As demand for artificial intelligence (AI) solutions grows and developer tech stacks become more AI-enabled, the marketing team at Couchbase knew it needed to adapt to its end user’s changing needs. The developer data platform for critical applications in our AI world is best known for its scalable, flexible, and performant database solutions for modern applications. To stay competitive in the growing AI-powered development space, Suzanne Loftus, Marketing Program Manager at Couchbase, turned to DZone as the database solution began to shift its messaging toward AI. 

Choosing a Trusted Media & Advertising Partner  

Developer tool and technology buying decisions include two essential audiences: The buyer—enterprise decision-makers who manage budgets—and the end-users—in this case, developers, database administrators (DBAs), and IT architects—who use the tools, build applications and influence buying decisions. Understanding this dynamic, Suzanne knew Couchbase’s marketing programs needed to reach these enterprise influencers. That’s where she turns to DZone. 

For over five years, Suzanne has partnered with DZone on their database, cloud, and AI advertising and lead generation initiatives, finding a reliable partner in the sales and customer success teams that offers strategic recommendations and makes her feel like she’s winning. Suzanne noted: “I really appreciate the relationship and the feedback. On a day-to-day basis, people get back to you, people make me feel like the programs that I’m running are just as important as your top spending client.”

But it’s not just about the staff. DZone provides Couchbase with its target developer audience while delivering measurable results, maximizing the impact of their marketing programs. Suzanne knows this because Couchbase’s own developers engage with DZone’s platform. 

“DZone is our audience. Our developers engage with DZone’s platform, which makes it invaluable for reaching the right people.”

Amplifying Couchbase’s Presence in the AI-Powered Space

How do you grow the visibility of your AI-powered database solutions while driving value to developer audiences? For Couchbase, that included DZone’s Enterprise AI Trend Report, published in March 2024, and ads on the Database and AI/ML Zones. 

Already familiar with Trend Report sponsorships, Suzanne could count on results. With its community-driven research findings and expert contributions, Trend Reports provides a niche offering that sets it apart from broader industry reports and empowers developers with actionable insights. Suzanne describes: “You have to approach developers with a lot of integrity and put things out there for them that are going to help them do their job better and improve their productivity. Otherwise, they’re not interested in your marketing lingo.”

The result? The Enterprise AI Trend Report was the highest traffic driver to Couchbase’s GenAI content, accounting for 70% of visitor traffic based on UTM tracking. 

Display advertising plays a strong supportive role in Couchbase’s ongoing demand generation efforts. Historically a sponsor to both the Database and Cloud Zones–permanent content hubs on DZone that curate relevant resources including contributed articles, Refcards, and Trend Reports–Couchbase’s messaging pivot was met with a recommendation to change ad targeting from the Cloud to the AI/ML Zone. The targeting pivot had a positive impact, exceeding click-through benchmarks on DZone.com.

These metrics validated Suzanne’s strategic choice in advertising on DZone’s platform, proving its ability to connect with developers and promote Couchbase’s developer data platform. Through media alignment and partnership, Suzanne and the Couchbase team are setting the stage to thrive in an increasingly competitive, AI-powered development space. As Suzanne reflected: “DZone makes me feel like the programs I’m running are as important as those of top clients. That partnership, attention to detail, and audience relevance are why we keep coming back.”