Providing lab equipment for the research marketplace is a fine dance between having the right solution for the researchers needs, (fit); communicating the capabilities and limitations of the equipment (education); and establishing that the product will do what is promised and that the company building the product will stand behind its product (trust).
(Lab equipment supplier Surmodics educates a customer about a product and builds brand recognition and trust at recent Duke Research Event).
In the research marketplace this process requires sustained effort to succeed, and especially the process of building trust within the science community often requires a relatively long period of time. If you looked on a reagent shelf in a leading laboratory stock room in 1992 and compared the brands that you see on the shelves with a shelf in a stockroom in 2012 you would see that the prominent brands 20 years ago are still the prominent brands today. (After you factor in company mergers).
(Cell Signaling Technology Representative answers questions while promoting its brand and building trust at Duke Research Event)
What does this tell you?
1) The companies providing these products have been around a long time
2) For new companies, it’s a tough market to break in to.
3) Like others, researchers are reluctant to change from what works
For new companies breaking into this highly competitive market, using the friendly casual in person format provided by participating in trusted local on site trade shows has the effect of extending the trust affiliated with the show to the new company. Researchers go to these local events seeking solutions and when they can see and touch the product and have an extended conversation with the company providing the products the beginning or a trusting relation ship are built.
(Essen BioScience representative demonstates laboratory analytical equipment while building brand recognition at last weeks UNC Research Event)
This means that when using a local science trade-show company the level of trust that the researchers have in the show brand will directly impact the success of the company trying to maintain or grow its position in that market. Look for event companies with a long positive relationship with the market you are targeting. Does the event company promote and support your brand before and during the event. How is your participation in the event likely to affect your brand. Have no doubt: A poorly lit, poorly organized, and poorly managed event WILL negatively affect your brand both now and in the future. Qualities like safety, quantity, quality and presentation of attendee perks such as catering, doorprizes, and seminars do affect how your company as participant in the event is viewed by your audience. The perception being that your brand quality aligns with the quality of the situation in which it is presented.
(Sarstedt builds brand recognition with visually appealing and well organized displays at multiple research events throughout the country)
For laboratory supply companies its good to remember that companies don’t buy; people do. The goal of well-developed new product/ new company launch plans, therefore, is to evolve trusting relationships between people through dialogue
(Researchers learn about new products and experiences laboratory supply branding from a GlobalStem representative at UNC Research Event)
Trust relationship building includes sustaining an ongoing dialog. Be available, be visible, be trustworthy. When customers have a problem, you want them to turn to you first, someone they trust, for a solution. Lab equipment suppliers and their researcher target audience can trust Biotechnology Calendar Inc. We are the leading provider of local and on site science product trade shows in the nation. See why lab suppliers choose our events. For our nationwide schedule of laboratory product shows click here.