SIA StartUps in Security Presents: The “Marketing That Matters” Series

About the Series

Join marketing wizards from the Security Industry Association (SIA) StartUps in Security community to explore how to do marketing well for startups and small companies on a limited budget. This program is a series of highly interactive Zoom meetings where it’s all about dialogue. You ask your questions, we share ideas and give tips. Ready to take your marketing to a new level? This is the series for you!

This is not a typical webinar series. Each session is structured as an interactive workshop where participants can engage in a virtual meeting with peers, share experiences, discuss challenges and collaborate on solutions tailored to the realities of startup growth.

Participants will:

• Learn from industry peers and startup marketing leaders
• Participate in collaborative exercises and discussions
• Apply practical frameworks to their own business challenges
• Gain actionable insights specific to security industry startups
• Leave each session with strategies they can implement immediately

Who should attend?

• Startup founders and co-founders
• Marketing leaders and team members
• CEOs and executive leadership teams
• Sales leaders and business development executives
• Product marketing and go-to-market leaders

Series at a Glance

• When: Thursday, Oct. 1; Thursday, Oct. 29; and Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026 (1–2 p.m. ET)
• Where: Virtual/Zoom
• What: Interactive meeting open to SIA members only. Need help with your membership access? Email membership@securityindustry.org.
• NOTE: SIA’s Confidentiality Policy

Program Agenda

Part 1: Defining Your Marketing Strategy

Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET

Breaking into the physical security industry is unlike entering almost any other market. Sales cycles are long, buyers are risk-averse, trust is earned slowly and the channels that work in other tech sectors often fall flat here. In this session, startup founders and leaders new to the space will get a practical primer on where to focus their first marketing dollars (and where not to). We’ll cover how to map the physical security buying landscape, how to pick the one or two motions most likely to produce return on investment at your stage and how to build credibility in an industry that buys on trust and relationships. You’ll leave with a simple framework for defining a focused marketing strategy you can act on immediately, with no big team or budget required.

Key Learning Points:

• How to approach your marketing strategy on day 1
• Where early-stage marketing dollars typically get wasted in this industry, along with the higher-ROI alternatives
• A simple framework for choosing your first one or two marketing motions and measuring what’s working

Meeting Hosts and Speakers:

Part 2: Channel Marketing vs. End-User Marketing

Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET

Security solutions companies often face a critical go-to-market question: Should you focus marketing efforts on channel partners, end users, or both? This interactive discussion will explore how successful security companies balance partner enablement with demand generation to accelerate market adoption and growth.

Meeting Hosts/Speakers:

Part 3: Defining Your Brand

Thursday, Nov. 19, 1:00 p.m. ET

In part 3, it’s all about who you are and what you do, and a strong brand is often the difference between being noticed and being overlooked. Investors, partners and customers need to quickly understand who you are, what problem you solve and why your company matters.

This interactive session will help participants define a compelling brand identity and develop messaging that clearly communicates their value to the market.

Meeting Host/Speaker: