Forma Life Science Marketing Blog

Marketing Checklist: Thought Leadership

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Ive been thinking about life science marketing checklists (see my post on 8/10) and wondering: What items are so important from a marketing perspective that they should never be forgotten, but are so simple that they are sometimes overlooked?

Marketing Checklist: Understand Your Competitors

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Ive been thinking about life science marketing checklists (see my post on 8/13) and wondering: What items are so important from a marketing perspective that they should appear on a checklist?

One item that would be on my marketing checklist is this:

Keep track of your competitors on a periodic basis.

Marketing Checklist: Segment Your Audience

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Ive been thinking about life science marketing checklists (see my post from 8/10/2010) and wondering: What items are so important from a marketing perspective that they should appear on a checklist?

What's on YOUR Marketing Checklist?

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Checklists are incredibly useful and a couple of recent books make a strong case for checklists in healthcare. In Safe Patients, Smart Hospitals: How One Doctor's Checklist Can Help Us Change Health Care from the Inside Out,authors Peter Pronovost and Eric Vohr discuss how a simple checklisthelped reduce infection rates at Johns Hopkins to virtually zero for aspecific procedure. And in The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, Atul Gawande shows how checklists are helping in all kinds of situations.

The Need for Content in the Life Sciences

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

In the life sciences, many firms offerings are often very close to their competitors almost identical in fact. This is due to many things; perhaps most important is the regulatory scrutiny that drives similarity in processes.

Distinguishing Social Media from Content Marketing

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Social media sure is a popular term, isnt it? It is not hard to find seminars, blog posts, newsletters and all sorts of experts to teach us how to harness social media. People are all atwitter (pun intended) about getting on the social media bandwagon. Social media is the marketing flavor of the month, maybe even the flavor of the year.

Interruption Marketing is Dying

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Interruption marketing is dying. The history of the aptly named commercial break) which breaks into your attention stream), is a prime example of escalating sophistication. Despite the growing sophistication of marketers, the rules have changed, the power struggle between buyers and sellers has changed and the buyers are now winning the battle.

Clear Terminology: Social Media and Content Marketing in the Life Sciences

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Lets be clear with our terminology. Im speaking specifically about the need to differentiate between social media and content marketing.

Treat the Cause, Not the Symptoms.

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Treating the cause brings longer lasting relief than treating the symptoms. In medicine and in marketing, treating symptoms can bring temporary relief, but it doesnt address the root cause of the condition.

Why it is Important to Have a Strong Point of View!

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

In sales, if you are going to hear "No," you want to hear it early in the process, so you can move on from uninterested prospects to qualify someone else someone who might be a better fit.

The Marketing Mechanism of Action

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Find out how marketing works by watching "The Marketing Mechanism of Action."

Benchmarks for Marketing Performance

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

There arent a lot of benchmarks in life science marketing.

For example, no one (that I know of) has researched the average bounce rate for (to pick just one business sector in the life sciences) all formulation companies by measuring the statistics for all the home pages in that one sector. Or measured the conversion rate for signing people up for webinars on PEGylation from competing companies.

Why Consistency is Important in Marketing

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

In every textbook for Marketing 101 courses, youll find a section on the importance of consistency. Why is consistency important?

Forma Life Science Marketing Selected Agency for Triangle Ophthalmologic Device Company

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Forma Life Science Marketing, a leading marketing firm for biotech, pharma and medical device companies, has been selected agency for TearScience, Inc. a privately-held medical device company, located in Morrisville, NC.

Why Market Research is Like a Clinical Trial

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Two factors are important if you want to get clear answers out of a clinical trial. The first is proper enrollment getting the right numbers of the right patients to participate. The second is asking the right questions in the right way that is, determining what effects to look for, and how to measure those effects.

Why is it so hard to diagnose your own marketing ills?

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

To judge from all the poorly positioned marketing in the life sciences, it must be very hard to diagnose your own marketing ills. Otherwise firms would fix what is so obviously wrong.

It is hard to diagnose yourself. It can be dangerous too. In fact, they wont let doctors do it, because the stakes can be so high life and death. The impacts of marketing are serious too: success or failure of the business.

Forma Thought Leader to Lecture to the East Carolina University Entrepreneurial Initiative

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Forma Life Science Marketing, a leading marketing firm for life science, biotech and pharma companies, today announced that David Chapin, CEO and chief strategist is presenting a lecture at the East Carolina University Entrepreneurial Initiative on Monday, June 21, 2010.

When Free Isnt Free: Thought Leadership and Thought Extortion

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

There are times when free isnt free.

Forma Thought Leader to Lecture to the UNC Charlotte Business of Biotech Class

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Forma Life Science Marketing, a leading marketing firm for life science, biotech and pharma companies, today announced that David Chapin, CEO and chief strategist is presenting a lecture at the Belk College of Business, UNC Charlotte for the Business of Biotechnology MBA class on Wednesday, June 17, 2010.

