business builder product launches
How to launch
your product,
not let it escape
by Lisa Helminiak and Richelle Huff
Someone told us recently that at many companies, “Products don’t get launched, they escape.” If that statement strikes you as more true than funny, let us introduce you to the five D’s of effective product launches: Discover, Define, Design, Develop and Deliver.
Large corporations use these principles to launch major new products and they can be equally effective when employed by smaller firms with more modest budgets.
It all begins with discovery. Differentiating your product or service and defining your target audience is key. It’s smart to do some research at this stage. Even a small research effort can yield huge dividends. You should ask questions like, “What are the key messages we want prospects to remember about this product? What makes this product different from the competitors? Who do we want to reach and what is the best way to connect with them?”
Next comes definition. While all marketers dream of branding the next iPod or Mini Cooper, the truth is that most products are not unique. In a tremendously saturated marketplace (both consumer products and business-to-business), a product’s positioning may be the only factor that makes it unique and memorable.
The definition process is when you determine the product’s true brand. Think of this as the sum of perceptions a significant audience has about your company, products or services. A brand is the promise an entity makes to its constituents. Strong brands influence behavior, shift demand and increase shareholder value.
We urge clients to develop a strong brand position, visually, verbally and functionally at every potential customer touchpoint. This may include the product or service name, the visual personality associated through color and design elements as well as understanding how this experience will be delivered.
Developing a strong brand not only will facilitate an effective initial launch but will also create a core brand that can be extended as products and product lines evolve. The business-to-business marketplace just is beginning to realize the extension power of building upon core brand equity, rather than re-naming when a new feature or benefit is added.
Much of the heavy lifting happens during the definition stage when you must determine which marketing strategies will be most effective. Tactics and messaging should be tailored for each key audience.
For example, for one recent new product launch, we helped a client create a program that involved an HTML e-mail to existing and potential clients, an update to their Web site (which linked from the e-mail), a direct mail piece, a seminar presentation and direct advertising. All of these communication channels reinforced the others with clear, consistent and compelling messages about the new product.
Measurement was tied to the advertising and seminar attendance. Because prospects learned about the seminar through advertising, we could measure impact by counting the number of people who signed up for the seminar (the only source of lead generation for the sales team). Tracking the number of leads who become customers would be the final step in tracking the effectiveness of this campaign.
Some managers insist that their customers aren’t online. We simply don’t believe it. In fact, a client recently declared that his clients didn’t want e-mail but graciously agreed to let us conduct some quick research to test his thesis. The research was loud and clear: those clients use e-mail and prefer it to other types of direct marketing.
Spring to life
For those of you keeping track, we’re now up to design: the point in the process when your product launch strategy springs to life. Design is more than just pretty pictures. It should reinforce the visual, verbal and functional images for maximum impact. A well-designed marketing campaign equips your sales force with the tools they need to achieve your ultimate goals — selling products, generating revenue and building market share.
Don’t be afraid to call a design firm. It’s money well spent when you consider the return on your investment in consistency and objectivity. From our experience, many managers are more preoccupied with product launch organizational issues than how the product benefits customers. An experienced design/marketing firm can act as your sounding board, helping to keep your eye on the proverbial bigger picture.
Develop is step four. Think of it as “D” day. This is when the planning and hard work culminates in a coordinated and controlled product launch. Make sure you look at every aspect of the product launch as part of a holistic system, with each component reinforcing every other component.
While the direct mail piece and advertisement are standard operating procedure, many forget about making information easy to find online. Don’t fall into that trap. Promote your Web site and make the information stand out for people who take the time to visit your site to learn more. Encourage customers to interact with your product information in relevant ways online: Let them configure a product or see it in motion.
Most importantly, engage and train your sales force. Sales are absolutely crucial to your product’s success. Work hard to ensure that reps understand what’s new and different about this product and make sure they’re excited about it before launch day.
Deliver is our final “D.” For us it really means “follow through.” Track results and build your database. Gather information and analyze it. Find ways to link the new data with your customer relationship management system.
Many companies gather this data but fail to act on it. Smart managers analyze the data and adjust their campaigns in response to issues that arise in the marketplace. Otherwise, what’s the point of tracking?
If you follow these guidelines, you can be sure your product will be launched with focus, like a bull running toward a red flag, not a cow escaping from the barn.
[contact] Lisa Helminiak is vice president-interactive and Richelle Huff is vice president-creative at Larsen Design + Interactive in Edina. Helminiak: 952.921.8233; l.helminiak@larsen.com. Huff: 952.835.2271; r.huff@larsen.com
