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Chris Skinner

This podcast episode was recorded onsite during JEC World in March 2024 in Paris.

The Chemistry of Composites: Driving Industry Evolution

Chris Skinner’s transformation from a chemist to a visionary leader in strategic marketing at Owens Corning is a tale of the composites industry‘s evolution.

“We’re at the forefront of merging material science with market demands, a testament to our dedication to innovation in composite materials,” he states.

This integration of science into commercial success embodies the progress and adaptability at the heart of the composites industry.

Collaborative Innovation: Revolutionizing R&D in the Composites Industry

The research and development landscape in the composite industry is undergoing a significant transformation. “The era of solo achievements is evolving into a time of collaborative efforts,” Chris Skinner notes.

He emphasizes that in this industry, success hinges on merging diverse talents to drive innovation. This evolution highlights a crucial trend: teamwork is becoming increasingly indispensable for advancing composite technology trends and material conversion strategies.

The Startup Booster: Igniting Innovation in Composite Materials

The Startup Booster Competition in JEC world stands as a testament to Owens Corning’s commitment to innovation. It’s not merely a contest; it’s a visionary platform where emerging technologies gain momentum.

“We’re crafting an ecosystem ripe for transformation,” Skinner asserts, “where cutting-edge ideas meet opportunity and scalable solutions emerge.”

The Pink Panther Effect: Strategic Branding in Composite Materials

Opting to color Owens Corning’s fiberglass pink and aligning it with the Pink Panther wasn’t just about looks.

Skinner explains, “We’ve crafted a story that changes how customers interact with our products. This move has made them not only noticeable but also more engaging and memorable.”

He highlights how this approach isn’t just branding ; it’s storytelling that resonates emotionally with users, adding a unique and lasting impact.

This strategy shows the effective use of narrative in creating a deep, lasting connection with customers.

Effective Branding in the Composite Industry: The Power of Now

Skinner highlights a crucial shift in marketing philosophy—focusing on the present benefits that resonate with consumers.

“We’re living in a time when the immediate application and advantage of a product take precedence,” he says. Skinner encourages a marketing approach that emphasizes instant satisfaction, thus fostering an immediate connection between the product and its user.

Want more from Sesamers & JEC?

2 more podcast episodes from JEC World with startup founders and other industry experts: Blanca Garro & Stephan Savarese

JEC World 2024 Recap

JEC Startup Booster: the premier startup competition at JEC World, where 20 finalists gather in the Startup Booster Village to showcase their innovations, network, and engage with potential investors over three dynamic days.

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Last week, I spent three days at Bits and Pretzels in Munich — a startup-focused event with a distinctly Bavarian flavor. Think Oktoberfest meets startup conference, complete with dirndls, lederhosen, and more beer than you might expect. As someone building an AI-powered event platform, I went in with a specific mission: Observe how startups actually market themselves at events. Here’s what I discovered: GoodBytz: The power of good demos What they did: Robotics startup GoodBytz set up a booth where its robots prepared kaiserschmarrn (a traditional German dessert) all day long. Why it worked: Nothing beats seeing a product in action. While other booths had brochures and demos, GoodBytz’s robots were actually cooking. The smell, the movement and the end result stirred together an experience that people will remember and talk about. The lesson: If you have a physical product, show it in action. The old writing adage generalizes well: Show, don’t tell.  Let people see, hear and touch the product. WeRoad: The bathroom hack What they did: Posted “Missing Investor” flyers in bathroom stalls with QR codes pointing to their website. Why it worked: Pure genius. Every startup at the event was looking for investors, but the “Missing Investor” headline, while a bit on the nose, proved irresistible. Plus, bathroom stalls are one of the few places where people have 30 seconds to actually read something. The lesson: Think about where your target audience’s attention will remain undivided. Sometimes, the most effective marketing leverages the most unexpected places. Emqopter: Visual impact matters What they did: Designed a bright orange booth that displayed their drone prominently. Why it worked: In a sea of grey, white, beige and brown, Emqopter’s bright orange booth was impossible to overlook. The drone was real, too, and proved a real conversation starter. The lesson: Your booth is competing with hundreds of others. Make it visually distinctive and ensure your product is the hero. Quests: Community building using the product What they did: Created a busy, branded booth with accessories (toy car, traffic cones, a bulletin board) and used their anti-loneliness app to build communities among founders at the event. Why it worked: Quests used their product to solve a real problem right at the event, and the busy booth design generated energy and curiosity. The lesson: Use your product to solve a problem at the event — if it’s possible, of course. Demonstrate your value in real time. Dyno: Event-themed marketing What they did: Distributed branded electrolyte packs with the tagline “Your hangover ends. Your pension lasts – with Dyno.” Why it worked: Dyno aligned its messaging perfectly with the Oktoberfest theme. Every attendee was thinking about beer and hangovers, so Dyno’s goodies were quite relevant. The tagline was clever, memorable, and directly addressed a pain point most people at the event might have to deal with later. The lesson: Tailor your marketing to the event’s theme and culture. The more you tie your messaging and product to the context, the more memorable you become. So, what did I learn? Event marketing is about more than just showing up and setting up a booth; you have to understand your audience and create experiences that people will remember. Here’s what really struck me: most startups and even big companies don’t know how to leverage events properly. They book the booth, show up and hope for the best; maybe they bring some branded pens and a pop-up banner. Then they’ll go back home and wonder why they spent €5,000 in exchange for 50 business cards that never convert. The startups that stood out at Bits and Pretzels understand something fundamental: event ROI isn’t about booth size or location; it’s about strategy, creativity and planning. None of the startups above improvised on-site, or planned something the night before the event in their hotel rooms. They laid everything out 4-6 weeks before the event. A solid pre-event strategy is what separates successful event marketing from expensive booth rental.  But what matters most for early-stage startups is that you don’t need a massive budget to stand out. WeRoad’s bathroom stall hack probably cost €50 to print the flyers. A standard booth package at Bits and Pretzels would go for €3,000 to €5,500. The ROI difference is staggering when you compare the cost per meaningful conversation. That’s the difference between simply spending money and investing smartly. Building Sesamers has taught me that helping startups find the right events is only half the equation. The other half is helping them understand how to maximize ROI once they’re there. Good props aren’t a marketing expense; they’re opportunities to meet customers, investors and partners, and strike up engaging conversations.

Events + 1
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Lios Group, the Irish startup behind SoundBounce, was a winner of JEC Composites Startup Booster 2018, and has been making significant strides since taking home the award.

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