Life Sciences Marketing Group

This webinar explored how AI can be used to better understand buyer intent and provide better customer service, using real-world HubSpot examples.

As AI increasingly becomes the starting point for how people gather information, it must be part of the marketing conversation. When applied thoughtfully, AI can help marketers better understand who they’re talking to, tailor messaging precisely, and deliver more relevant, timely communications—without sacrificing trust or compliance.

This webinar also examined how marketers must evolve their websites and content strategies to serve two audiences: humans and AI. With fewer website clicks because prospects are relying more heavily on AI overviews, marketers must provide information-rich content, discoverable in the right places, and commit to inbound marketing across multiple channels.

Slide presentation

Webinar recording

In this session, we discussed how to: 

• Navigate the shift from keyword optimization to context-driven content
• Build content that AI engines recognize as authoritative
• Audit existing content for Generative Engine Optimization opportunities
• Develop a dual-optimization strategy for now and the future
   

Speaker

Brian Gorman is a search engine optimization consultant with over 12 years of experience in digital marketing. He has a proven track record of improving KPIs through organic rankings and traffic. He has expertise in all aspects of SEO, including AI and LLM search, audience research, content optimization, link building, and technical SEO. His brand portfolio includes GEICO, Staples, The New York Times, Adobe, and Gardens Alive.

Presentation is available here. 

Webinar recording will be posted shortly.

Employer review sites, social media engagement, sales conversations, and internal employee feedback offer exceptional visibility into customer and employee sentiment. When marketing leads the charge in capturing and activating on data insights, operational excellence can be achieved, potentially boosting revenue and customer satisfaction.

In this talk, we discussed:

• Gather insights from employer reviews, social media, sales calls, and internal feedback for a comprehensive sentiment analysis
• Lead cross-functional teams to activate customer and employee insights for measurable, improved business impact
• Integrate sentiment data with operational metrics to enhance customer and employee experiences

Speaker

Dana Newell
CEO/Founder
BentonNewell Communication

View webinar recording here.

Geofencing is a strategy that enables marketers to reach their target audience in specific locations in real-time by showing ads to users across mobile web and applications. Despite geofencing having been around for decades, there are some common misconceptions about what it can and can’t do. 

While geofencing is often associated with retail, life sciences and healthcare companies are successfully using it to engage audiences at events, improve clinical trials, recruit skilled workers and more.

View webinar recording here.

2025 is shaping up to be a game-changer for AI in marketing. This panel discussion focused on industry trends around the topics of:

• AI in Marketing adoption by role, and the most common use cases
• Biggest challenges to leveraging AI in Marketing in Life Sciences
• Ways to improve AI in marketing for your life science firm now, and in the future
  
   

Moderator 

Keith Duprey
Principal
The Marketing Strategist
 

Panelists

Crystal Weber         
CEO                               
Group 31 Communications
 

Mitch Quinn
Director, AI & Machine Learning
X by 2 Technology Consulting



Liza Michelle R.
VP, Marketing & Communications
SK Pharmteco
 

View the recording here. 
 

Strong relationships with investors, partners, and key stakeholders are crucial for business success. A customer relationship management (CRM) system is essential to nurturing these connections and driving growth.

In this talk, we covered how to maximize your CRM's impact, covering fundamentals, including:

• Data centralization
• Lead management
• Audience segmentation
• Personalized email marketing and
• Performance reporting

Speaker

Crystal Weber, CEO of Group 31 Communications (G31), began her career as a healthcare provider. She started as a bedside nurse and became a leader at Duke University, where she managed clinical care and research within the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center. In 2015, Crystal transitioned to medical communications and joined G31 in 2018 as Director of Medical Communications. Her leadership and vision led to her promotion to Vice President in 2019 and CEO in 2022. Under Crystal's leadership, G31 has thrived, earning numerous accolades in the medical marketing field. She has been recognized twice by MM+M as a leader in medical marketing, and her work has garnered several prestigious awards.

Webinar Recording - Passcode: Q+!8J3Ri

International trade shows are excellent opportunities for organizations to reach new prospects and showcase their offerings. Effective planning of activities before, during and after an event are crucial to maximize the opportunity and achieve success. 

In this webinar, we discussed: 

• How to build a robust online brand presence that ensures your company will be top of mind for global prospects
• Effective digital international sales strategies, including website localization and targeted digital marketing campaigns
• Insights from case studies featuring life sciences companies that are excelling in global sales
• Leverage available resources, including North Carolina's free services, grants, and programs to support your company's growth
   

Speakers

Susanna Hardy
Chief Content Officer
IBT Online

Susanna Hardy is a seasoned expert in international business and trade development through online services. As chief content officer of IBT Online, she collaborates with companies to discover optimal online business development solutions. Her expertise spans website development and online marketing. She leverages her experience in business and digital tools to ensure the success of each project.


Melissa McGurk
International Trade Manager
EDPNC

Melissa McGurk supports North Carolina companies in the biotech, medical equipment and chemical sectors with all phases of international business growth. She helps companies utilize EDPNC’s free export-related services and grants to reach new partners and customers in the global market. She has a diverse yet complementary background in the U.S. federal government and private sectors, working on international economic development, trade and investment topics. 


Ethel Torres 
President & CEO
National Drug Source

Ethel Torres is President & CEO of National Drug Source (NDS), a pharmaceutical distribution company founded in 2002, with exports to over 55 countries. Her previous experience as a registered nurse has contributed to her patient-centric focus at National Drug Source, where the priority is to deliver quality and safe medicines. Through NDS, patients around the globe have gained access to medicines and therapies not available in their home countries. NDS received the NC Exporter of the Year Award in 2022 and the Governor's Export Award in 2023. Ethel is a North Carolina DEC Member and a board member of the World Trade Association Charlotte Chapter.

