Live Webinar May 15, 2013

Build your marketing skills and know-how Make you a better marketing copywriter Create promotions that gain the attention

of: - licensees- partners- investors- entrepreneurs

Margy Elliott, MPH, Marketing & Communications Manager for Columbia Technology Ventures, manages CTV’s branding, events, Fellows Program, web, and social media presence.

Nicole Nair, Senior Marketing Coordinator for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office of Technology Management.

Nadim Shohdy, PhD, Business Venture Analyst for New York University Office of Industrial Liaison.

Technology Transfer Tactics Distance Learning Total Access Pass allows you to customize a distance learning program for your staff and faculty at a steeply discounted price with 4 convenient formats.

You can get details on our website at www.technologytransfertactics.com and click on Tech Transfer University on the left sidebar.

Marketing: What is the point? Applying general marketing strategies

to marketing writing Tips and strategies to get noticed Questions

Know your audience Communicating the value of a technology

to a potential partner to consider procuring it

“The squeaky wheel gets the oil” Trying to get a secondary meeting It isn’t always about licensing

(immediately) Generate interest in your brand/office

Outline: Types of marketing writing Platforms for utilizing written content Resources for generating content

Summaries are to pique the potential partner’s interest to learn more

Selling solutions to problems is more critical than selling the technology

Technology summaries are NOT scientific abstracts

Deciding which technologies to write summaries for

Fundamental communications building block

Will be used in multiple ways Pitching an invention vs pitching the

inventor Pros & cons of including faculty information

Do Write for a broad audience

Follow up with more detailed information Keep the title brief and catchy Be careful when using quantitative information

about a market or industry Be aware of your university’s style preferences

Don’t Assume your readers are experts in the field Use statistics that date Cut & paste from the disclosure or patent application

Balance between being too vague and too detailed is essential (Goldilocks Rule)

Start with the problem and/or commercial opportunity then describe your technology and how it addresses such problem

All available Tech Briefs on innovation.columbia.edu

Level of detail must match the time and audience

Only show key data figures Importance of slide headlines to quickly

sell each slide’s take-home message Know the technology well, anticipate

questions and concerns

Web pages Technology listings Press releases E-mail blasts Slide decks Blogs

Multiple audiences Relaxed tone allows some freedom Opportunity to showcase your office’s

activities Press releases Commercialization initiatives Other licensing/commercialization stories Event & tradeshow recaps Honors, awards & promotions Start-up successes

Implementing Search Engine Optimization strategies

Tracking metrics Engaging users Connecting your content through

various platforms: web technology listings, social media, etc.

Know your target: Is this an opportunity in-line with the potential partner’s business model and interests?

Carrot dangling: Hint in general terms about any confidential data that makes the project more attractive

Dear Mr. Gardner,

I am writing you on behalf of New York University's Office of Industrial Liaison regarding a partnership opportunity for PharmaCo’s oncology program. Dr. Alicia Smith in the Dept. of Cell Biology has identified novel secreted factors that in both ex vivo and in vivo models are critical for colon cancer progression. I have taken the liberty of attaching a non-confidential packet containing a 1-page summary of the project and a published paper. We also have newer, confidential data on the mechanism of action of the factors described in the paper.

This may be an excellent opportunity for a partnership given PharmaCo’s interest in the colon cancer space. Please let me know if this is of interest for a potential collaboration discussion and if you need any further information.

Best Regards,

Nadim Shohdy, PhD

Informational pieces for faculty & students have their own set of considerations Finding the right tone & level of detail Pair a strong writer with a subject expert Layout considerations for text-heavy brochures

Different approaches at UIUC over 10 years Currently, commercialization analysts write

tech summaries, communications interns write other marketing copy

Columbia Technology Ventures’ Fellows Program Team of graduate students write technology

assessments, tech briefs, and prepare web and email marketing materials

Value of printed material in a digital age

Marketing basics still apply: know your audience, and focus on quality

Make all print materials easily translatable to the web (web newsletters, web annual reports, etc.)

Utilize the public chat at the bottom left of your screen to submit your question. The panel will address them in the order they are

received.

Thank You!