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There isn’t a marketing firm on the face of the planet that hasn’t
experienced the last minute need for an immediate release. This
can be a nightmare for even the most seasoned professional, and many
people are overwhelmed by the challenge of launching a product with
only a few days’ notice. In order to avoid being placed in such a
situation, there are some tactics that you can employ to prepare for
this type of event, by reworking your plan for the next launch.
Map out a workable plan and put it into motion. If you’re
prepared in advance for the possibility of a sudden launch, then you
won’t have the worry of being caught short if such an announcement is
suddenly made. In order to ensure that things are in position for
a launch to take place at a moment’s notice, you’ll need to ensure that
all critical figures are informed of the specifics, as well as what
their role will be in marketing the product. Communication should
be shared with the person who will be in charge of the launch – the
Product Marketing Manager, for instance. Since this will be the
proverbial “leader of the pack,” they’ll need to be sure that necessary
communication gets to the appropriate people on a regular basis.
That means that they, too, need to be kept informed.
Once the key players are in position and the Product Marketing Manager
has been brought up to par, a formal plan needs to be designed which
includes the plan, its timeline and a checklist, so that tight control
can be kept on the various stages of the launch.
The plan itself should include the total package – materials, programs,
Public Relations tactics, sales and marketing tools, and any other
event which will contribute to the eventual launch of the
product. It’s important to keep your budgeting needs in sharp
perspective, and to remember that there will be expenses that will
become part of the overall plan on an internal and external
basis. Both, then, should be reflected in your budget.
Goals, of course, are critical elements in your overall plan. In
addition to the long-term goal of launching the product, you should
develop short-term goals, making sure to follow through so that each
one is met within a realistic, yet time-sensitive timeframe. This
means that you’ll have to put a tracking plan in place, in order to
ensure that everything is going according to schedule.
Naturally, the timeframe for the launch will vary from product to
product, but you’ll need to formulate a guideline for
implementation. Unless there’s a specific timeframe that’s
introduced in the beginning of the process, most products will
typically require a launch plan that’s initiated at least three to six
months before the intended launch. Key players, then, will need
to be in place well before that time, so that everything can be mapped
out before the team’s initial meeting.
Assemble a team that’s committed to seeing the plan to its fruition.
In order to make any plan work, the right people have to be willing to
commit their time and effort in order to make it happen. All of
the elements of the launch – including the timeline and the various
events which are intrinsic to the plan – must be played out as
designed. It’s best to include corporate management in the mix,
as well, in order to provide additional support to the leader of the
launch team.
Not only is it important for the members of the team to be committed at
the beginning of the process, but it’s critical that they remain firm
in their resolve to see it through to a successful result. For
some companies, this means providing certain types of incentives, such
as a specific reward program that’s put into place, recreational
gatherings throughout the process, or weekly support meetings that are
designed to keep everyone in the proverbial loop, while bolstering
their confidence and re-examining their objectives to make sure that
nothing has fallen out of sync.
Integrate your teams. It stands to reason that a variety
of people are going to have to make up the overall structure of your
launch plan. In addition to the marketing team, then, you’re
going to need to bring the sales team into the loop. Each of
these should possess a copy of the basic launch plan, timeline,
short-term and long-term goals and what’s to be expected from each of
the teams, in order to make the launch a success. While the
marketing aspect is being addressed by the members of the team in that
department, the sales force will need to focus their time and attention
on targeting the appropriate customer base.
Remain focused on your target audience. Don’t become so focused
on the task at hand, from a launch perspective, that you lose sight of
the fact that the product is being aimed at a specific consumer base,
and should motivate customers to purchase the product. Since
competition is stiff to market products of virtually every genre,
consumers need to be given motivation to buy your particular
product. Avoid the temptation to design a marketing plan that
will target only one area of communication. Various types of
communications are necessary to enforce the motivation to buy the
product. Some should make the reason for the product a goal,
while another should focus on how well the product will work to achieve
that end, for instance. The best approach is to provide the
proper motivation for the target audience in order to capture their
attention and develop the desire to purchase the product. You
must, therefore, identify exactly who the target audience is, so that
your launch campaign has the desired effect. Economics will play
into it quite heavily, so be sure to remain realistic in your approach
and know where the consumer base is in the economic arena.
Utilize the Employee Advantage. One of the best ways to
generate interest in a product is by using the word-of-mouth
approach. Employees are a great source for producing this type of
effect, since they see the situation from both sides. First, as
employees of the company that’s marketing the product, and then as
potential customers who may actually purchase it – or know others who
have the potential to do the same. By providing product
information to your employees using a positive approach, you’ll be able
to generate a certain level of excitement among them, and this can be
the fuel that feeds the fire of consumer interest outside of the
company.
Analyze your success. Since you already know that you’ll
be marketing other products in the future, and that they’ll – quite
obviously – need to utilize the same type of launch program that you’re
establishing for this particular product, you’ll need to keep track of
your progress along the way. Make notes as you go, highlighting
obstacles, successes, timeframes that were met vs. those that were not,
and any other critical information that will help to achieve future
success. Be sure to keep detailed documentation, so that anyone
who may need to access it won’t be left guessing about any of the
specifics.
Don’t make the mistake of viewing your launch as a one-day event.
Your launch won’t simply consist of the day that the product is made
available to the public – or even the first time that advertising hits
the proverbial airwaves. The launch consists of the entire
process, regardless of the number of steps that are involved, and
whether or not the marketing campaign is launched in a single phrase or
multiple phases.
Planning and executing the perfect launch can be quite complex and
demand constant attention from one or all of the team members. As
a result, some firms achieve greater success than others, since some
are more professional, seasoned, creative, charismatic and
committed. Though there are countless marketing and advertising
agencies to be found today, DivaDesignWorld has been found to be the
frontrunner in the launching of successful ad campaigns. With a
staff of highly educated, experienced, motivated and committed
personnel, this Portland, Oregon based firm has realized great success
in the marketing world, offering the additional benefit of realistic
spending guidelines for its numerous clients. Dollar for dollar,
they’ve proven themselves to be superior to their competitors and have
developed an impressive reputation and client base.
About the Author: Monique Danielle owns Portland Marketing Agency DivaDesignWorld.com,
a full service firm that offers web development, graphic design,
consulting, and a wide variety of creative services. She is also
the founder of divadirectories.com,
a free online resource designed to promote the growth and development
of female business owners throughout Oregon, Washington, and the
Northwest.
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