This has got to be good news hasn’t it? An attempt to compare this to the worst reviews on Trip Advisor seems to me to be scare-mongering although careful thought needs to be given to retaining the value of objective peer review. However it happens effectively with other research such as that funded by the Wellcome Trust who require all their funded research to be freely available online and who are strong proponents of this move.  

It also seems to be in the general spirit of collaboration that is growing in academia and industry such as Easy Access IP and the Pistoia Alliance focused on bringing stakeholders together to tackle the common barriers that stand in the way of innovation. Granted that some of this collaboration is driven by necessity and the current challenges being faced by pharma companies but it’s all got to be good in the end.

It’s not going to be easy and the funding model will need to be right. There are some concerns about the options being discussed including one model that requires authors to pay an ‘article processing cost’. This could end up precluding some academics from publishing eg where research funding doesn’t cover the cost of publishing. John Bynner writing in the Guardian mentions the ‘Access for All’ model which sounds like a viable option worth considering.

Overall I’m sure the working group set up to find the way forward will devise a workable model and we will see a step change in the use of research for the common good.

Fulcrum was commissioned to carry out a detailed study to support A4B funding for the development of a novel incontinence sensor. It was required to include information about the benefits to the Welsh economy and to identify potential partners for collaboration as well as scoping the market size and estimating revenue opportunities.

Fulcrum’s Solution

We carried out detailed desk research to establish much of the basic and background information required and to develop a comprehensive list of potential partners. We followed this up with wide ranging primary research including questionnaires, structured telephone interviews and face to face meetings all of which were designed to elicit as far as possible some level of commitment to pursue the collaboration discussion further.

All the information was subsequently compiled into a detailed report.

The Outcome

A detailed report and findings was submitted to UGCS for them to use in deciding on the future direction of the project eg funding

Central Biotech Services (CBS), part of Cardiff University School of Medicine provides state-of-the-art, high-throughput laboratory facilities and technical support. Its service helps accelerate research, foster collaboration and the realisation of the University’s research potential.

The Challenge

CBS gained funding to carry out a feasibility study to assess the market opportunity for them to become a commercial operation selling services to external companies as well as providing services to academics and others within Cardiff University.
CBS commissioned Fulcrum to carry out the feasibility study for them on the basis of

• Fulcrum’s knowledge of the relevant industry sectors
• Fulcrums market research skills and capabilities
• Fulcrum’s primary research expertise

Fulcrum’s Solution

• Carried out full project planning process in conjunction with CBS personnel in order to deliver an effective report
• Regular review meetings with CBS personnel
• Carried out extensive secondary research programme using the internet and market research reports
• Carried out an extensive programme of primary research including stakeholders within the university and external stakeholders
• External stakeholders included potential customers, competitors and partners
• Fulcrum created a significant database of contacts including confirmed interested parties

The outcome

• Comprehensive market information supported by primary research
• Comprehensive database of contacts with qualified interest in CBS
• Sound recommendations based on primary research and knowledge of industry including service development recommendations, marketing planning etc
• As a result of the study CBS has been able to redefine its service and extend its offering to commercial organisations.

Cardiff University’s Research and Commercial Division is part of the Strategic Development Directorate and exists to support and facilitate the process of University-wide research and the commercialisation of research outputs.

The Challenge

Cardiff University Research and Commercial Division wanted to include post graduate students and research staff in assessing commercial opportunities for IP based technologies and inventions being developed in the university. They investigated the i-teams model developed in Cambridge University in partnership with MIT Boston and wanted to appoint an industry partner with experience in commercialization to help develop a similar programme in Cardiff and also to manage the implementation of the programme. Fulcrum was appointed on the basis of its experience within the university and in early stage commercialization.

Fulcrum’s solution

We ran a highly successful pilot programme with 4 projects where students made commercial recommendations which have since been followed through.

The outcome

One project has successfully secured funding for a full-scale feasibility project to investigate commercial opportunities further; a second project has moved forward with commercialization on the basis of the student research.

A second cohort has recently finished and one project will secure additional EPSRC funding on the basis of the work the students completed. To find out more about i-Solve visit www.isolve.org.uk

Infodream is a specialist provider of Quality Control and Statistical Process Control Software to various industry sectors including automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and electronics. Infodream is an established company in France and has set up an office in the UK.

The Challenge

The challenge to Infodream in the UK was to develop its client base and to grow the UK based business.

Fulcrum was commissioned to work with the Infodream team based in the UK on the basis of its expertise and experience with small startup companies as well as its marketing qualifications. The main aim was to develop the business objectives and develop a sales and marketing strategy and accompanying sales action plan. 

Fulcrum was also tasked with reviewing the separate subsections of the aerospace target audience and developing relevant marketing messages for each and an integrated marketing communications plan.