What is the Relationship Between Thought Leadership and the Psychology of Persuasion?

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The basic premise of content marketing is that giving away information that an audience finds useful and relevant will encourage them to respond with trust and give you the opportunity to engage them in dialog.

But why does giving away thought leadership influence people? Social science has some answers. One of the pioneers in this field is Robert Cialdini, who has written extensively on the psychology of persuasion.

Failing Fast

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Business runs in cycles, both in economic cycles and in the cycle of ideas. Back when I was working in product development, a hot trend was the idea of making correctible decisions, rather than perfect decisions. This morphed into making your mistakes early, so you could learn from them during the beginning of the development process, when you still had a chance to adjust.

Warm Coffee and Bright Smiles: We Have the Best Service!!!

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Service firms in the drug development chain too often try to differentiate themselves on service levels. Unless you can prove that your service is somehow superior (through the use of an independent metric that is verifiable before purchase) this wont really help.

Thought Leadership

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

What makes a thought leader a thought leader? There are many answers to this question, but in the end, it boils down to just a few things:

Thought leaders are trusted if they 1) know more than you do (this knowledge is frequently the result of intense or deliberate study), 2) they can explain what they know in ways that are relevant and compelling, 3) they are recognized by respected authorities or by the audience as a thought leader and 4) they are visible and influential in their field (through speaking, publishing, etc).

A Difficult Test

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Here is an interesting test; one on which most life science companies wont perform very well.

Gather all your branded marketing material in one room. This includes everything, your printed material, online material, ads, blog posts, pictures of your trade show booth, direct mail, email blasts, white papers, etc.

Then read it, all of it. You might think this tedious, but arent you producing this material with the expectation that your prospects will be reading it? Go ahead, sit and read. Pay attention; make notes.

The Value of the Diagnostic Process is the Same in Marketing and Medicine

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

When you go to a doctor, the most important thing that happens is the first thing: the diagnostic process. Questions get asked, your patient history gets taken, tests are run and results are examined.

Only then can the treatment begin, because only then does your team of medical specialists know enough to recommend and implement the right treatment.

Referrals in the Life Science Sector

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

When we ask clients how they get new business, some life science firms respond: We get most of our customers from word of mouth and referrals.

The implication is: We are getting high quality clients and saving money on sales costs; isnt that great?

Authentic Complexity

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Authentic complexity (for example, a subject with lots of moving parts, lots of interactions, and lots of variables) cant be made arbitrarily simple. Authentic complexity cant be made arbitrarily simple but it can be made digestible.

A Key Diagnostic Question for Life Science Brands

Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

When diagnosing your own marketing ills, it is hard to know how to differentiate the urgent symptoms from the important ones, and the important ones from the unimportant ones.

Even trained professionals, like doctors, dont diagnose themselves. Yet, everyone believes it is OK to diagnose themselves for marketing issues.

The Demise of the Blockbuster Model in the Life Sciences

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Lately there has been a lot of press expressing concern about the fact that the pharmaceutical industry runs on a blockbuster model. The stock prices of the major pharmaceuticals are taking hits because of the looming patent cliff. There is a great deal of pressure for pharmaceutical companies to amend the model

When Quality Is A Commodity

Mon, 03 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Web-exclusive editorial recently placed on Life Science Leader written by CEO, David Chapin.

Ensuring Repeat Business in Life Science Companies

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Repeat business is a key to many life science companies success.

When people are thinking about buying again, what controls their decision? One factor is this: Was the experience enjoyable enough to repeat? But this brings up another question: What exactly do you remember about your experiences, and how does this color your decisions about repeating this experience in the future?

The Basic Steps of Marketing

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Lets face it, the basic tenets of marketing have remained the same,even though the technology we use to deliver it has changed.

Who Can You Trust in Life Science Marketing?

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Who can you trust? Apparently not your friends, at least not your online friends.

Building an Effective Editorial List

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Content marketing is the hot new trend in marketing, specifically life sciences marketing, and for good reason. Effective content marketing can help to position one in the space they strive to own, provide increased exposure, build brand awareness, establish and/or increase ones reputation by generating thought leadership and help one achieve expert status in the industry.

A Telescope is Better than a Magnifying Glass when Diagnosing Marketing Ills

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

For life science companies, diagnosing marketing ills can be problematic. This has many potential causes maybe the company is run by scientists, who might believe that technological superiority is enough (it isnt). Maybe the organization just doesnt have much experience in diagnosis. Maybe the situation has changed recently, and what used to work is no longer effective.

An Interactive Marketing Workshop by David Chapin

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

If you are responsible for marketing a company in the life sciences, biotech, pharma or medical device industry, you face a unique set of challenges. This workshop will provide you tools for marketing scientifically based companies, products and services.

What is Compelling?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

At Forma, we work with companies in the life sciences to Make the Complex Compelling. In this sector, there is lots of subject matter that is complex. The borders of knowledge have been pushed back quite far, so the questions being addressed are often very complex. And the audience is often technically sophisticated. They have lots of detailed questions that can require complex answers.

