To generate leads, we needed to change perceptions - making security a priority. The central idea was to ask the question: is your Network Security good enough? This was illustrated using a see-through envelope, the headline of the letter clearly visible through the plastic: Is your network this easy to see into? The body copy highlighted the organisation’s susceptibility to attacks, and the ineffectiveness of point solutions against today’s network threats. The letter also explained the real costs associated with security; network downtime, lost productivity, and damaged credibility. Deploying Cisco’s integrated security can guard against these attacks - and protect the bottom line.

The campaign achieved an overall response rate of 5.4%. Among the technical decision makers segment, the response rate was 10.4%. With 3.6% of total respondents converted to qualified leads, the ‘See-Through’ campaign generated more leads than any other Cisco programme to date. Unfortunately, due to long sales cycles and the lack of closed-loop reporting, an accurate measure of ROI is not possible. Assuming a standard 30% close rate for qualified leads, and using the average deal size for Cisco Security solutions, the estimated ROI for the programme is 9:1.