Many science and Life Sciences and Biotech companies market themselves through product features and technical capabilities, but the problem is that buyers rarely remember companies because of their technical specifications alone. Companies that clearly associate themselves with a particular problem, need, or situation are remembered far better.
This is the idea behind category entry points (CEPs): the moments that trigger a buyer to start thinking about a category. In Life Sciences and Biotech, these moments might include:
- Preparing for a regulatory inspection
- Struggling with increasing sample volumes
- Replacing legacy laboratory software
- Reducing delays in reporting or analysis
- Integrating newly acquired laboratory teams
- Scaling operations after funding or commercial growth
The brands most likely to win attention are often the ones buyers mentally connect to these situations first.
Three mistakes that stop buyers remembering your brand
1. Leading with products and features instead of problems
Technical detail matters, but buyers first need to recognise why a solution is relevant to them. Good marketing explains not just what a product does, but when and why someone would need it.
2. Focusing only on active buyers
Most buyers are not ready to purchase immediately. That means marketing should not focus entirely on short-term lead generation but work on building familiarity over time, especially given that B2B sales cycles are so long-lasting, anything between 9-24 months (and sometimes even longer).
3. Inconsistent messaging
If a company describes itself differently across channels, buyers struggle to form a clear impression of what it is known for. The strongest brands are usually associated with a small number of clear problems they solve well.
For Biotech and Life Sciences companies, that often means shifting from product-centred messaging to problem-centred positioning.
This article is adapted from Qincade’s broader guide to using category entry points (CEPs) in science marketing, including practical approaches to messaging, positioning, and long-term brand growth.
Read the full article here: Grow Science Sales with Category Entry Points (CEPs)
