Marketing + Other Ideas

Hey everyone! My name is Jamie Feng and I will be focusing on marketing and lab work
on the 2009 University of Calgary iGEM team. I have some background with research
(Heritage Youth Research Summer Program 2007, Sanofi Aventis Biotalent Challenge
2008, AHFMR Summer Studentship 2008). My experiences with marketing centre
around an on-campus student organization, AIESEC Calgary. *insert plug about
AIESEC* AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run volunteer organization focusing on
leadership youth development. A main component of AIESEC is our Global Internship
Program (GIP). I am VP Communications for 2009/10 and have been on marketing calls
to companies pitching the GIP. *end AIESEC plug*. I can’t make it to the iGEM
meetings every Thursday on a regular basis because I have work, but I look forward to
meeting each and every one of you during the summer!

Anyways, here is the reason I typed my (lame) intro up…read on …

Promo Video

In response to the idea regarding the video: Do we have the resources (camera, software
etc.) to make a polished presentable video? Also I will assume our target audience will
be students? What is the key message we are trying to portray through this video? (i.e.
“iGEM is cool. Love it.”)

If possible, it would be good if we could make one for students (to show them how
awesome we are and that they should get involved) and one for prospective corporate
partners (to highlight the benefits for them if they sponsor us).

Public Relations/Marketing Ideas

With regards to advertising the iGEM competition, what we could do is write some press
releases and send them out, not only to campus radio/TV but also local papers and local
news stations. For example the first one, could be ASAP about the new team and a brief
interview from individuals such as Thane/Sonja/Dr. Jacob etc. about the unique
interfaculty learning opportunity that iGEM is. Another idea may be to do a press release
regarding the Alberta Jamboree. Basically the purpose for the event is to get iGEM out
there so that when we approach companies we have increased pull/bargaining (aka some
media source finds us interesting enough to publish and that we aren’t some random
summer student project).

We should also possible put together a sponsorship package for companies. Not only
detailing iGEM in general, but the objectives of this year’s team briefly. From there we
should also include the benefits to the company for supporting us: mainly external
visibility in the university research/student demographic. For example benefits would be
recognition on our website, recognition in any press releases we send out, recognition at
the conference (or even better have their logo on the sleeve of our tshirts!). The extent of
a company’s external visibility would correspond to the level of contribution they make.
This would all require some sort of a sponsorship grid to be drawn up.

Areas where we can publish include the Haskayne Alumni publication sent out
periodically (either bimonthly or quarterly?). We can send them an article detailing
iGEM, what we do, and that we are looking for sponsors etc etc.

Funding ideas

A source of funding we can consider is the UC Alumni Association. They have

sponsored AIESEC before for events, but I am not sure about the exact details/contact
information. Before we approach them we should have something like a “project plan”.

Also for next year, we should consider applying for money from the SU Quality Money
Grant due in November(?) annually. I think if we highlight the increased capacity of the
team to involve more students it would be beneficial for our application. In light of
things, it may or may not be approved based on the allocation of funds in previous years,
but it can’t hurt to try.

So in short,
• evaluate available resources for video; determine the intended audience and key
message to be conveyed
• use of press releases as a form of public relations (media sources include
university publications, i.e. Haskayne alumni publication, and local publications)
• making a sponsorship package (including a sponsorship grid)
• funding opportunities: UC Alumni Association and SU Quality Money (more so
for next year)

And I’m done  Feedback?