A review of the 2011 Technology Strategy Board Feasibility Studies campaign to generate applicants and share the outcomes of the studies

1. _connect to Compete &
Collaboration Nation
Campaign Review
Huw Jones

2. Campaign Objectives
1. Acquire and engage innovative SMEs in our
feasibility study programmes of activity
– Generate an acquisition programme to target and
acquire the best uk companies: _connect to compete
– Create an engaging microsite/online community
2. Disseminate the outcomes to relevant
audiences using the ‘Collaboration Nation’
concept
– Create a new and exciting event concept that
enables industry and funding community to exploit
the outcomes of the feasibility studies

3. _connect to compete: Trial campaign to grow
membership and promote competitions
Strategy: What we did:
•Work with technologists, IT, and KTNs to •Created a comms plan focusing on email as the
obtain ‘buy-in’ key channel to drive interest. Also integrated
•Create 4x competition groups on _connect group information into offline PPT slides and
•Acquire group participation through email, webinars.
twitter, and live events •Used the January 2011 feasibility studies
•Convert traffic by optimising the _connect competitions as the ‘hook’ and the reason to
group site for the purpose of the make contact
competitions •Created a detailed campaign coordination
Objectives: document
•Demonstrate a campaign approach that drives •Worked hard to make the group useful e.g
_connect membership and competition Q&A, access to documents and webinar
applications recordings
•Create benchmark stats for future competitions •Used email, social, and web optimisation to
promotion; & learn from the trail!!! drive membership, convert and retain

4. Membership growth attributed to campaign activity
1400
DS4G Page views
1200 DS4G Group members
1000 TIFS Page Views
Page views
TIFS Group members Group
800 Space page views
Members
649
600 Space group members
Nano page views
400 386
Nano group members
200 175
68
0
Mon 13 Dec
Mon 20 Dec
Mon 27 Dec
Mon 10 Jan
Mon 17 Jan
Mon 24 Jan
Mon 31 Jan
Mon 7 Feb
Mon 3 Jan
10/1 Email: All past competition applicants – competition open
18 & 19 & 20/1 briefing events
26/1 Email: All past competition applicants – ppt webinars now available
1/2 Group announcement: deadline for applications tomorrow

5. TSB website and email biggest driver of traffic to
_connect groups
Page
Source Medium views
innovateuk.org Referrer – corporate website 10896
http://engage.innovateuk.org/technologystra
tegyboardlz/ Email – email campaign 9078
(direct) N/A 3053
google Search 727
tsbinnovate.emea.acrobat.com TSB Webinar 112
du101w.dub101.mail.live.com ? 88
linkedin.com Referrer – social wom 73
mail.google.com ? 70
twitterfeed Referrer - social wom 48

6. Clear links from other parts of _connect, and clear
options to engage key to keeping momentum going

7. Connect to compete: Trial campaign results and next
steps
What we found*:
• 1000+ people joined the 4x _connect • 50% of group members completed
competition groups their profiles
• 3406 downloads of the feasibility • 65% are engaged – returning to
studies application form _connect following group
• 1467 applications were received • Member funding success varied:
• membership digital – high; tech-inspired - low
Feasibility Total Group Group % group Successful % of group
study scope Applications members member member group members
applications applications member that applied
vs total applications that were
applications successful vs
total
applications
Digital 348 386 107 31 46 13
Tech-Inspired 866 649 115 13 13 1.5
*numbers based on data captured 8/12/10 – 10/02/11

8. What are the issues & what do we
do next?
• Another campaign?
• All competitions to have groups? Wait for all _connect functionality to be in
place?
• Group ‘ownership’ & coordination
• What do you do with group members when the competition has finished?
• How to engage with 3rd party media partners to increase reach
• How to get KTNs to engage expert voice into _connect to add value to
group activities
• Ensure sharing of _connect information is well coordinated to maximise
reach and avoid duplication e.g event listings

9. About
Collaboration Nation
Huw Jones

10. What is Collaboration Nation?
• A vibrant open innovation forum for the sharing of feasibility
study outcomes. To connect new companies with a variety of
solution providers to move new innovations to
commercialisation rapidly and efficiently
• Our aim to catalyse innovation – small company brings idea to
market with a VC/angel/ or is exploited by supply chain
partner
• A brand & concept that exemplifies open innovation,
connectivity, and opportunity

11. Collaboration Nations 2010
Digital Britain
Technology Inspired
Regenerative Medicine
2011
Space
Carbon Abatement
Digital Services
Technology Inspired
2012
Food/Biotechnology
Technology Inspired
Nuclear

12. Print & Online Directory

13. 2-minute pitch PPT template

14. Email campaign collateral

15. Micro site development

16. Online community building