Objective
Increase visibility of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation’s inventors, innovations and their impact on society.
About
The University of Tennessee Research Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes the commercialization of UT intellectual property, encourages an entrepreneurial culture, contributes to state and regional economic development, and promotes research and education to benefit the people of Tennessee and beyond. While UTRF is a separate entity from UT, it provides assistance and resources to the research activities of faculty, staff and students of the UT system (including campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Martin, the Health Science Center in Memphis, the state-wide Institute of Agriculture, the UT Space Institute in Tullahoma, and the UT Institute of Public Service). UTRF works to help move ideas to the marketplace.
Approach
Piper Communications drafts feature stories and inventor profiles for monthly e-newsletters, secures earned media coverage about UTRF inventors, assists with social media strategy to improve online influence, and amplifies UTRF’s mission through earned and social media opportunities.
Results
- Drafted monthly stories about UTRF inventors, staff, and technology for over four years
- Secured earned media for UTRF inventors and inventions, including Dr. Peter Tsai, the architect behind the technology in N95 respirators
- Amplified media coverage of Dr. Peter Tsai’s work, including the Washington Post, NPR, VICE, Business Insider, NBC News, CNN and numerous other news outlets around the world.