Fulcrum’s Solution

The first step in the process was to carry out a thorough internal audit of the Infodream business and a review of the external market for SPC products and services including the competitive landscape.

We then worked with the Infodream team to develop a marketing and sales strategy and a comprehensive marketing communications plan plus detailed features and benefits statements for their products.

We also helped them compile their existing data into a comprehensive prospect database with sales status classifications and added new prospects to the list.

The Outcome

• A detailed sales and marketing strategy
• A comprehensive integrated marketing communications plan including activities for 3, 6 and 12 month periods
• Detailed features and benefits statements
• A status classified prospect list of potential customers
• As a result of the above, Infodream started to develop its UK based business and has continued to build on that success.

Building Wales’ image and reputation as a place to do business and promoting Wales’ strengths in key business sectors, and in particular the Life Sciences sector, has been identified as a key priority within the Welsh Government’s policy. 

The Challenge

An important component of the Welsh Government (WG) strategy to attract high quality investment into Wales, particularly in the Life Sciences sector is the participation at industry events aligned to this priority sector.

The WG aim was to appoint a supplier to organise meetings for the Life Sciences sector business development team at two high profile industry events in UK and Scandinavia with companies receptive to learning about opportunities to locate to Wales or to foster collaboration with Welsh organisations. 

Fulcrum’s solution

The first step was to meet with the WG team to clarify and confirm the criteria for selection and to determine the sales approach for the Government inward investment offering.

Fulcrum has been involved in booking appointments for Life Sciences events on behalf the WG and Cardiff Council for a number of years as well as for other organisations and we have an established methodology which was followed in these two tasks:

• Sourcing a database of potential prospects through exhibitors and delegates lists, refer into  Fulcrum’s own database (as the Life Sciences sector is our area of expertise), contact with thought leaders in the sector within Wales and internet research to identify  businesses who are possible candidates judged against the criteria set out in brief
• A long list of candidate companies was then fine tuned to develop a target list of prospects.
• Once relevant target companies were identified, we further qualified the contact using email and telephone communications which were made at an “expert level in order to extract the maximum marketing information possible and to establish likely level of interest as well as securing an appointment.
• Fulcrum provided the WG detailed information for each appointment including background on the company, strategy for expansion and likely level of interest.
• Monitoring progress, feedback and reporting.  During the research and appointment booking Fulcrum thoroughly monitored the uptake and feedback this information to WG.
• Once the events were completed Fulcrum sent a detailed report to WG including contact, profile and growth plan information.

The output

Fulcrum Direct has very relevant experience in appointment setting having carried out appointment making projects at Medica 2007, 2008 and 2009 and Genesis in 2007 and 2008 for both WAG and Cardiff Council. Fulcrum’s approach was proven successful yet again as we not only met the targets agreed with the WG but also the appointments turned into hot prospects for Wales whether as a relocation opportunity or for further collaboration with Welsh organisations.

Zipporah is a specialist IT Company providing fully transactional on line booking systems for local authorities to enable improved services to the public and budget efficiencies for councils.

The Challenge

Zipporah’s challenge was to develop a business and marketing strategy to help put the business on a more professional footing with clear financial objectives and business growth targets for 12 months and beyond.

Fulcrum was commissioned on the basis of its expertise and experience with small startup companies as well as its marketing qualifications.

Fulcrum’s Solution

Our initial step was to carry out a thorough audit and review of Zipporah’s business including internal and external factors affecting the business. The review covered

• Product – any product developments required or new products to be introduced?
• Price – any issues with pricing?
• Route to market and sales channels – were these the most effective?
• Advertising and promotion – current A&P and return on investment
• Infrastructure to support any changes
• Any economic, social or political changes that could provide new opportunities
• Competitor and competitor activity

We then worked with Zipporah to clearly define their business objectives and financial targets and put together a strategy and tactical plans to achieve these based on where they were and where they wanted to be.

As part of this we developed a clear integrated marketing communications programme and worked with the management team to develop new benefits statements and messages for all their communications. We also supported them with business development processes designed to progress their prospective customers more effectively to achieve sales.

The Outcome

• Recruited sales personnel and carried out sales training
• Implemented a sales process including prospect classification and a standardized database of customers and prospects
• Devised short and long term integrated communications plans
• Updated and revised the content of their web site
• Introduced case studies and testimonials
• Introduced regular email campaigns and electronic newsletters
• Started and maintained a blog linked to the website
• Implemented a programme of attendance at networking events and successful entries into awards

Zipporah has significantly increased its turnover and improved its pipeline of prospective customers. Fulcrum has been retained as Zipporah’s outsourced Marketing team and recently carried out a market assessment project for Zipporah on developing their product line into the private sector.

