Why LifeLock’s CEO gave out his social security number — Todd Davis // Kadenwood

Quotes

• "Two things were at play when I gave out the social security number. So, I didn't have money to buy or launch a television ad campaign. I knew we had to build the brand to establish credibility. I got on this massive PR campaign to do that. Anyone that would put me on television regional couldn't care, less radio I'd get up at any hour. I'd go anywhere." - Todd Davis

• "We started with the concept of the million-dollar guarantee. That was going to be the hook. We're confident we'll put a million dollars up knowing that for 99% of the population, that's more than their net worth. To them, that was a bold statement that we guarantee up to a million dollars, which got us a lot of the PR." - Todd Davis

• "After giving out my SSN on live TV, we signed up over forty thousand people and generated 400 grand monthly recurring revenue. At that moment, from one campaign." - Todd Davis

• "The FTC hated it. Literally, even though I didn't break any rules. They hated that I gave out my social security number because they thought I was making people think they had to be less careful. There were some unintended repercussions." - Todd Davis

• “"I think what people miss is when you get those insights, but you still have to deliver in a disruptive way. It has to be something that rattles people. I've always joked about this. Half the people thought I was crazy, and half thought I was brilliant. We still don't know which half is correct. But it sure was successful." - Todd Davis

• "You still have to deliver it in a way that breaks through the clutter. And then you make the brand promise. So, a breakthrough, I made a brand promise. What was my brand promise? I said I'm so confident that here's my real one. If we're wrong or fail you, I back it up with a million-dollar guarantee." - Todd Davis

• "It's how you get attention. It doesn't matter what the brand promises if no one's listening. Okay. The most important thing that's the hardest thing for people to do is to break through the clutter, and that is the lightning in the bottle." - Todd Davis

• "Once I have your attention. You're hungry to hear what I have to say. Now make the brand promise. But then the third element is you can't lose. You must execute and deliver against that brand promise." - Todd Davis

• "I'll tell you what I've found now, as I get to invest in early-stage companies and sit on other boards and do these kinds of things, I see early-stage companies are scared to take the chance so that they won't spend the money. They say If I make this bet, do this ad campaign and this brand promise, and it doesn't work, it could be catastrophic." - Todd Davis

• "Once you have the brand... the CMO has to have the courage and be willing to say, let's go, let's be disruptive. Let's put it out there because if we're right and build a brand, it is to the moon. We're unstoppable." - Todd Davis