B2BVault's summary of:

Lauren Everitt on Okta’s Newsroom-Driven Content Strategy

Published by:
Animalz
Author:
Ty Magnin & other

Introduction

Okta built a lean newsroom to stand out in enterprise SaaS. Instead of chasing headlines, they deliver sharp context, video, and analysis.

What's the problem it solves?

Most corporate content is either late, bland, or buried in legal approvals. Okta’s newsroom fixes this by acting like a small media outlet: fast, clear, and useful to decision-makers.

Quick Summary

Okta shifted its main editorial work from marketing to communications and set up a six-person newsroom in 2025. The team’s mission is not to break news but to add context the next day. Rather than chasing speed, they focus on “what this means” for CISOs and CIOs. That approach sets them apart from both PR blogs and trade media.

They also replaced traditional case studies, which often stalled, with a video series called Executive Exchange. These videos feature leaders explaining how they think through challenges - a format customers and executives are more willing to approve and audiences find more valuable than product pitches.

AI is part of the workflow but never the whole story. Tools like ChatGPT and Jasper help with prep, research, and first drafts, while humans do the last 30–40% to keep the voice and judgment intact. To scale this across 6,000 employees, Okta enforces strict brand governance: mandatory voice-and-tone training through Okta University and an AI council that sets clear usage rules.

Key Takeaways

  • Okta built a newsroom inside comms to tell stories like journalists, not marketers.
  • The newsroom delivers “second-day coverage” - fast context and action steps, not breaking alerts.
  • C-suite video replaced slow case studies, showing how leaders think instead of just product wins.
  • AI speeds up research and drafts, but final voice and nuance remain human.
  • A governance council and mandatory training keep 6,000 employees on-brand.

What to do

  • Think like a newsroom: focus on context, analysis, and decision-making value, not first-to-post news.
  • Use video smartly: show thought process and leadership over product features.
  • Adopt a hybrid AI workflow: let AI do the prep, but keep storytelling human.
  • Enforce brand at scale: create training and governance to keep voice consistent.
  • Measure like a business unit: prove impact quickly if you want more resources.

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