This document summarizes the progress of a marketing experiment to generate leads for a higher fidelity prototype project. It discusses building a marketing page, running test marketing campaigns on channels like Google+, LinkedIn and Facebook, analyzing results, and creating a live prototype based on feedback. Key findings include that social media is an effective strategy but content marketing should also be tested, and influencers can be engaged at offline events. The marketing page achieved a 32% goal conversion rate.

1. Marketing Page
Higher fidelity
Prototype
Project developed under the guidance of
Professor Chuck Eesley, Technology
Entrepreneurship Programm 2012
Stanford University

2. Present situation
- existing low fidelity prototype (mockups)
- information about user expectations
gathered from two surveys and 1 to 1
interviews

3. What we want to achieve
- run some marketing experiments and track
which of them seem to work better than
others - evaluate what we can do to improve
the marketing aspect of the business model
- build the alpha "live" version of the
prototype (higher fidelity prototype)

4. How will we do it?
- Build a marketing page with the purpose of
generating leads
- Choose the marketing channels and run test
campaigns
- Collect additional information to enable us
improve and better target future campaigns
- Build a live prototype of the platform
- Analyze results

5. Implementation: The Marketing page
A marketing page with the purpose of
collecting leads was set under:
http://www.novigolabs.com/index3.php
Given the target group (people interested in
open innovation) and based on information
gathered from previous surveys, we have
decided to first concentrate our marketing
efforts on direct contact and social channels.

6. Marketing channels of choice
- Direct approach of peer innovators through
Venture-Lab (great resource for this project in
particular!)
- Google+ social marketing
- Specialized LinkedIn groups (focused on
innovation and collaboration)
- Facebook marketing on relevant fan pages
and groups
(paid ads a la adwords or Facebook would
make no sense for such a project)

7. Costs
Our precious time and human effort so far.
Those who follow also Tina's Creativity
Course (also here on Venture-Lab), should
have learned by now that the best way to
create value is without spending a dime :)
Not to mention also Prof. Eesley's advice to
"Experiment on Someone Else's Dime" !

8. Results
Some statistics & metrics

9. Results (cont)
With a "Goal Conversion Rate of 32.00%" we
are doing pretty well in terms of landing page
efficiency. Based on the feedback we have
received so far, we will work on the design
and try to increase the conversion rates.
The new visits to the marketing page
accounted for 72.00% the rest were returning
visitors.

10. Other valuable Feedback
Other than the numbers already mentioned, the
survey we added on the "thank you page" of our
Marketing site has gathered some valuable
feedback for us.
We have gathered information about the
publications the users read (from Harvard
Business Review to Aeronautics
Magazine), which sites they visit to find subject-
related information (from Linkedin to
entrepreneur.com) and which events they
attend.

11. What we have learned
We are on the right track by pursuing the
social media strategy, but will need to
diversify to cover specialized channels (New
Scientist readers and the like).
Content marketing is what we should look
into testing next.
We have also learned that the best places to
get closer to some top influencers are at
offline events.

12. Higher fidelity prototype
We have moved from "mockups" to "the real
thing" and developed an online version of the
site.
http://www.novigolabs.com/index.php
While we are proud of what we
accomplished, it was not possible for us to
build more site functionality within the
assigned time.

13. Prototype - some details
We already have the first functional screens
guiding the user through the registration
process, and requesting the most relevant
information which will be later used for an
optimal profile & resources matching.

14. What's next?
- keep the interested users informed and up
to date with new developments
- organize and participate in local or virtual
meetings & events
- keep the momentum going by involving as
members as much as possible
- organize regular local or virtual meetings
with early adopters

15. Don't miss ...
... your chance to be the part of
the "next big thing"!
Register on our marketing page!
Thank you!