Architecting Trust: Akka’s Demand Gen Breakthrough with InfoQ and O’Reilly
Overview
To introduce a complex new architectural concept and strengthen its brand with software architects, the Akka team turned to two of the most trusted names in developer education and media: O'Reilly Media and InfoQ. Through a coordinated campaign that blended O'Reilly’s deep technical content with InfoQ’s reach and reputation among senior software decision-makers, Akka successfully drove awareness, qualified leads, and long-term pipeline growth.
The Challenge
Akka needed a way to educate a highly technical audience—application architects—about a new architectural paradigm. This required content that was both deeply technical and vendor-neutral, presented in a format and on platforms that this audience respects and trusts.
The Solution
Akka partnered with O’Reilly Media to develop high-quality, long-form assets including a technical guide and a live webinar. These materials were then strategically promoted across the InfoQ network, leveraging its highly targeted audience of senior software professionals.
The strategy included:
Sponsoring the O’Reilly Software Architecture Superstream, which garnered over 3,000 registrants and 600+ live attendees.
Promoting the O’Reilly-authored content through InfoQ direct email campaigns, on-site placements, and retargeting ads, generating over 2,700 leads and counting
Sponsoring topically-related InfoQ webinars - which include a practitioner-led Q&A - generating over 1,200 registrants
Using a mix of gated and ungated distribution, ensuring both broad awareness and lead capture.
The Results
High-quality leads: The campaigns reached precisely the audience Akka was targeting—application architects who recognize and trust both the O’Reilly and InfoQ brands.
Pipeline influence: While attribution is shared, Akka confidently reports that these campaigns contributed to both new business and upsell opportunities.
Content longevity: While webinars were typically used for one quarter, detailed reports remained relevant for up to a year, maximizing ROI.
Brand credibility: O’Reilly’s reputation for unbiased, real-world technical content paired seamlessly with InfoQ’s reach to reinforce Akka’s credibility.
Why InfoQ + O'Reilly?
O’Reilly content is known for its depth, neutrality, and relevance—traits that resonate with technical audiences.
InfoQ’s platform amplifies that content to a highly curated audience, ensuring it reaches the right people at the right time.
Key Takeaways
Combining InfoQ and O’Reilly creates a powerful marketing engine for technical products.
Content must be high-value and vendor-neutral to resonate with senior developers and architects.
Shared attribution is the right mindset: no single asset or campaign closes a deal, but their cumulative effect is significant.
Flexibility and long-term planning allow for smarter use of budgets—choosing when to invest more in content creation vs. promotion.
“InfoQ and O’Reilly are as good as peanut butter and jelly for software architects.” — Darin, Akka Marketing Team
Supercharge Your Demand Generation with O’Reilly Content on InfoQ
Looking to connect with senior software engineers, architects, and decision-makers? Discover how O’Reilly’s expert content creation and InfoQ’s highly engaged technical audience can help you drive brand awareness and maximize demand generation.
Let’s talk! Connect with Sharon Cordesse (scordesse@oreilly.com) and Bethany Vananda (Bethany.Vananda@c4media.com) to explore how this partnership can elevate your marketing strategy. Schedule a time to chat today!