About
For more than 175 years, ZEISS has been a leader in microscopy. ZEISS equipment and technology has contributed to countless scientific breakthroughs in materials research and life sciences, particularly in the fields of ophthalmology, microsurgery, and laser studies.
Challenge
ZEISS’s new technology draws scientists and experts in the field to a variety of trade shows around the world every year. But big and heavy microscopes that are expensive to ship and insure, plus COVID-19, put a years-long stop to the live trade show business.But within this challenge ZEISS saw an opportunity to rethink how they might share their latest innovations with potential buyers.
ZEISS’ digital marketing team came to Goods & Services with a challenge: How can we re-think our technology to share it virtually with the people who need it the most?
The Goods & Services team, led by Senior Client Partner Erica Ortmann and VP, Head of Delivery Betsy Spain, knew that whatever the solution was, it needed to stand out creatively, while also keeping people standing apart, as a precaution against COVID.
“The pandemic gave us an opportunity to explore solutions that could be both experiential and interactive, while still being COVID-safe,” Ortmann said.
Approach
"Sexy” might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about microscopy, but for scientists of all stripes though, a powerful new microscope can be very exciting indeed.
During our five-week concept phase, the Goods & Services team explored the complex topic of microscopy, learning about the intricate tools ZEISS manufactured, specifically how they are used in different disciplines and why ZEISS customers gravitated toward them as the elite choice.
Since ZEISS participates in a lot of trade shows for a variety of industries, Goods & Services felt that featuring breakthrough work by scientists in different fields would give ZEISS flexibility to adapt to the audiences at each event and show off the many capabilities of the new tech.
The first step was finding dynamic researchers with groundbreaking studies from all over the world, including acclaimed, award winning scientists, many of whom might even be on track to win the Nobel in their lifetime. And they had to be available, willing, and champions of ZEISS microscopes.
ZEISS loved the concept, since in addition to highlighting the technology, perhaps most importantly it also shared the great work done by its customers, the scientist themselves. Goods & Services interviewed these bright researchers who were changing the world in the areas of cancer research, neuroscience, metals, fossils, and more.
“We really wanted to capture an authentic slice of today’s world of scientific research,” Betsy Spain said. “So that meant finding diverse professionals willing to speak with us. We wanted to represent all the faces of science.”
The Goods & Services team soon discovered that, despite being rooted in different branches of science, the researchers had something in common: the thrill of experiencing a “breakthrough moment.” That breakthrough theme is at the heart of Goods & Service’s final creative solution.
Imagine an array of wall-mounted, modular, video display screens, each one offering viewers a choice of story about a scientific breakthrough to investigate. We call them “choose your own adventures.” Click on an interactive story “hot spot” to learn more about Dr. James Schiffbauer, whose fossil discoveries shed new light on the origin of life. Or click on the prompt for Dr. Kaoru Sato’s award-winning research into metal composition, or Minna Roh-Johnson’s potentially revolutionary examination of cancer cells.
Each intimate story is long enough to be authoritative and thorough, but short enough to keep the viewer’s attention, and each highlights the benefits and advancements of the ZEISS technology.
The exhibit includes 9 researchers sharing 24 different personal scientific breakthroughs. It has been featured at five shows over the past few months and will stay in circuit for up to 15 additional shows throughout the year. New content is planned for release in the fall to enhance the storytelling. Additionally, a permanent installation featuring the content was created for ZEISS’ US Customer Center in Dublin, CA.
Outcomes
Cost savings on shipping/service fees, 128.6% more leads, a shift in conversation and reduced CO2 emissions.
International attention from other ZEISS business regions including Europe and Asia, which are interested in implementing the experience with their own customized content
Time and cost savings in shipping, storing and standing up AV equipment in a repeatable process over delicate microscopes which differ from show to show
Internal response at a ZEISS US town hall where employees nicknamed the experience “the Wow wall”
