Market discovery in B2B demand generation Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks is a globally recognised cybersecurity company focused on delivering powerful cybersecurity solutions.

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The challenge

A strong B2B demand generation campaign rarely starts with a media plan. It starts with market discovery, with a question many organisations skip: what is really keeping our target audience awake at night, and is that the same for every audience?

For Palo Alto Networks, the answer was no. Their solutions are relevant to both healthcare institutions and medtech companies, but the pressures these groups face, their internal responsibilities and the way they look at risk differ significantly.

A hospital thinks in terms of continuity of care and patient safety. A medtech company thinks in terms of product development, regulation and international market introduction. The same legislation, with NIS2 at the forefront, lands differently for each of them.

That distinction became the starting point for the entire campaign.

Expertise that connects Our approach

Living Stone developed a measurable NIS2 campaign for Palo Alto Networks targeting healthcare and medtech, from market discovery to content, ads and conversion.

Starting from the market’s questions

The first phase of the process was market immersion. We explored which questions Belgian healthcare institutions and medtech companies were really asking around cybersecurity:

  • why this is now a priority
  • what NIS2 specifically requires from them
  • which risks come with insufficient preparation
  • which measures they need to be able to demonstrate to regulators and partners

Many B2B campaigns move through the discovery phase too quickly. Especially with complex topics such as cybersecurity, a message only works when it connects with the questions that already exist within the target audience.

One theme, two audiences, two stories

Based on those insights, we deliberately chose audience-specific content built around the same core message. Palo Alto Networks was positioned as the expert partner for organisations looking to structurally strengthen their security and compliance. However, the way that positioning was developed differed by sector.

Customer quotes, an extensive FAQ and audience-specific copy ensured that healthcare institutions and medtech companies each felt directly addressed, rather than being presented with a diluted common denominator.

That choice also shaped the conversion strategy. Instead of using one broad contact request, we worked with a low-threshold, tangible tool: a downloadable NIS2 checklist for each audience, offered in exchange for contact details.

That was no coincidence. A checklist connects with what the audience is actually looking for at that moment: not a sales conversation, but guidance to assess their own organisation.

From marketing assets to a measurable system

What sets this campaign apart from a set of separate marketing assets is the way strategy, content, web design, lead generation, analytics and paid media were aligned into one coherent system.

The landing pages, in Dutch and French and fully in the Palo Alto Networks brand style, formed the heart of a flow specifically designed to guide visitors through targeted Google Ads to the right content, convince them with sector-specific arguments and then convert them through the checklist.

Tracking and conversion measurement were built in from the start, not added afterwards. As a result, the campaign delivered not only leads, but also something that is at least as valuable in the longer term: data on the search behaviour, questions and needs of both target audiences.

mockup landingspagina
mockup checklist
voorbeeld van Google Ads

What the results show Results

In two months, the campaign generated 33,556 impressions and 1,896 clicks, with a click-through rate of 5.65%. For a topic that is technical, regulation-driven and aimed at two niche sectors, this is a strong indication that the message struck the right chord. The 40 measured conversions through the landing pages and NIS2 checklists confirm that attention translated into concrete action.

For us, the strongest proof of the approach is not just the CTR or conversion volume. It is that both healthcare institutions and medtech companies responded equally strongly, despite their different challenges. That shows the value of a discovery phase that first uncovered those differences before shaping the message.

Want to turn complex B2B topics into campaigns that convert? 👉 Let’s explore what a discovery-first approach could do for your organisation.

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