With a meticulously crafted plan and a careful investment of capital, Germany-based innovatis AG pushed its way into the US biomedical research market.
Like other success stories, there was no lack of courage on the part of the managers.
Its first launch, a cell counter named CASY, delivered an elegant alternative to dye exclusion technology at a lower price. Creating a powerful campaign with this unique value proposition was easy – getting innovatis on board was not.
Until then, innovatis focused on technology, not marketing. But a new head of sales, Andreas Schneider, recognized the need for a bold approach. He said, “We need to go from 0 to 100 mph – yesterday!”
The campaign employed a simple message, “Get more than you were counting on….” Combining bold imagery with concise text, the message was distributed widely. Press announcements went out, application articles were written, listings were placed on commercial websites, and banners were displayed at scientific conferences. Brochures for the sales force were also bound into leading scientific journals.
In the space of a few months, our intense activity resulted in CASY being seen by every potential buyer in the market…more than once.
CASY sales increased dramatically – so did the visibility of the innovatis name. The company quickly became a recognized name in cellular analysis worldwide. As new products were introduced, sales opportunities flourished.
The company and its products became so well known that Roche Diagnostics GmbH acquired innovatis AG for $19.5 million.
Technology is the fundamental basis for the majority of new products in the biomedical research community. To make real money though, a company has to establish brand awareness.