To Lower Health Care Costs, Ban DTC

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The old saying: 50% of my advertising works, I just dont know which half is actually overly optimistic. When it comes to drug advertising to consumers the real figure may be a lot closer to zero.

When Tighter Regulatory Scrutiny Leads to Better Lifescience Marketing, Something is Seriously Wrong

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

When the FDA monitors marketing claims VERY closely (for example, when marketing a pill, potion or med device) the result can be some very effective marketing (e.g, Advair, Viagra, etc.). On the other hand, there are cases in which the FDA is concerned not with marketing claims but only with the work product (e.g., labs, CROs and service providers that have to submit data to their sponsors and the FDA).

What are the Goals of Marketing?

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

What are the goals of marketing? Ask any marketer this question, and youll get dozens of answers: build brand awareness, increase referrals, drive web site traffic, motivate response, creating customer loyalty, etc.

Words you Should Never use on Your Website

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

David Chapin, CEO, has recently been published in the January/February 2010 issue of IMPACT Magazine. David details the importance of developing a unique positioning by what you say about your company on your website.

The Bubble Rap

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Celebrate Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day!

Who Should be in Charge of Your Positioning?

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

If you dont have a clear positioning for your bioscience company, your services or your products, the following people will be very happy to develop one for you, free of charge:

Your customers,

Your prospects,

Your competitors,

The media,

Your mom.

Forma Published in January Issue of Life Science Leader Magazine

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

David Chapin was published in the most recent issue of Life Science Leader magazine.

Complex Science Doesnt Make You Special

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

All bioscience today is complex. To understand the questions that are being asked, much less to tease out significant answers, the level of education required is considerably higher today than it was 150 years ago, when Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species.

Genetic Engineering of Your Firms Marketing DNA

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Ive written elsewhere that for life science companies, positioning is the DNA of marketing. Just as DNA guides protein expression and thereby controls much (if not all) cell activity, so positioning guides marketing activities. Just as DNA is tucked inside the nucleus, and therefore invisible to the rest of the cell, the definition of a companys positioning is internal and private.

One Word You Should Never Use in Your Life Science Marketing

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Your life science customers don't really want a Partner, and here's why.

We Couldnt Have Said It Better

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
Charles Mingus (American jazz bassist and composer, 1922 1979)

The Importance of Hierarchy in Marketing Life Science Products and Services

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

I have often heard scientists say that they are immune to marketing. We disagree. Scientists are people just like everyone else. They absorb information through the same senses, and the neurons they use to understand new concepts work the same way, no matter what discipline they studied or where they got their doctorate.

Why You Shop vs Why You Buy

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Think for a moment about your best supplier the one your bioscience company wouldnt leave, even for a cheaper price, because your loyalty is so strong.

When Should You Ignore Your Competitors?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In discussions with a bioscience client the other day, we noted that many firms in the life science service sector are concerned about a very narrow aspect of their competitors marketing: the feature list.

If those guys have a list on their web site, we better have a list too.

Forma CEO Shares Secret-Recipe for Radial Tire Chocolate Dessert

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Forma CEO, Chief Strategist and award winning baker, David Chapin, . . .

Forma Recognized in Triangle Business Journal

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Forma Life Science Marketing was recently recognized by the Triangle Business Journal for its expertise and specialization in the life science, biotech and pharma industry.

Envisioning an Understandable Future, by Looking at a Confusing Past

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The design process successively envisions the future, focusing on and forecasting a finer level of detail with each iteration. Sometimes, though, it is easier to envision the future if you look to the successes and failures of the past.

The Evolution of Complexity Demands an Evolution in Clarity

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Today is the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin's groundbreaking treatise on evolution, one of the most elegant theories in the life sciences. At the time, it was cutting edge biology.

Is DTC Worth the Trouble?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

US pharmaceutical companies spent an estimated $3 billion on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising in 2005.

The Origin of Branding in the Life Sciences

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

There is a lot of discussion about branding among marketers.

Two Trends in Web Sites for Life Science Companies

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

There are two trends in web sites for life science companies one bad, one good.

Hype Cycle

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

I originally saw a similar Hype Cycle diagram referencing emerging technology in the IT sector; the source was the Gartner Group. I have adapted their diagram for technology in the Life Sciences.

A Periodic Table of Visual Communication, a Reference Tool for Life Science Marketers

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Great reference for communicating and clarifying by using diagrams and data.

Predicting the Future in the Life Sciences

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

I was at a conference last week, and one of the speakers noted that thepromise of genomics in drug development had not yet been realized. Theimplication was one of disappointment.

Google Sidewiki and Life Science Marketing

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If you haven't heard about Google Sidewiki yet, you should know about it.

The Need for Clarity in Marketing

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Clarity is needed now more than ever. Bringing technology out of the lab successfully means finding ways to have meaningful conversations about very sophisticated issues with non-scientists.