TTOs: Use Social Media Effectively to Market Your Innovations
Originally presented June 8, 2010

Social media is fast-becoming an integral part of the marketing landscape, and the relatively low cost and wide reach - when used effectively - can be a godsend for cash-strapped tech transfer offices that need to enhance their promotional efforts without many budget dollars to work with. Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Plaxo, and many other social medial avenues offer near limitless opportunities to push your available innovations in front of a captive audience.

But beware… Casual or sporadic use of social media for marketing your IP can do more harm than good. Just like any other traditional marketing channel, the keys to success are in the planning and execution.

That’s why Technology Transfer Tactics has brought together an international panel of experts who are successfully utilizing social media to garner attention for their technologies, create an active community surrounding their innovations, and bring more licensees in the door.

Join us for this 90-minute webinar that’s chock full of best practices for effectively utilizing a myriad of social media platforms. You’ll see online examples, plus dozens of planning techniques and execution strategies that are guaranteed to successfully showcase your IP to a highly targeted audience.

Program Agenda:

Your Social Media Marketing Expert Presenters:

Dee Anderson is the Associate Director for the Technology Transfer Office for Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He is responsible for commercialization planning, patenting and licensing functions for Electrical and Computer Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Computer Science departments and the School of Technology, Compliant Mechanisms in the Mechanical Engineering Department, and other select projects. Mr. Anderson has twenty eight years of entrepreneurial experience in the fields of Manufacturing, Real Estate Development, Financial Management, Computer Software and Hardware and Telecommunications as well as vast experience in creating successful companies in the high tech field with significant expertise in marketing, finance and operations.

Shirley Jamieson is Head of Marketing for Cambridge Enterprise Limited, the commercialisation office of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge Enterprise consists of three overlapping business units: technology transfer, which assists academics in making their research available to industry; consultancy services, which supports University staff wishing to provide expert advice to public and private sector organisations; and Seed Funds, which provides access to capital for members of the University. New media is an emerging way to find suitable licensees or partners to help to commercialise the science emerging from the University. As well as ensuring the website is up to date with the latest news on our activities and those of our portfolio companies, Cambridge Enterprise is beginning to use new media tools such as Twitter and short films. Additionally, the University of Cambridge uses a number of new media platforms such as Twitter, Flickr, iTunesU and Facebook. The University’s YouTube Edu channel has a growing library of videos demonstrating economic and societal impact in a format easily accessible by a worldwide audience.

Lindsay Polak is the Marketing and Communications Manager at the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office. In her role at CU, she manages PR and events both within and outside the university community, as well as coordinating technology marketing outreach. Ms. Polak has developed several social media communications initiatives for CU TTO. In 2009 she managed the launch of the CU TTO blog (CUtechtransfer.blogspot.com) as well as bringing the office onto Twitter (@coloradotto). These initiatives have been successful in expanding CU TTO’s penetration into the vibrant local technology communities, especially the startup community. Ms. Polak graduated from Scripps College in 2001 with a BA in Philosophy, and afterward attended CU’s School of Law. Before joining CU TTO, she worked in marketing/communications in the music industry.

Laura A. Schoppe is president of Fuentek, LLC. Fuentek works with an eclectic client base to assist them in identifying promising technologies and the converting these ideas and inventions into marketable products. In her role as president, Laura is responsible for managing client relationships as well as establishing strategic plans, budgets and conducting training workshops for clients. Fuentek is a leading technology commercialization firm, and is now the largest NASA contractor in North Carolina. Laura has more than 12 years of successful experience in spearheading research for several defense contractors, as well as an extensive background in all aspects of intellectual property management, including valuing the deals, negotiating the business terms, and leading license negotiation activities. She has led major technology transfer projects at universities and government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies have sought her advice on strategic planning related to their IP assets. Prior to forming Fuentek in 2001, Laura was a program manager for advanced engineering at GE-Aerospace/Lockheed Martin. She was responsible for national and international new business development, as well as research and development projects for advanced submarine and surface ship programs. She then provided technology transfer services at RTI International in the Center for Technology Applications, where she worked as a client lead for government and corporate clients, successfully doubling the client base.