Protecting everywhere students connect
Securly and New Kind tell the story of a ubiquitous approach to K–12 safety
Background
Today’s students have grown up with smartphones in their hands and the internet at their fingertips. Technology has expanded their possibilities and perspectives, bringing them closer to opportunities they might otherwise never have. But this constant connectedness also presents risks for young minds. The challenges they could once leave at school now follow them home.
Securly was founded to keep students safe, online and off. With end-to-end student safety and digital experience management for K–12, Securly’s 360º approach keeps students secure everywhere, every hour of the day, on every device.
Industries: Education, SaaS, Safety, Technology
Services: Company Messaging, Product Messaging, Research, Storytelling
Why New Kind?
New Kind helped us take the numerous stories and interviews across many stakeholders—including the founders, employees, and customers—and distill them into the most impactful brand messaging we'd been waiting for since we started over six years ago. Their ability to blend our B2B and B2C stories into a coherent message was the most striking aspect of our work with them.
Vinay Mahadik
CEO & Co-Founder
The Opportunity
Create consistency across a diverse and growing product portfolio
Rapid growth and acquisitions had created complexity across Securly’s sales and marketing efforts. The team needed a cohesive and emotionally resonant go-to-market messaging platform to scale across their individual solutions—unlocking doors to new customers and opportunities.
If we could clarify their positioning and simplify their message, we could elevate Securly’s story—the promise they alone can deliver on. And we could equip Securly’s sales and marketing teams with a collection of messages to help them unlock doors to new customers and opportunities.
Our Strategy
Touch the heart to move the head
Analysis of Securly’s extensive catalog of messaging materials surfaced a common theme we often see with tech companies: a focus on feature-and-function at the expense of a more emotive story. Tech specs alone, we knew, weren’t going to drive the results the company sought. Before you can get a customer to buy, you first have to make them care.
Our research and stakeholder interviews uncovered countless stories of Securly’s products creating real, meaningful impact. Of technology and device management made easier. Of school-parent relationships made stronger. And, most profoundly, of young lives being saved—all thanks to Securly’s solutions.
The human stories were already there, just waiting to be told.
Strategy Workshop
Our discovery sprint culminated in a full-day, in-person workshop with members of Securly’s leadership and creative teams in their San Jose, California headquarters. Together we reviewed all of our research synthesis, and began to uncover themes that would guide our story and messaging development. We also facilitated a number of activities to further clarify Securly’s differentiators, target audiences, and market position.
Why New Kind?
New Kind helped us take the numerous stories and interviews across many stakeholders—including the founders, employees, and customers—and distill them into the most impactful brand messaging we'd been waiting for since we started over six years ago.
Vinay Mahadik
CEO & Co-Founder
Brand Story
Wherever students connect, Securly protects
Many of Securly’s competitors claim to be “complete” student safety solutions, yet none can truly address the full breadth of student safety challenges the way Securly can. Conveying this unique, 360-degree capability of Securly’s protection was a crucial element to express with what became the company’s new big brand message:
Always connected, always protected.
To support this high-level message, we developed three uniquely ownable messaging pillars—crafted to convey the entire story of what Securly makes possible. Powered by purpose, with a deep commitment to creating a safer world for students. Tirelessly innovative, continually turning technology into a catalyst for learning. Ubiquitous experience, as a single platform giving schools and guardians full visibility into students’ online lives.
With end-to-end solutions that keep students safe and secure online and off—on both school and personal devices—Securly is the only safety and digital experience management platform that truly protects students wherever they go.
Product Messaging
Go-to-market messages for every product in the portfolio
Headlines were developed to express Securly’s brand story across their entire product suite, each with a similar linguistic structure to convey cohesiveness. Following a similar narrative structure while clearly articulating each product’s purpose and value proposition helps reinforce Securly as the only provider of a truly unified K–12 safety solution.
A collection of messaging tools—messaging architecture outline, story logic map, high-level narrative, and positioning / boilerplate statements—were also developed to help sales teams take these messages to market.
Outcomes
A clear path forward for secure student futures
Immediately following the completion of our work, the Securly team began rolling out the new story and messaging internally. Training employees across the organization on how to use their new big brand message, story narrative, and strategic positioning. They have also updated messaging across their website, using their new positioning strategy to unify their products and reinforce their platform story.
Our work helped build alignment across a globally dispersed workforce. It created clarity around Securly’s competitive positioning—particularly important for the brand in a time of rapid growth and expansion. And it helped give everyone at Securly a story to share with customers and partners.