I came across a post from Jay McBain that stopped me mid-scroll.
He was reflecting on Pax8’s decision to run a full-page ad in The New York Times, a move that instantly sparked conversation across the channel and cloud ecosystem.
In a world of digital-first everything, this could’ve easily been dismissed as outdated. But instead, it did the opposite. It commanded attention.
In my comment on Jay’s post, I shared this:
“I might throw a slight wrench in the discourse, not to stir the pot, but to reframe the play. Everyone’s asking why Pax8 used a legacy medium to challenge a legacy model. But what if that was precisely the point? It wasn’t about click-throughs or targeting the digitally native buyer. It was about sending a message loud enough to echo across boardrooms, competitors, and maybe even Wall Street—the kind of message that says, ‘We’re not just building in this market. We’re shaking it.’”
And honestly? That might be the most strategic thing about it.
The Message You Can’t Scroll Past
We live in a world of optimised feeds, AI-generated content, and dashboards that track every interaction. But not everything worth noticing fits neatly into a spreadsheet.
Sometimes, a message lands because it’s the only thing not asking for your click. It’s just there. Loud, unapologetic, and impossible to ignore.
That’s the power of physical presence in a digital world.
Confidence, Not Convenience, Gets Remembered
Marketing loves to chase convenience. But audiences, especially B2B decision-makers, respond to something deeper: confidence, audacity, context.
This wasn’t about conversions. It was a statement. A six-word, full-page, legacy-platform kind of statement that said, “We know who we are, and we’re not here to blend in.”
It wasn’t contradictory. It was poetic.
The Science Behind Why This Worked
This wasn’t just a bold marketing play. It was rooted in the science of communication.
In my upcoming vlog series, I dig into what makes messages stick and why some break through when others don’t.
Pax8’s move lines up with the research.
Cognitive Disruption: Our brains notice what breaks the pattern. A print ad in a digital-first world forces attention.
Processing Fluency: Six words. Easy to read. Easy to remember. The simpler the message, the stickier it becomes.
Emotional Salience: Bold, unexpected moves trigger emotional responses. That’s what makes messages unforgettable.
Anchoring and Timing: They dropped this during peak industry attention. Partners, analysts, and GTM leaders were all dialed in.
This wasn’t just bold. It was calculated.
Timing Isn’t Coincidence. It’s Strategy.
Pax8 dropped this during the heart of partner season, when industry attention is at its peak. Channel events. Ecosystem activity. Leadership alignment. They didn’t just show up.
They showed up when the room was full. And then they dropped the mic.
That’s not luck. That’s strategy.
Disruption Doesn’t Always Look Like a Viral Post
We tend to associate disruption with sleek design, viral campaigns, or digital-only plays. But sometimes? Disruption shows up on a full-page spread with just six words and a lot of nerve.
“We’re not just building in this market; we’re shaking it.”
That’s not just a message. That’s positioning.
And that’s how you shift perception.
For Go-to-Market Leaders: Legacy Is Leverage
Let’s stop pretending legacy equals irrelevant.
When used intentionally, legacy platforms can be one of the most powerful tools in your go-to-market playbook. Not because they’re traditional, but because they create contrast.
And contrast, backed by confidence, gets remembered.
Because when the message is right, and the moment is right, even the oldest medium can spark the loudest echo.
This article originally appeared in the form of a LinkedIn Pulse post
Kristine Konrad
Kristine Konrad is a dynamic go-to-market strategist and brand architect known for aligning sales, marketing, and product teams to drive meaningful growth. With a background spanning Fortune 500 campaigns, digital engagement strategy, and complex compliance programmes for government contractors, she thrives in high-pressure, high-impact environments. Her playbook blends strategic storytelling with operational precision and a clear-eyed focus on results. As a podcast host and board member, Kristine brings energy, insight, and versatility to every arena she steps into.