Slide Presentation
Webinar Recording

Successful marketing reaches the right people, with the right message, at the right time. Engaging in an Account Based Marketing (ABM) model can help to customize and improve client experiences and harness client insights to inform marketing, communications, and growth strategies. 

In this webinar, we discussed:

• The logic for an ABM program and determining if it's the right model to choose
• How ABM can improve relationships with client audiences and drive growth
• Practical use cases to demonstrate the effectiveness of the ABM structure at RTI

Speaker

Zac Giffin joined RTI International in July 2022 as a Marketing Communications Associate and Campaign Manager. He is responsible for developing, implementing, and measuring diverse marketing and communications projects that build brand, generate demand, and achieve key growth objectives. Zac previously spent almost a decade working in fundraising and development, most recently at Duke Health Development and Alumni Affairs. As Director of Annual Giving for Duke Cancer Institute (DCI), he planned and executed communications built to increase funds and awareness for the organization.

Outside of his full-time role, he recently completed his Master of Arts in Communication—with a Health Communication emphasis—from East Carolina University, where his research interests centered on improving mental health outcomes in historically marginalized populations.

Slide Presentation

In this talk, we discussed: 

• Market access launch planning, including market access communications, stakeholder engagement and more
• Interdependencies in market access
• How to identify access barriers

Meet the Speaker

Heather Lee Whipple
Founder & Partner
Strategic Access Solutions and Insights (SASI)

Heather Lee Whipple earned her MBA in Healthcare Marketing with an emphasis on Public Health from Kenan-Flager Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to founding SASI, Heather was VP of Market Access Strategy at Skysis and SVP at US Strategic Brand Market Access Insights at Health Strategies Group (aka Eversana). She has also held senior leadership positions at companies including Ashfield Heathcare, Sanofi US and Novo Nordisk after beginning her biopharma career at Merck. Prior to Merck, she worked in health policy on Capitol Hill and was staff support for the Leader's Task Force on Health Care. 

Slide presentation
View the Recording

Speaker - Mindy Hamlin 

View the recording

Search engine optimization (SEO) involves making small changes to your website. Combined with other optimizations, these changes could significantly improve your site's user experience and organic search performance.

In this talk, we discussed: 

• How to create a winning keyword strategy
• The secret to creating content that ranks
• How to find competitor link tactics
• The right way to use AI for SEO
   

Speaker

Brian Gorman 
Digital Marketing Consultant

Brian Gorman is a digital marketing professional and former school teacher with over 10 years’ experience in SEO strategy and training. He's worked with some of the world's biggest brands, such as GEICO, The New York Times, and Adobe. He's done SEO as an analyst, manager, director, and VP. These days, he is a speaker, thought leader, and freelance consultant working on a diverse portfolio of websites.

Teaching has always been a part of Brian's life. After 6 years as a K-8 teacher and coach, Brian moved on to digital marketing and spent years honing his skills and learning the trade. After becoming a manager, he led and trained a team of more than 20 analysts and developed a proprietary SEO training program. Extensive SEO experienced coupled with a teaching background positions Brian well to help other digital marketing professionals learn, develop and grow.

SEO You Might Not Know Slide Presentation 
Zoom Recording

Whether you're a business owner, an executive, a company representative or a job seeker, the fundamentals of branding can help you gain effectiveness in reaching your growth goals. 

In this talk, we discussed: 

• How articulating differentiation grows brand value at the time of sale or seeking investment capital
• Understanding how to develop differentiating brand messages that resonate by understanding the Voice of Your Customer (VOC)
• How to build brand advocacy
• Actions to create the foundation for building an effective brand
   

Speaker

Wendy Coulter, CEO
Hummingbird Creative Group

Wendy Coulter, CEO of Hummingbird Creative Group, a brand strategy agency founded in 1995, is committed to providing clients insightful BIG IDEAS, intuitive innovation and inspired creative solutions. With over 30 years of sales, marketing communication, and branding experience, Wendy is passionate about helping clients more effectively communicate the positioning of their business, differentiate their brand, and grow revenue.

Wendy has served as Chair of the Board of the Cary Chamber of Commerce in 2022-2023. As a champion of Women Business Owners, Wendy also founded the NC Women Business Owners Hall of Fame in 2018 to honor North Carolina’s most successful female entrepreneurs and advocates who have made significant and enduring contributions to impact women’s entrepreneurial development in North Carolina.

Build Your Brand, Build Your Value Slide Presentation
Zoom Recording

Life sciences companies have an opportunity to build markets and categories for new medicines that promise better efficacy, safety, value and price.

In this talk, we discussed: 

• At what company stage to begin thinking about market shaping
• Strategies and tactics to lay the foundation for shifting perceptions ahead of pre-commercial launch
• Which stakeholders to involve in market shaping activities
• How to measure the impact of market shaping activities

Speaker 

Donna LaVoie
President and CEO
LavoieHealthScience

Donna LaVoie is a proven strategic communications leader in health and science innovation. She founded LaVoieHealthScience (LHS) in 2001. LHS advances health and science innovations through our partnerships with global medical and health companies and brands to build recognition and value, attract capital, and reach business partners, medical audiences, customers and talent through integrated communications and marketing. Prior to founding LHS, Donna had a successful corporate career with signature biotech companies leading strategic communications functions.

Market Shaping Before Regulatory Zoom Recording
Slide Presentation