Planning Successful Company and Product Launches

Marketing & Sales Roundtable

Planning Successful Company and Product Launches

September 2004

2©2004 Rosemary Remacle

11:30 – Introductions/Objectives

11:45 – Company and Product Launches: Presentation and Discussion

1:15 – Summary and Wrap-up

Agenda


The Importance of Launches

“A company….must choose a launch strategy that is consistent with its intended positioning. The launch strategy should be the first step in a grand plan for life-cycle marketing.”

Philip KotlerMarketing Management

Does your product launch plan reflect all of the money and time put into developing the product?


Some Factoids

• 85% of new B2B products are failures• 95% of new consumer products are failures• Failures = doesn’t meet company objectives, withdrawn from market

within 12-18 months

Source: New Product News


Positioning Strategy Process

Positioning StrategyStatement

Technology and TotalProduct Roadmap

Partnerships

Total Product Assets

(Functional) Programs

Business Model

Market Entry Customer Segment Critical Need and

Total Product Requirements

Company Total Product Solution’s Potential

Differentiators

Competitors’ Total Product Solutions’ Potential

Differentiators

CompanyDifferentiator

Barriers to Adoption

Market Drivers

Customer/End-User Problem(s)

Definition

Mission Statement

Applications

TechnologyEnablers Customer Segments

Critical Needs

Company Product/Service Match

Market Entry Customer Segment Roadmap and Market Segment

Leadership Roadmap

Market Segment

Product/Market Category

Market VisionMarket/Customer

Segmentation Competitive Differentiation Strategy Evidence

POSITIONINGSTRATEGY

BRANDINGSTRATEGY


Positioning Both Company and Product

Company Positioning Strategy

• Market• Technology

• Product• Company

Product #1• Technology• Functions/Benefits




Launch Objectives

• Unite company around shared objective: making the launch successful

• Provide strategy evidence of the company’s intent, and right, to be a market segment leader in product/service category

• Build independent third-party validation, and strategy evidence, of positioning strategy

• Start the ‘buzz’, market pull with a consistent message architecture

• Support long leadtime sales cycles

• Facilitate fundraising


Launch Objectives (con’t)

• Establish core technology/system as an extensible platform for future products and partnerships

• Establish broad-based awareness and credibility with xxx customer segment

• Generate market momentum/Accelerate the sales cycle for Product XXX; delay customer purchase commitments to competitors


New Venture ‘Launch Phases’

• Company funding announcements: PWC MoneyTree, Venture Wire, etc.• Company: Stealth mode

• Identify system lite: business cards, industry event attendance• Content-free microwebsite: contact info, investors, team, etc. (note: may have password-protected real

site)• Phone listing

• Company ‘launch’: Seeding the market• Company: team, market vision• Technology platform• Product category, general problem addressed

• Product launch: Going ‘public’• Positioning strategy: problem solved, market and market entry customer segment, competitive

differentiation• Product details: ‘architecture’, technology and product roadmap• Key customers and partners (especially channels)• Pricing and product availability information • A ‘grown-up’ website


‘Pre-Announcing a Product’?*

• Why?• Complex problem/solution = market education• Big budget line item product = long budget cycle, complex buying process• Competitive pressures• Need market ‘buzz’ for funding round

• Risks?• Too much competitive information, too early• Market environment can change substantively• Product development slips• ‘Obsolete’ an existing product• Analysts/Media won’t cover ‘the real deal’

* Often executed as a ‘crescendo launch,’ a series of targeted announcements leading up to product launch


‘Pre-Announcing’ Tips

• Do• Describe key elements of technology• Explain benefits of technology/potential applications

enabled• Articulate initial total product assumptions (services,

standards, partnerships, etc.)

• Don’t• Name product, provide specifications• Announce pricing• Provide precise launch date


Launch Dependencies: Strategy Evidence

ProductConceptProductConcept

PreliminaryPositioning

Strategy

PreliminaryPositioning

Strategy

BusinessModel

BusinessModel

Beta Product & Reference Customers

Beta Product & Reference Customers

PositioningStrategy

Validation

PositioningStrategy

ValidationLaunch

PlanningLaunch

Planning

Go/No Go

Go/No Go

Go/No Go

Go/No Go

LaunchDate

LaunchDate

Ongoing MarketReinforcement

Ongoing MarketReinforcement

18 months

Be prepared to postpone for key pieces of strategy evidence!

Strategic Partnerships

(channel)

Strategic Partnerships

(channel)

Post Sales Support

Plan

Post Sales Support

Plan


Launch Plan Outline

• Positioning Strategy Statement and Message Architecture • Objectives and Strategies• Competitors/Competitive Response• Market leverage/Influencer plan• Sales training and lead generation (closed loop)• Marketing programs materials • Schedule/Timeline• Momentum milestones• Appendix

- positioning toolkit- customer segment profile- buying decision process


Positioning Toolkit• Sales, channel strategy• Product Release schedule

Programs• Ads, site sponsorships• CD, Flash demo• Customer seminars• Data sheets, application notes• Direct mail, e-mail, list promotions• Newsletters• Sales, channel launch; training• Trial, swap-up program• Trade shows, conferences, events; suite briefings• Advance press and analyst tour• Speaker program• Regional field sales champions• User groups, customer councils• Webcasts/Webinars with guest experts: customers, analysts, partners• Lead management system…salesforce.com, eloqua,

etc.

Materials• Brochures• Data sheets, application notes• Presentations• Price lists• Product catalogs• Product demonstrations• Product roadmap• Press releases• Technical articles• Technology, company backgrounders• Testimonials• White papers• Web site update

Launch Checklist: Some Strategy Evidence Options


Launch Program Manager

Launch Program Manager

Launch Manager is ‘Command and Control’

Creative, Website,

Interactive Marketing

Creative, Website,

Interactive Marketing

Product Development/Technical Marketing: Data Sheets & Demos

Product Development/Technical Marketing: Data Sheets & Demos

Press/Analyst Relations, Materials Production

Press/Analyst Relations, Materials Production

Strategic Partners, Investor Relations

Strategic Partners, Investor Relations

Shows, Conferences,

Events

Shows, Conferences,

Events

CTO/Guru: White Papers,

Simulation Strategies

CTO/Guru: White Papers,

Simulation Strategies

Sales: Customer

Advocates Content

Sales: Customer

Advocates Content

Weekly Status and Project Management


Launch Responsibilities

Launch StrategyLaunch Strategy

Marcom: Creative, Website, Interactive Marketing

Marcom: Creative, Website, