How I Marketed a Global Biotech Event with Just a QR Code
A marketing project for SRM University's RTGEB Conference 2023
RTGEB, a niche biotech conference, had world-class ambition — but almost no visibility or marketing budget. I led the creative direction to rebrand the event, turning a forgotten annual program into a shareable experience. Using a strategically placed ominous QR code ad and a story-driven microsite, we made the event impossible to ignore, both on campus and off.
The result? 400+ participants, 45+ global scholars, 35+ institutional shoutouts, 10+ industry partnerships, and a whooping 4400% return on investment, all from a campaign that started with a single staircase.
In association with Niranjana Srikumar
Challenge
RTGEB - Recent Trends in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology - was hosting professors, scholars, and researchers from around the globe, but its visibility was nearly nonexistent. With most of its funds spent on logistics, the event had almost nothing left for promotion, branding, or outreach.
Solution
I saw this not as a limitation, but as an opportunity to tell a better story. I conducted a rapid audit of previous years' materials, visuals, and messaging. From that, I developed a lean but high-impact creative campaign that included:
Approach
-
A complete rebrand and messaging strategy for RTGEB.
-
A single high-impact OOH ad featuring an ominous QR code, strategically placed in the venue’s main stairwell, ensures visibility and shareability.
-
A microsite that served as a central storytelling hub, turning dry event details into a narrative that invited curiosity and credibility with a flow that turned normal readers into curious explorers.
-
A clear funnel from print to digital, with a consistent voice and experience throughout.
Oh, we did not have the freedom to place this Ad there! (Redtapes)
Oh, we did not have the freedom to place this Ad there! (Redtapes)
We did it anyway, and the crowd approved!
RESULTS
-
400+ individual participants from the biotech and academic world, with 45% presenting papers.400+
-
45+ international scholars and researchers in attendance
-
Recognition from 35+ higher education institutions across India
-
10+ industry partnerships formed, including funded research deals
-
We spent what most would drop on a breakfast in London, and turned it into 4400% ROI and tons more in PR Value.
