PHTO PART 3:
Sales and Marketing
PTI has made excellent use of the World Wide Web and is currently experimenting
with using the WEB in direct sales, which while common for many products would
be new for our industry.
The Company's sales are primarily for research and development of analytical
measurement applications. The Company will continue to focus on opportunistic
areas in both life sciences and physical sciences areas because of the diversity
of the markets and different user demands.
Professionals in corporations, universities, government or private labs and
hospitals generally make buying decisions for the Company's products. These
individuals usually belong to professional organizations, read and receive
professional journals and attend trade conferences and seminars. Papers that
have been published which discuss the Company's equipment in the research
process represent a significant influence on the peers and affiliated groups of
such professionals and their industries. Such papers are an important marketing
tool for the Company.
In addition to private industry, universities and hospitals, a significant
source of the Company's sales comes from government-supported purchases (except
in the U.S. where health care is privatized). The major market for fluorescence
instrumentation is still limited to the developed nations. The U.S. and Canada
are by far the largest markets estimated at 30% of the total world market. This
is followed by Europe, which is roughly equivalent to the North American market
size. The Japanese market is around 10% and has local competition that is
successful only in this market area. The remainder of the world accounts for
less than 30%.
The Company enjoys an excellent reputation with its customer base. There have
been numerous multiple-system sales to the same customers, and most of these
systems have been the more expensive "top-of-the-line" models. The Company has
recently introduced its lower-priced systems lines to be competitive in the
mid-market range for both ratio-fluorescence and general fluorescence. The
Company's objective is to create a higher profile and to become better known in
the marketplace.
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The Company's promotional activities to penetrate the various markets, both
domestically and internationally, take the form of trade shows, direct mail,
research seminars, symposiums and advertising in periodicals.
PTI uses a direct sales force in North America, Canada, the UK and Ireland.
PhotoMed GmbH, a former subsidiary handles sales directly in Austria, Benelux,
Germany, Hungary, Scandinavia and the German part of Switzerland. The rest of
the world is handled through dealers from the U.S. |
