North Carolina is among the top-three states in bioscience employment, and its biotech base – a $59 billion economy and 237,000 jobs – is one of the fastest-growing among the other major biotech states. It’s the nation’s leading hub for contract research and testing companies and a world leader in vaccine research and manufacturing.

All this is thanks in no small part to NCBiotech, the oldest new-tech organization of its kind in the world. Biotech was on the cusp of becoming a new industry in 1984 when then-Gov. Jim Hunt and other state leaders established the Center to capitalize on North Carolina’s economic promise – basically to secure a future of meaningful employment statewide as its traditional tobacco, textile and furniture markets were eroding. In addition to its headquarters here in RTP, NCBiotech has 5 regional offices in Asheville, Greater Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greenville, and Wilmington.

It’s an exciting time in biotech, and there are few better regions to be working, collaborating, and building than North Carolina. More than 1/3 of last year’s 16,000+ attendees were international, with U.S. governors and more than 100 royalty, ministerial, and other top level public officials from overseas among them. Certainly, attendees at BIO 2013 will find no shortage of opportunity to develop partnerships and collaborations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and academic researchers and investors.

Forma has provided biotech organizations from all sectors and of all sizes with branding, differentiation, positioning and messaging, and many other life science marketing services for 25 years. We’re looking forward to being a part of this event, and certainly proud to be a sponsor of the NC Pavilion. Stop by and see us!

Equally intriguing is that life science C-suite executives readily point to their sales team when sales performance is poor. And this is precisely something that marketing can fix – where a solid marketing strategy, positioning and messaging that truly differentiates, and internal alignment can have its greatest impact.

Think about it. If life science sales reps are approaching prospects with their own take on what their organization has to offer – or worse, delivering messages and ‘stories’ that don’t differentiate from their competitors – their organization will be passed over because of price, industry reputation, and perception.

Successful sales starts with a solid strategy. Don’t underestimate its potential, sell your C-suite on the effort, and be prepared to dig in for the tough task of taking an honest look at your organization. Click here to get started.

Consider this: scientists pioneered the concept of content marketing centuries ago with peer-review publishing. Even then, they understood that sharing their ideas was a sure-fire way to build an enhanced reputation. But as David points out, there are some key differences. Content marketing, for example, doesn’t have a peer-review system. And without that quality check, it’s easier to publish potentially bad content. Secondly, science has traditionally relied on industry journals, lectures, and scientific posters as channels for these ‘free’ findings and ideas. Today, life science marketers are adapting their messages on social media outlets that include YouTube, Flickr, and Facebook. Many in the life sciences once had little interest or easy access to those outlets. The same can’t be said today.

Take from that two (of the many) essentials for any content marketer:  1) produce good content, and 2) publish it through the channels that are most relevant to the intended audience.  I’m paraphrasing, but in their book Get Content, Get Customers, Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett sum this up as delivering “what customers need to know … in a relevant and compelling way.” (Here’s another way to think about it.)

In a recent webinar titled ‘The Digital Scientist,’ the life-science search engine Pubget proclaims that ours is no longer an Age of Ads, but an Age of Content. They surveyed more than 200 scientists about how they use content, and of the ~135 responses they tallied, 75%:

• are university or hospital researchers who search and consume content at least once a day
• browse more by subject than by specific content
• rely on RSS feeds and email alerts to stay up-to-date
• visit product and services websites – even if they don’t have direct responsibility for purchasing

Those are pretty good odds for delivering what customers need to know where they’re looking to find it. Brands, Pubget concludes, should aim to be part of the research workflow and not just positioned near it.

But what I found to be the ultimate in life science content marketing is a 12-minute video on TED about Open Source Cancer Research. Jay Bradner, MD heads the Department of Medical Oncology at Harvard Medical School’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and he talked about a molecule his lab developed that makes ‘cancer cells forget they’re cancer.’ To help advance the lab’s research, Bradner and his team sent their findings to everyone they knew. As a result, researchers from around the world built upon The Bradner Lab’s work and found new applications for diagnosis and treatment. This was “less about the science than the strategy,” Bradner explained. His was a commitment to being as open and honest at the earliest stage of his lab’s research as possible.

