By Nanette Collins
Almost a year ago, I worked on a product launch for an EDA company. It was a great story and an appealing product with exciting implications, but the launch itself was a bit unremarkable –– all part of what I’ve been trained to do. It got good coverage and people noticed, and the company was pleased with the results. What’s remarkable is how much people noticed and commented on it, much more than typical. Welcome attention, all the same.
We’re in the midst of trade show season now –– the immovable deadline that companies often use for their product launches. And, in fact, I just finished working on another product launch for the same company and am starting work on another product launch for another company, planning for the same kind of results.
Planning is what I believe makes a product launch go as smoothly as possible. Planning and enough time to do the launch properly. These days, because we’re not held to editorial deadlines, many marketing managers believe we can pull together a news release on a new product and issue it within a week. Sure, that is doable and not wrong, but hardly strategic and may make it more difficult to fully develop the correct messaging and positioning. It also makes it difficult or impossible to pull together a launch plan that outlines goals and objectives that align with business objectives. Forget about assessing market trends or the competitive landscape, or expecting the industry to fully take notice.
The plan is an ideal way to work through all the elements and contingencies of a product launch or any marketing program, for that matter. It can be an effective tool for keeping the launch or rollout on track. It helps solidify so many ideas and the all-important checklist of deliverables that can be kept in one place for handy reference. The owner of the launch plan, who’s often the PR manager, can work out the breakdate, based on an industry events calendar.
The goal of the plan, by the way, doesn’t need to be anything elaborate. It can be as simple as stating the obvious: Successfully launch product into the market. Objectives should be a bit more tangible, such as: Differentiate product from competition through a compelling set of messages outlining its features and benefits.
Given enough time and a reasonable budget, the company can and should invest in the development of one or more whitepapers, either internally or through the use of a ghostwriter. The whitepaper serves many purposes, from website content to being a resource for leads generation and collateral material for sales to being the basis of opinion pieces and technical articles. Altogether, it’s an excellent investment.
While not everyone will agree with me, with more time to plan come more opportunities to be creative. It can be hard to be creative on demand and under a tight deadline. For example, developing an eye-catching website landing page and the multimedia components that are becoming so critical to a complete marketing program or product rollout take a bit of planning and even more time. These days, savvy tech companies cannot be without them.
Need more convincing? Well, third-party endorsements for the news release or website take time, too. Crafting that compelling bit of positioning that needs attribution can be elusive, as can approvals. Big companies rarely approve quotes or endorsements within a day or two, if ever. If a third-party endorsement is important, plan for it.
Most PR managers in our industry have plenty of relevant experience to successfully guide a company through a product launch. Certainly, not all tech companies have an internal PR group or even a PR manager. That’s where PR consultants can be called upon for help. Many of them have years of experience and the contacts needed for a successful product launch. To get references on industry-knowledgeable PR consultants, network with colleagues at other companies for names and contact information. Or, check a particularly well-written news release for the PR contact. Influencers often favor one or two PR consultants and may be willing to offer references and make introductions.
Foresight, planning and clever marketing made the company’s product introduction a success a year ago. We also gave ourselves enough time be effective. Of course, I would have preferred more time, but I always want more time to do things correctly!