Life science marketing is a dynamic process that doesn’t end with a well-crafted strategy or campaign launch. While foundational elements such as brand positioning, target audience analysis, and consistent messaging are critical, the real work begins when it’s time to execute and evolve your approach.
In this follow-up to our exploration of the key components of life science marketing, we’ll delve into the next steps for sustained success. From crafting compelling pitches to navigating adoption pathways and building an ongoing marketing framework, these strategies will help you refine your efforts, engage stakeholders, and drive long-term impact in the competitive life sciences landscape.
A key part of facilitating life science marketing is successfully pitching it to your audience. When pitching to investors or potential customers, the focus should be on creating a compelling value proposition.
In the webinar, Willig emphasized that a good pitch goes beyond listing features and capabilities; it must articulate the product's unique value in a simple and memorable way. Instead of only using technical marketing language, it’s more effective to instead frame pitches with more human-centered, results-oriented messaging.
🔬Learn how to write an award-winning elevator pitch
Although every pitch deck varies according to each startup, there are a few must-have slides to include if you’re looking to win over investors and partners in the life science space. These core components include:
The Problem: Clearly define the scientific or clinical problem you're solving. Highlight its impact on patients, providers, or the industry.
Solution: Showcase your innovation—what it is, how it works, and why it's better than current options.
Why Now: Explain the market timing. What recent trends, technologies, or regulatory shifts make this the right moment?
Market Size: Provide data on total addressable market (TAM), serviceable available market (SAM), and ideal customer profile.
Business Model: Clarify how you’ll make money. Include pricing, partnerships, and any licensing or subscription elements.
Competition: Identify key competitors and explain how your approach is different or superior.
Customers: Define your target users or buyers. Include any early traction, pilots, or letters of intent.
Team: Highlight the expertise and track record of your founding and advisory team.
Financials: Share key metrics, projections, and how funding will be used. Be transparent and realistic.
The Ask: State how much funding you're raising and what it will support—milestones, timelines, and goals.
🔬Learn how to craft the perfect biotech pitch deck
Let’s review an exercise that illuminates the value of a good life science elevator pitch.
Someone could pitch a company by saying they will: “Create a brand strategy, marketing plans, go-to-market strategy, value propositions, competitive analysis, launch products, portfolio architecture, naming, and more.”
While this may be a detailed and accurate statement, it is convoluted, confusing, and drawn out.
What if, instead, you pitched your life science startup with: “We know where to focus your time, money, and resources for greatest impact and optimal growth.”
This pitch is far more directed. Instead of a general umbrella message, this message contains specific facets that make the company unique and special. It gives life science startup investors reasons to believe, which include:
By the end of your pitch, you want investors to know exactly what your product is. After all, it takes 15 to 18 reinforcements to make a message stick.
🔬Learn more about common mistakes in Biotech pitch decks
Pricing is a delicate aspect of any marketing strategy, especially in healthcare and life science marketing. In her talk, Willig advised against competing solely on price, as it can lead to a race to the bottom.
Instead, startups should focus on creating a premium experience if they want to command higher prices. For example, if a product is marketed as premium, then every interaction with the customer—from the user interface to customer service—should reflect that positioning. This holistic approach helps justify the higher price point and builds brand loyalty.
Further, it is crucial to be clear on who is paying for the product. Is it the user? Is it the hospital corporation? Be clear on who the payee is to avoid conflict and continue a streamlined process.
🔬Read about creating a value proposition to attract biotech startup investors here
Landing investor interest or partnership buy-in is just the beginning. Once you've delivered a compelling pitch and secured initial support, the focus shifts from selling your vision to delivering on it. Now it's time to turn that early momentum into long-term traction by planning for adoption, engagement, and scalability.
That’s where your life science marketing strategy becomes critical. This portion of the startup journey is critical to move beyond the pitch and into the real-world adoption of life science innovation,
A key facet to successful life science marketing rollout is identifying the pathway to adoption. For life science startups, the target audience often includes not only patients but also healthcare professionals and clinicians who serve as gatekeepers.
Startups must understand the barriers clinicians face in diagnosing, treating, or recommending a new solution. This requires market research to quantify moments of friction and leverage key opinion leaders (KOLs) to provide insights into improving product adoption.
Speaking of adoption, you first need to launch a product in order for it to be adopted. A key mistake many startups make is assuming that the job is done once the product hits the market. However, sustained conversion and ongoing adoption require continual engagement.
Post-launch, companies need to focus on how their product becomes part of their customers’ daily routine. The speaker noted that it is not enough to merely get a user to try a product; companies must ensure that users incorporate the product into their regular workflow. Only then can sustained growth and market penetration occur.
🔬Read more about the importance of market research in biotech and medtech startups
Life science marketing is not just about promoting a product but strategically building a brand that resonates with target audiences. It is more than just a tool for getting the word out—it is a critical driver of competitive advantage for life science startups.
While an initial marketing strategy lays the groundwork for success, ongoing marketing efforts are essential to sustain momentum, keep stakeholders engaged, and adapt to a constantly changing landscape. In the life sciences, where innovation is rapid and competition fierce, consistent marketing ensures that your product or service remains top-of-mind for investors, partners, and customers alike.
Ongoing marketing begins with maintaining a robust presence across multiple channels. This includes updating your website with new data, case studies, or testimonials that reflect progress and validate your value proposition. Regular communication through newsletters or thought leadership articles can keep investors informed of milestones and reinforce confidence in your team. Similarly, sharing updates about clinical trials, product improvements, or new partnerships on social media and professional networks maintains visibility and signals that your company is thriving.
Engagement with your audience should go beyond updates. Hosting webinars, participating in industry conferences, and fostering collaboration with key opinion leaders provide opportunities to showcase your expertise and build credibility. Regularly seeking feedback from customers and investors can also inform refinements to your marketing strategy, ensuring that messaging aligns with their evolving needs.
Finally, measuring the impact of ongoing marketing efforts is crucial. Monitoring metrics such as customer acquisition costs, investor inquiries, or website engagement can help you identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth. By committing to a sustained and adaptive marketing approach, life science companies can not only retain the interest of key stakeholders but also position themselves as leaders in their field.
🔬Learn more about marketing your life science startup for explosive growth here
Startup success is achievable with the right teams and resources to support you. University Lab Partners aims to provide life science startups with those resources in order to get you to market and reach the right users. To learn more about programs for life science startups, visit University Lab Partners.
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