Founded in 2012, SAMPS exists to connect and empower sales and marketing professionals in life science and applied research to grow professionally. SAMPS members include sales and marketing professionals who work at life science and applied research tool and service providers, CROs, CDMOs and more.
The recurring theme throughout the meeting was the emphasis on personalisation in marketing strategies and the recognition that scientists, as customers, are humans and individuals with unique needs and preferences. The sessions collectively advocated for moving beyond generic marketing approaches to develop strategies that resonate personally with scientific audiences. This philosophy is one that we wholeheartedly agree with at UP and flows throughout all the projects that we deliver.
Having so many commercial brains in one room was a fantastic opportunity to learn about new tools and share our experience of marketing products to scientists. In a fast-changing world with new AI tools appearing almost daily, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that scientists are people, too!
From keynote speeches to interactive workshops, the day offered a wide range of perspectives on what it really means to engage scientific audiences, especially in an era of rapid digital change.
Here are a few of the standout ideas and approaches that sparked conversations—and that continue to shape how we think about marketing in the life sciences.
Emma White, Vice President of Marketing Operations at Oxford Nanopore Technologies, kicked off with her keynote address, "A Community-Led Approach to Marketing." She emphasised the significance of building authentic relationships within scientific communities, moving beyond traditional marketing tactics to foster genuine connections. Her talk underscored that understanding and engaging with the scientific community on a personal level can lead to more meaningful and effective marketing outcomes.
Next up was Matt Wilkinson, Director at Strivenn and Senior Advisor, UP FOR LIFE at UP THERE, EVERYWHERE, who presented "From Funnels to Webs: Rethinking Engagement for the AI Era." Matt challenged the conventional linear marketing funnel, advocating for a more dynamic, interconnected approach that mirrors the complex decision-making processes of today's buyers. Stressing the importance of adaptive and responsive engagement strategies in an increasingly AI-driven environment, Matt believes strategists must take into account the nuanced behaviours of scientific customers.
Caroline Robinson, Director at Sandler Training UK, addressed the perennial challenge of aligning sales and marketing teams in her session, "From Conflict to Collaboration: Healing the Sales and Marketing Rift." She provided actionable strategies to bridge gaps between these functions, emphasising the need for unified goals and mutual understanding to enhance customer engagement and drive business success.
The final speaker was Alex Rowthorn, Account Manager at System C, who tackled the challenge of identifying key influencers and early adopters within scientific communities via a network analysis approach. Through a hypothetical case study, Rowthorn demonstrated how mapping co-authorship networks and analysing centrality metrics can inform targeted marketing strategies, facilitating the adoption of innovative solutions in niche scientific fields.
After lunch, there was a panel discussion featuring members from sales and marketing backgrounds. “Exploring the Buyer's Journey in the Real World: Insights, Best Practices, and Success Stories from Industry Leaders” gave the audience a chance to have an open discussion with the panel members and also amongst themselves!
Buyer personas are a key part of our toolkit at UP. We use these powerful tools in our BASE-UP projects to humanise the customers we are trying to attract, define our target audiences, and understand their needs. We hold workshops with our clients to create detailed profiles of their ideal customers to better understand their pain points, motivations, and purchasing habits.
We were interested in seeing how others approach this task in the interactive workshop hosted by Paul Avery, Annabel Sedgewick and Steven Archer. The workshop focused on developing detailed buyer personas, equipping attendees with tools to tailor their engagement strategies effectively. The session aligned with our approach at UP and reinforced the importance of understanding scientific customers' individual needs and preferences to enable more personalised and impactful marketing efforts. We had great fun role-playing personas and really got under their skin!
The conference concluded with a networking dinner at the Museum of Zoology, featuring a keynote speech by our very own Julian Stubbs, Founder and Chairman of UP THERE, EVERYWHERE. Julian’s entertaining and insightful talk shared some of his branding expertise within the life sciences sector, blending personal anecdotes, marketing wisdom, and a touch of Roman history! Linking perfectly with the “Customer Engagement” theme of the day, Julian’s views on branding, storytelling, and the human side of science reminded us that even in science, marketing is about emotion, storytelling, and not being afraid to stand out.
If you want to hear more of Julian’s hard-earned wisdom, which chimes with many of the themes addressed at the meeting, tune into his new podcast, “The Art of Marketing Science.” In this podcast, Julian Stubbs and Robert England, PhD, explore the fascinating intersection of logic and creativity, data and emotion, and fact and storytelling. Hear their sharp insights and a fresh perspective on what it really takes to connect with scientific audiences.