Last century’s life scientists pioneered the concept of content marketing. Today, they’re taking the Age of Content to new heights. What’s next, and will you be part of it?

Marty Fitzgerald, Director of Business Development

We’re at the CED Life Science Conference 2013 today and tomorrow, which brings to mind two of our past newsletters that focused on maximizing the life science trade show experience.

I attended a show with a client last year and had the chance to visit a few booths.  I couldn’t believe what I found. The reps I spoke with were cordial but launched into their sales pitches before even introducing themselves or asking my name. None asked me about my business interests, needs, or challenges. Had I been in the market for their products or services, I would quickly have looked elsewhere.

The Center for Exhibition Research Industry (CEIR) reports that the trade show industry is continuing slow but consistent growth since its plummet in 2009. General financial uncertainty — particularly surrounding the fiscal cliff – still has trade show planners feeling wary.  So today’s trade show attendees are more likely than ever to be interested in your services.

Consider this: Why do people attend shows? The answer is fundamental: To connect. As innovative as it is, technology communications can’t replace the value of a handshake and a face-to-face discussion.

As a life science professional, your role is basic: tell the customer who you are and what you do in a very short amount of time.  If you’re a trained scientist, it may not be that easy, since yours is a discipline that values complete explanation. (Read more about that separate story!) Maximizing the life science trade show experience is a process that starts long before you hit the floor and continues well after you’ve left. Set goals for what you want to accomplish by attending, and which shows fit best into your marketing strategy. Simplify your booth design to make it compelling, keep it open and inviting to your audience, and don’t wait for them to come to you. Arrive early and stay late. Follow up with the people you meet.

Life science exhibitors need to capitalize on this often rare, in-person opportunity to connect with customers and prospects.  Read more about how to do it.

But before you share, develop a strategy. The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) posted Content Marketing: Biggest Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make on its Start Something Blog. Check it out!

Check out his first entries about “How Does an Entrepreneur Position Their Business to Be Unique?” (November 26) and “Content Marketing: Yes, It Works.” (December 3). Watch for his next post this Monday, December 10.

Life science marketing isn’t a “hard-science” but scientists often treat it like one. From that standpoint, saying less can have a greater effect than saying more. But for a scientist who seeks to describe, that isn’t always easy! So what’s a technically-trained marketer to do? Find out.

To illustrate his point, Ries hailed the brand strength of two companies: Apple and Disney. Both capitalized on being first in their respective industries – Apple as the first to deliver high-capacity and user-friendly consumer technologies, and Disney as the first (in the ‘mind’ of the consumer, as Ries aptly notes) in animated motion pictures and fantasy amusement parks.

Both organizations have also remained focused on those deliverables.

Companies like Procter & Gamble, General Motors, and Unilever, Ries observes, lack such a focus. Consumers rarely develop brand-loyalty to their products, or at least not intentionally. Depending on the audience, however, the product brand may not be as important.

For life sciences organizations, it isn’t easy or in some cases even possible to be first. But they can be focused. And in an industry where mergers and acquisitions are a fact of life, staying focused becomes an even greater challenge for both the parent and child companies. And which company – parent or child – is to be positioned as the brand is a critical decision that must not be overlooked in the early stages of the new familial relationship.  Read more about Marketing Challenges During Mergers and Acquisitions.

In today’s rapid and virtual business climate, branding and differentiation are more vital than ever. It’s not uncommon for companies to position themselves as all things to all customers and end up looking and operating as masters of none. By promoting non-differentiating attributes like “value,” “dedicated workforce,” or “quality,” they can quickly get lost in the crowd.

Putting a stake in the ground by focusing on a finite area of expertise may feel risky, but it’s a bold move that truly differentiates an organization from its competitors, and one that ultimately reaps generous dividends.