Last week’s episode of the NBC reality series, “The Celebrity Apprentice” featured a challenge from Norton and partner LifeLock. Our own Consumer Group President (and my boss) Janice Chaffin appeared on behalf of Norton, alongside Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock, to challenge the celebrity participants to come up with an advertorial for Norton 360/LifeLock. I couldn’t imagine what such an experience must have been like for Chaffin, given her years of working with seasoned security software professionals at Norton. Fortunately, she was more than willing to share some of her insights with me, and ultimately with you. (You can watch the episode on the NBC website until June http://www.nbc.com/the-apprentice/video/deep-seated-in-security/1212979/)
Q: What was it like trying to communicate the topic of security in a short period of time and to non-technical people?
“Being on the set of The Celebrity Apprentice was a lot of fun, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to put a national spotlight on the problem of security and identity theft,” says Janice. “With very little time to brief each celebrity team on our business, I was very impressed with how quickly they grasped the problem and how they were able to execute on their task. And best of all, we got some creative results – but you’ll have to tune in to see what they are!”
Q: Did any of the celebrities have personal experience with cyber crime?
“Yes, several of the celebrities on both teams have been the victims of identity theft and cybercrime. Some of them even had more than one experience, showing that celebrities are really targets for this type of criminal activity.”
Q: Who was the most technically savvy of the group?
“It’s hard to say who was the most technically savvy, but I can say it wasn’t the ex-governor who hasn’t yet learned to type!”
Q: Considering the individuals, anyone seem like they’d be a good Symantec/Norton team member?
“I wasn’t privy to the team dynamics during the challenge so I can only speak to the team results. The project managers both had little time to work. Each was well organized and produced significant results in the 24 hours they had to get the job done. Both of them could have tapped the creative types a little more than they did, however. There were lots of wild ideas and a number of good ones that weren’t explored. It’s the combination of creativity and the ability to execute that we always want on the Norton team.”
Janice, I have to say, I really enjoyed the episode. It was surreal seeing the yellow Norton product box displayed on national television and to see famous folks like Cyndi Lauper working through how to communicate the issues around protecting ourselves and our children online. And I loved seeing the women’s team show up for the competition in Norton yellow t-shirts. (Believe me, yellow isn’t an easy color to wear!)
Overall, the two teams did remarkable work in a ridiculously short period of time. If you are interested to learn more about the product offer, click here. You can purchase the combination of Norton 360 and a subscription to LifeLock for a discounted price of $79.99* (normally $189.99). Part of your purchase price will be donated to the winning team’s charity, “Right to Play” (see the website for details).
And for the rest of us non-celebrity types, if you’re feeling really creative, you can even upload your own advertorial concepts to the LifeLock website and feel a little like one of the stars on The Celebrity Apprentice.
*offer valid until April 12th. Please see LifeLock website for all offer details.