’re producing. We reserve the right to update these definitions over time.

Sponsorship

The sponsor gets an advertisement either in a video, blog post, newsletter, or ebook. They get a banner ad in the content flow of the blog post and links are provided to the sponsor’s site. Sponsor has no influence over editorial.

Sponsored podcast

Sponsored episodes without a sponsored guest include either an in-show read about the sponsor or a short commercial. Sponsors can suggest segment topics for the show that we try to work in if appropriate. The editorial of those segment topics and what all members on the podcast say are not influenced by the sponsor. Any listener, regardless of sponsorship, is welcome to suggest topics and questions for the show.

Sponsored guests on podcast

A sponsored guest is disclosed at the beginning of the show. At one point during the show we produce a segment that’s specifically related to that sponsor’s product category. It is in that segment the sponsored guest has an opportunity to talk about their company’s product. For the rest of the show, we treat the sponsored guest like any other guest. In preparation for the show we ask guests if there are any topics they’re personally passionate about that aren’t specifically related to their company’s product. During the show, they participate in all segments, including the one that’s specific to their company’s product category.

Sponsored webinar

To register for webinars, we gather email addresses and other information. That information is collected for to receive distribution of the CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Series newsletter and the sponsor(s) future marketing efforts. Depending on the details of the sponsorship contract the content could be produced by CISOseries.com and include sponsored guests, not include sponsored guests, or the content could be completely generated by the sponsor. If content is generated by us, we usually work with the sponsor to come up with a topic that’s relevant to their category, but the rest of the editorial is under our control. At the point of registration we disclose who is producing the content, and who will be collecting the contact information.

Sponsored content

The topic for the content is dictated by the sponsor. Depending on the agreement, the content could be produced by the sponsor, or produced by us. The author and their affiliation will be disclosed at the top of the blog post. If the content is produced by CISOseries.com, sponsor does not have control over the editorial although they do have power to choose the topic and we often will interview a sponsor representative for the content.