Print catalogs and supplier Web sites are the most effective way to reach life scientists, according to market research firm BioInformatics, LLC.
According to the report, the availability of product information through other marketing channels has not diminished the traditional importance of the catalog as the primary means by which scientists identify and compare suitable products to purchase — from molecular biology kits to sequencing instrumentation.
However, the best catalogs are perceived as valuable scientific reference tools. Respondents said Sigma-Aldrich has the best print catalog in the life science market, followed by New England Biolabs and Invitrogen.
Scientists expressed a strong preference for online catalogs over print when searching product availability, new products and shipment status. In fact, 25% of respondents indicated a preference for the online medium for every activity mentioned in the survey, as compared to only 3% who exclusively preferred print. It is clear, however, that a majority of scientists prefer to use both media as 61% believe it is “highly important” to continue receiving a print catalog even when the same information is available on the Web.
The survey polled more than 2,300 scientific researchers earlier this year.
