How to Start Planning For a New Product Launch

There aren’t many things more exciting in business, nor more nerve wracking, as a new product launch. The most successful product launches become almost the stuff of legends – think of the original Apple iPhone launch in 2007, or the successful TV campaigns for the soft drink Tango in the 1990s. The uncomfortable fact remains, however, that many product launches end in failure, or at best, fall short of expectations. The embarrassing flop of the video game Cyberpunk 2077 in December 2020, despite an extensive and very expensive multichannel marketing campaign, is a case in point. For a product launch to be successful, design, production, and marketing have to work hand-in-hand, with an effective (and honest) content strategy to back it up.

We’ve recently written a guide on how to launch a new product line, which will be available as a free download soon (watch this space). This article introduces some of the material we’ll cover in the guide in greater depth – in particular, how design and production ties in with digital marketing strategy for new product launches, and new product launch best practices to give you the greatest chance of success.

1) Focus On Customer Experience, Not Technical Details

When thinking about how to launch a new fmcg (fast moving consumer goods) product into the market, many businesses lose sight of the user experience that comes with purchasing the product, and how that affects their target customers. It’s easy to get bogged down in technical details for a product launch, ignoring the fact that most consumers are less concerned about technical specs than they are about how a particular product will make their life easier or more enjoyable. Put the people first and show that you care about their problems and desires, and include technical details in your marketing only in so far as they address these problems.

2) Harness The Power Of Word Of Mouth

The most successful product launches are those that generate a buzz around the product seemingly independent of official marketing messages, so do your best to harness the power of word-of-mouth. This isn’t something that can be forced or faked, so you’ll need to get thought leaders and influencers on board at an early stage of product development, making links with key authorities in your sector.

3) Define Your Target Audience And Tailor Your Marketing Messages

For a product launch to be successful it has to resonate with a particular consumer group. Understand your target audience (e.g. by creating buyer personas) and what they look for in a product such as yours, including how it addresses their requirements and the ways in which it stands apart from competing products. Tailor your marketing messages and launch materials around the concerns of your target audience, or frequently asked questions received during the product consultation phase.

4) Set Goals And Benchmarks For Success

What would it mean for your product launch to be successful – greater brand penetration, X product sales in Q1, X increase in revenue, X% ROI? Set overall campaign goals to measure the level of success, and use these to guide your digital marketing strategy goals. KPIs, milestones, and team targets can then flow from these campaign goals, so that all participants work towards the same objectives.

5) Drip Feed Information To Your Audience

Remember that your target audience will, at first, be less interested in your product than you are, so don’t overload them with facts that they may not retain. Instead, focus on slow burn marketing that progressively builds a picture of the product, with each release providing more and more information. This can be achieved by automating behaviour-based email marketing feeds to subscribers, or through videos released to social media followers.

6) Don’t Just Focus On Day One

Businesses often dream of product launches that make millions in revenue on day one, and this is very possible with successful launches. However, even with a successful product launch, the majority of your lifetime product sales will be made during subsequent days, months, and years, so don’t forget to take the big picture and plan a sustained marketing approach to build and develop interest as your product reaches market maturity.

Next Steps

Consumer products are often defined by appearance, so to give your product launch the best chance of success, it pays to equip it with the most attractive design and packaging. This design focus – in advance of the product launch – can often create heightened excitement around a product, and generate more consumer demand, leading to increased sales on launch day. To find out more about how our creative design team can help, please give us a call today.

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