Recently, HDMZ attended the Sales and Marketing Professionals in Science (SAMPS) 2024 event in South San Francisco. Our team was excited to get the pulse of what others in the industry are seeing and doing — and SAMPS more than delivered. The speakers represented a broad cross-section of different business perspectives, and contributed to an overall environment of curiosity and learning. Here, we’ll share some of our key takeaways, such as how to define success in marketing, the implementation of new marketing tools and technology, and the role of human connection in an increasingly digital industry.
Defining success in marketing
When assessing sales performance, understanding success is as simple as looking at revenue. For marketing professionals, it can be a little more complicated to establish what return on investment looks like — particularly when campaign objectives include hard-to-quantify goals, such as building brand awareness. Success starts with aligning key performance indicators to leadership’s priorities and providing clear data to demonstrate marketing’s impact.
One key element of marketing success, which was discussed during the conference, was the strategic alignment of teams across the organization — which may seem simple, but is not always an easy task. Because marketing is only one part of the equation in a large enterprise, working from the same playbook ensures that the marketing function fits as expected into the bigger picture. For instance, it’s important to understand what the C-suite expects a project’s output to look like, how marketing impacts sales, and what kind of IT support is required for digital tools before creating a marketing plan. Additionally, involving sales teams in marketing efforts, such as customer research or strategy discussions, can create a unified approach to driving success.
Implementing marketing tools and tech
Another major discussion point was the growing importance of digital transformation in marketing. Many new digital tools and technologies have emerged across the entire sales funnel, with a great deal of potential. Some in the industry have found that capabilities — such as predictive analytics, account-based marketing, and personalized digital experiences — are essential tools for meeting customer expectations. And, AI tools are enabling marketers to refine their strategies, streamline operations, and amplify their impact with fewer resources.
However, as the discussion revealed, the activation of such technologies varies significantly between organizations. While companies are investing in a broad range of tools, many marketing teams are still trying to determine how to make these tools work for them as part of their overall processes. For the organizations that are successfully implementing these tools, it’s a cross-disciplinary effort. One of the most important elements for success here is a top-down cultural shift initiated by leadership to incorporate new technologies into workflows.
The human element
Over the course of the event, the importance of human connection underpinned many other topical discussions. Although sales teams are finding it harder to get in person meetings, it is clear that they must still find a way to build a rapport. Even with the development of useful and innovative new technologies, sales and marketing is still a business of relationships with people where trust is earned.
That means it’s critical to qualitatively understand customers: What a day in the life of a lab manager or researcher looks like. What emotional levers move them to engage with a brand. And what their priorities are. Tools, such as customer research and ethnographic studies, are critical to uncovering such insights, and allow technology to serve as an enabler rather than a barrier.
SAMPS attendees also emphasized the importance of delivering value beyond the product itself. Building a strong relationship from the very beginning, and demonstrating reliability and a willingness to grow with the customer, plays a large role in long-term success. Most of all, a marketing team must have a deep familiarity with the challenges a customer faces to provide meaningful solutions.
Fostering a community
It was enlightening to be in a room full of other professionals in the business of serving researchers, scientists, and company leaders working to positively impact human health. Perhaps the most defining facet of SAMPS 2024 was a feeling of community among those present. The atmosphere was collegial, with attendees open and willing to share their questions, challenges, and experiences. One thing was clear: Everyone was there to learn, and excited to go back to work and apply their new insights. And when people come together in the spirit of sharing knowledge, everyone wins.
