This is Scale & Strategy, the newsletter that sends you killer insights, so you’re always the most interesting one in the group chat.
Here’s what we got for you today:
Which LinkedIn Ads combos actually work?
Anthropic disrupts first major AI-orchestrated cyberattack
Which LinkedIn Ads combos actually work?
95% of your buyers aren’t ready to buy right now. That’s the game. Which is why full-funnel isn’t optional anymore. LinkedIn’s data shows it’s not just what you run but how you combine formats.
Combo 1: Video + Thought Leadership + Conversion Ads Trustpilot ran the classic three-step. Video ads to stop the scroll at the top. Thought leader ads from their execs to build mid-funnel credibility. Then high-intent conversation ads to close. Result: 95% higher dwell time, a halo effect from exec posts, and a 229% jump in lead-gen completions. The full sequence delivered 2.7x ROAS.
Combo 2: Bridge brand and demand ServiceNow had to prove brand spend actually moved pipeline, especially in the AI noise. They used CTV for premium reach, paired it with BrandLink ads next to outlets like Bloomberg, then retargeted that audience with in-feed ads and lead gen forms. CTV viewers were 45% more likely to complete a form. Brand built the heat, demand captured it.
Combo 3: Sponsored Content + Sponsored Messaging BMW Group Malaysia didn’t need a mega video push. They built momentum with sponsored content, then hit high-intent users with sponsored messaging. Lead-gen forms let people book test drives directly. Static content warmed the crowd; messaging closed the right ones.
The bigger takeaways for B2B:
Brand fuels demand. Your video and thought-leadership work makes your bottom-funnel dollars more efficient. Think in sequences. Don’t run formats in isolation. Run them like a guided path. Measure with intent. ROI narratives beat “brand awareness” fluff every time.
Premium reach and measurable demand aren’t opposites. When you stack the right formats, they multiply.
Most operators are hitting the same wall: paid social is volatile, attribution is blurry, and every “growth hack” burns out fast.
There is a channel that’s predictable, scalable, and performance-based — but most brands haven’t built it right.
Affiliate marketing isn’t about coupon sites anymore. It’s about partnering with creators who drive real demand through authentic content customers actually trust.
Levanta helps brands selling on Amazon, Walmart, and other retail marketplaces turn creators into a revenue engine. Track true conversions, automate payouts, and finally see which partners move the needle. Plus, you only pay when they convert.
If you need a channel that scales beyond ads, it’s time to build one. Learn moreat levanta.io.
Anthropic disrupts first major AI-orchestrated cyberattack
Anthropic says it stopped what appears to be the first real AI-driven cyber-espionage campaign, after attackers manipulated Claude Code to infiltrate dozens of organizations. The model reportedly carried out 80–90% of the operation on its own.
The details:
The attack, which took place in September 2025, targeted around 30 companies across tech, finance, chemicals, and even government agencies.
Anthropic assessed with “high confidence” that it was a Chinese state-backed group, using AI’s agentic abilities at a level no one has seen before.
The attackers got Claude to cooperate by breaking malicious steps into harmless-looking micro-tasks and posing as security researchers running approved tests.
This marks a big escalation from Anthropic’s earlier “vibe hacking” research in June. Now the AI needed almost no human guidance outside of high-level direction.
Anthropic is calling this the first documented large-scale cyberattack executed with minimal human involvement. Agentic AI doesn’t just speed up normal operations; it accelerates threats by orders of magnitude. Defenders will need to rethink security entirely, because legacy systems aren’t built for adversaries that operate at machine speed.
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This newsletter is a publication of Vector Research Partners (v4rp.com), a data and insights firm powering diligence and growth strategies for top operators and investors.
