The Front Lines
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Don Halliwell.
Head of Marketing · TrustLayer
Don Halliwell is the Head of Marketing at TrustLayer, a company revolutionizing the insurance verification process. With extensive experience in marketing and technology, Don is focused on driving awareness and adoption of TrustLayer’s innovative solutions, which streamline risk management and compliance for businesses.
Guest
Don Halliwell
Head of Marketing
Company:
TrustLayer
Location:
Tampa, Florida, United States
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In this episode of The Marketing Front Lines, we speak with Don Halliwell, Head of Marketing at TrustLayer, who is reimagining B2B PR and media relations for the digital age. Drawing from his experience managing communications during BlackBerry's transformation from an 81% market share leader to its pivot into cybersecurity, Don shares how he's now building influence in the niche insurance tech space. At TrustLayer, he's pioneering a hybrid approach that combines traditional trade media relationships with owned media platforms, helping the company grow from a broker-focused channel strategy to a successful dual-channel model with 40% direct business.

Topics Discussed:

Six takeaways from this conversation.

Actionable for Insurtech founders

  1. Reimagine PR for the Startup Environment
    Don stripped enterprise PR tactics down to core principles, discovering that direct journalist relationships often outperform agency relationships in niche markets. His team achieved consistent trade media coverage by treating journalists as domain experts rather than distribution channels, leading to stronger story development and more authentic coverage.
  2. Transform Your Podcast into a Business Development Tool
    TrustLayer's "Brick by Brick" podcast grew from 0 to 600 baseline listeners in their niche market by treating it as a relationship-building platform. They leverage the show to connect with potential customers, turning sales prospects into podcast guests and creating natural conversation opportunities that build trust before any sales discussion.
  3. Build Influence Through Trade Publication Dominance
    Rather than chasing mainstream business media coverage, Don's team focused on dominating insurance trade publications, where their target audience consistently engages. This focused approach helped them build credibility with risk managers and insurance brokers, leading to stronger channel partnerships and direct customer relationships.
  4. Create Multi-Purpose Content Through Executive Storytelling
    Instead of filtering executive communications through agencies, Don positions company leaders in direct conversation with journalists, creating authentic dialogue that generates both immediate coverage and content for owned channels. This approach has resulted in a 60% increase in thought leadership opportunities.
  5. Leverage Event Press Credentials Strategically
    The team uses their podcast platform to secure press passes at industry events, enabling them to conduct on-site interviews while gathering competitive intelligence. This dual-purpose approach maximizes their event ROI while creating valuable content for their audience.
  6. Develop a Framework for News Response Opportunities
    Rather than chasing every trending topic, TrustLayer evaluates news-jacking opportunities through their audience's perspective. They gather cross-functional input on trending topics and only engage when they can add meaningful perspective to the conversation, maintaining credibility while building share of voice.

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