The Urology Company is the marketing subsidiary of Plethora Solutions and forms a web shop for sales of a range of products. Plethora Solutions is a speciality pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and marketing of products for the treatment and management of urological disorders.

The Challenge

To help Plethora Solutions improve its own website and to develop The Urology Company web shop from scratch including the development of a clear brand and logo plus an effective website suitable for use by consumers and healthcare professionals. The web site needed to be flexible to allow the addition of new products for sale.

Fulcrum’s Solution

• Clear branding
• Easy to navigate, appealing web site
• Effective search engine optimization Successful Pay Per Click
• Social media marketing
• Banner advertising
• Monitoring and improving the website on a regular basis

The digital marketing activity integrates with other traditional marketing activity including above the line advertising and direct marketing. Focus groups have been formed to inform both the product development and the marketing strategy. More recently Fulcrum has also supported TUCL with the launch of a new women’s health product range.The

Outcome

Fulcrum has continued to work closely with TUCL and is now retained on a monthly basis to carry out marketing and sales activities support. TUCL have now established themselves in the UK consumer healthcare market and their products are being sold successfully through their website and third party retailers.

What Breed Is My Dog? Is a subsidiary of Fulcrum Direct which we have developed from a ‘blank page’ into a substantial business in less than 12 months through an effective marketing management campaign. The product is a DNA test for identifying breeds present in cross breed dogs and is unique in the UK.

The Challenge

To develop from scratch an effective brand and implement a web-based marketing strategy designed to drive traffic to the web site and there to convert visitors to sales. The brand had to represent the scientific element of the product together with its purpose and also had to potentially stand out from the crowd in a retailer environment.

Fulcrum’s Solution

• Clear branding that successfully achieves all objectives
• Easy to navigate, appealing web site
• Effective search engine optimization which has resulted in the web site appearing on the first page of a Google search on a number of key words and phrases within 6 months
• Link strategy aimed at improving SEO
• Successful Pay Per Click advertising designed to drive traffic whilst SEO is taking effect
• Social media marketing with established Facebook and Twitter accounts and a presence on relevant forums.
• Banner advertising when relevant. This has been focused on web sites related to shows attended and specific dog related forums
• Newsletter sign up on the web site and regular newsletters
• Monitoring and improving the website on a regular basis based on informed and intelligent analysis of web statistics

Digital marketing has been integrated with more traditional forms of marketing including recommend a friend schemes, attendance at shows and exhibitions and also through the development of retailer channels. We aim to make What Breed Is My Dog? an umbrella brand by adding complementary DNA tests in our product and services offering.

The outcome

What Breed is My Dog? is now an established seller in the UK market of Dog DNA Tests. We have secured a number of deals with third party retailers and vet surgeries and have had coverage both in national publications and on national television. We have launched a Proof of Parentage canine DNA test to add to the What Breed is My Dog? range and we are keen on expanding our product range.

Touchdown Cardiff is a web-based brand with the aim of encouraging companies to expand to, or relocate in the Cardiff region, thus fostering economic development and an increasingly prosperous future Cardiff. Touchdown’s aim is to operate as an independent broker, enabling and facilitating connections between Cardiff based companies and organisations and companies outside of the region.

The Challenge

Cardiff Council was seeking to appoint specialist consultants to seek out and develop enquiries and leads within the Bioscience sector with the ultimate aim to further enhance the reputation of Cardiff for producing successful and innovative bioscience companies. Fulcrum have been contracted by Cardiff County Council to identify and produce biotechnology leads. The objective of this is to encourage growth of the region’s current biotechnology cluster.

Fulcrum’s Solution

With the aim to encourage connections between Cardiff based businesses, academia and research groups and those outside of Cardiff as well as attract inward investment and encourage industry cluster growth and economic development in Cardiff, Fulcrum proposed the creation of a brand: Touchdown Cardiff.
This entailed the development of a branding, messaging and positioning campaign and a marketing communications plans.

• Clear branding and messaging
• Easy to navigate, appealing web site built as a regularly updated blog
• Strong Social media marketing campaign based in blogging, microblogging, Facebook and LinkedIn discussion groups.
• Focused direct marketing campaign supported by a targeted sales strategy
• Monitoring and improving the website on a regular basis

The output

We are currently retained by Cardiff Council to generate inward investment leads for them in this sector which we have successfully done over the past year including 4 potential inward investments opportunities. As part of this project we built and manage the Touchdown Cardiff website in conjunction with Cardiff Council (www.touchdowncardiff.co.uk) which provides businesses outside the region with information about Cardiff to help them in their strategic location planning. We have built up a portfolio of unique video clips of academics and businesses that act as attractants to the region and the website is beginning to generate a good level of visits from international life science companies.
Fulcrum has also plans to develop Touchdown Cardiff’s concept to other cities and regions in Wales and UK.