Brand strategy & social ads for a science audience

Client: Abcam

Year: 2024

Using emotional insights to market a rational product to a skeptical audience

A campaign that challenges the way scientific research products can be marketed

Summary

Antibodies are a vital part of experiments in the life sciences, and selling them to scientists is a multi-billion dollar industry.

Abcam is a leader in this field.

To fuel their next stage of growth, they want to connect with their customers in a new way: building an emotional connection to their brand.

We were challenged to develop a commercial proposition that resonates with a highly rational audience, and bring this to life in a differentiating way.

Objectives

A new commercial proposition that connected both rationally and emotionally with the consumers.
Use this new proposition as the basis for an advertising campaign for antibodies, Abcam’s biggest product line.

Strategy

Proposition: Keep research moving forward

We drove a 3 month research, strategy and testing process with Abcam.

We learnt about the pressures that come with life as a scientist, and the passion people bring to their work to overcome them. We heard how frustrating it is when experiments slow down, and how good it feels when you achieve momentum.

We concluded that what scientists look for in products is reliability, consistency and quality that keeps their research moving forward.

Our idea

Almost all marketing to scientists is purely rational.

To stand out, we needed an idea that showed Abcam both emotionally understood its customers and had the products and expertise that can help them.

We developed the idea of a to-do list, showing what scientists put into their work, landing on a proof point that shows Abcam's antibodies will keep them moving forward.

The campaign rolled out across paid social and display, alongside sales activation materials, and customer merchandise.