AFFX Affymetrix, Inc.

Study Examines Brand Strength of Leading Molecular Biology Suppliers ARLINGTON, Va., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the years, life science suppliers have recognized that strong brands do contribute to market success. As a result, a number of suppliers have achieved high levels of brand equity in the molecular biology market, including Invitrogen (NASDAQ:IVGN), Qiagen (NASDAQ:QGENF), Amersham Biosciences (NYSE:GE) and Bio-Rad (AMEX:BIO). Brand equity is an intangible quality that results from the interaction of many components such as awareness, satisfaction, loyalty, perceived value and associations. These factors were examined in "Building Brand Equity in the Molecular Biology Market," a report recently released by market research firm BioInformatics, LLC (http://www.gene2drug.com/). Based on a survey of more than 1,500 life scientists, the report provides an in-depth look at ten product categories in the molecular biology market -- from basic products like enzymes to cutting-edge technologies like DNA microarrays and RNA interference (RNAi) products. According to the study, the largest players in this market have enviable positions, but corporate size alone does not result in high levels of brand equity. "Interestingly, while the sheer size of a company and its financial investment in marketing are important factors in determining brand equity, other smaller companies have achieved strong brands and positive images through their focus on specific niches within the market and careful positioning," said Bill Kelly, President of BioInformatics, LLC. For example, the report finds that the specialty supplier Dharmacon has only a small share of the molecular biology market as a whole but is building a strong brand as a supplier of products for studying RNAi. The report "maps" the relative brand strength of leading molecular biology suppliers using numerical scores derived from how their customers answered questions relating to: * Brand associations * Brand personalities * Changes in customer opinions * Use of the company's products * Satisfaction with product performance * Satisfaction with supplier performance * Overall customer satisfaction * Overall customer loyalty * Customer longevity * Company performance compared to customer expectations The survey data is presented both in aggregate for the molecular biology market as a whole and at the product category level. Individual companies can be analyzed on a custom basis. Analysis of the survey data reveals that many suppliers have successfully positioned their brands in ways that reflect the values of the molecular biology customers they serve. For example: * Affymetrix (NASDAQ:AFFX) is the company most frequently described as "influential." * BD Biosciences (NYSE:BDX) has the highest percentage of customers that have an increasingly positive opinion of their primary supplier. * New England Biolabs has the highest percentage of satisfied customers. Strong brand equity enhances a company's products and makes premium pricing possible. Additionally, strong brands encourage customers to try a company's products for the first time and continue choosing them over similar products offered by competitors. "It should be noted that virtually all suppliers in the molecular biology market enjoy high scores in important areas such as product performance, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. However, to break out from the pack, suppliers can use this report to evaluate their current positions and determine how brand issues may be affecting their competitiveness in this crowded market. This report is helping our clients understand how their brands are perceived by scientists and what adjustments may be needed to implement a more powerful brand strategy," concluded Kelly. For a complimentary Executive Summary of this 366-page report, please visit: http://www.gene2drug.com/reports.75.html ABOUT BIOINFORMATICS, LLC BioInformatics, LLC (http://www.gene2drug.com/) is a market research firm located in Arlington, Virginia. BioInformatics supports marketing, sales and R&D executives in the life science, medical device and pharmaceutical industries through published research reports, custom research and consulting. BioInformatics sponsors the world's largest market research panel of scientific customers -- The Science Advisory Board (http://www.scienceboard.net/) -- which consists of more than 20,000 scientists, physicians and other life science and medical professionals from 62 countries who participate in surveys that address emerging technologies, test customer reactions to new product concepts, measure brand awareness and assess advertising effectiveness. CONTACT: Alyssa Martin of BioInformatics, LLC, +1-703-778-3080, ext. 12, Fax: +1-703-778-3081, or DATASOURCE: BioInformatics, LLC CONTACT: Alyssa Martin of BioInformatics, LLC, +1-703-778-3080, ext. 12, Fax: +1-703-778-3081, or Web site: http://www.gene2drug.com/ http://www.scienceboard.net/

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