Creating a Guidance System for Life-Science Brands While meaningful biomedical research depends on proteomics, genetics, and genomics tools, their ultimate application also will depend on successful commercialization and marketing tools. Mark Stinson President In today’s biomedical research, concepts such as pharmacogenetics, stem cells, tissue engineering, biosensors, and cell communication are all frequently proclaimed to be close to revolutionizing the face of medicine. While meaningful biomedical research depends on proteomics, genetics, and genomics tools, their ultimate application also will depend on successful commercialization and marketing tools. Companies need a system to accelerate the awareness, trial, and adoption of new scientific, pharmaceutical, and technology research. The metaphor of using a global positioning system can be applied to such endeavors, because a strategy should be formed by a constellation of signals, feedback, and communications orbiting the market. The chart below outlines some of the questions — change signals, competitive landscape, and strategic navigation — that are answered in developing a strategy using this model. The benefits are more fully developed strategic scenarios for evaluation, more methodically integrated customer research and modeling, and more decisive response to market changes. The applications of a strategic global positioning system model are: • Location: Determining a basic brand position • Navigation: Getting from “where you are” to “where you want to be” • Tracking: Monitoring the movement of customers, thought-leaders, and competitors • Mapping: Creating a schematic of the strategy that the company should follow together • Timing: Bringing more planned and measurable sequence to the plan In conclusion, just as GPS technology has matured into a resource that goes far beyond its original design goals, a GPS strategy is an advanced model that is well-suited for increasing the value of life-sciences research. It can connect the scientific innovation with the commercial marketing efforts, and it is a way to significantly and more rapidly move the product adoption curve forward. This is important because “breakthrough science” itself has not been a predictor of market success, while exaggerated promises have only led to disappointments and devalued ingenuity. life-cycle management Incremental Enhancements Improved convenience? • Range of sizes or concentrations? New products • Innovations? • Differences? New services • Offerings that simplify processes or add value? • Offerings that strengthen relationships or loyalty? Potential disruptions • Developments on the horizon that could “change everything?” Competitive Landscape Industry players • Strengths? • Weaknesses? Exclusivity • Who is doing something no one else is (or could be) doing? • What could be done to create exclusivity? • If there were a marketing battle, what would be the likely outcome? Strategic Navigation Decisions • Are firms making decisions that will increase chances for success? • Are they helping create conditions that will help them and customers? Direction • What should one be doing to prepare for the future? • What networks should one be creating to bring greater awareness? • What could one learn from past successes and failures? STINSON Brand Innovation Inc., Chicago, is a life-sciences brand consultancy that defines the core strengths of brands, then helps grow them through four service dynamics: strategic expression, idea facilitation, brand construction, and team motivation. For more information, visit stinsonbrandinnovation.com. May 2005 VIEW on Biotechnology
