Case Study

Cyber-Securing Democracy with Defending Digital Campaigns (DDC)

Overview

When I joined Defending Digital Campaigns (DDC) in 2020, the nonpartisan nonprofit was seeking to scale its unique mission: providing free enterprise-level cybersecurity tools to political campaigns. 

Following a Federal Election Commission ruling, DDC needed to build trust and engagement across the political spectrum while managing complex relationships with major tech partners like Google, Microsoft, and Meta. The challenge required a comprehensive marketing and outreach strategy that could bridge partisan divides while communicating simple and easy-to-implement cybersecurity concepts to campaigns with limited resources.

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Challenges Faced

Brand Awareness & Trust

- New organization in the political sphere with limited recognition
- Need to establish credibility with both Democratic and Republican campaigns
- Complex regulatory environment requiring careful messaging
- Overcoming skepticism about "free" enterprise-level products

Strategy Intensive

For nonprofits ready to map their path to transformational partnerships in one strategic day. Virtual or in-person options available.

Partnership Sprint

For nonprofits ready to implement AI marketing and secure their first or next major corporate partnerships. Minimum 3-month commitment.

Resource Constraints

We developed rapid implementation strategies to accommodate limited campaign budgets, high staff turnover, and varying technical capabilities across campaigns.

Strategic Approach

Campaign Outreach

We executed targeted email campaigns with customized strategies and follow-up protocols, building a comprehensive database of campaign contacts and engagement metrics.

Partnership Development

Through strategic relationship building, we created co-branded materials and training programs with 56 state parties while establishing effective communication channels with key stakeholders.

Digital Marketing

Our integrated digital strategy included targeted social media campaigns, educational content series, and comprehensive email marketing with robust analytics tracking.

Results

Partnership Expansion

We doubled vendor partnerships in 12 months, securing $4.3M in grants while adding major tech partners including Meta, Amazon, and Cloudflare.

Campaign Engagement

We successfully protected over 1,000 federal campaigns across three election cycles while partnering with 56 state parties and 12 national political nonprofits.

Digital Growth

Our digital presence achieved 350% increase in social engagement, 200% growth in newsletter subscriptions, and reached 5,000+ webinar attendees with 100+ educational resources.

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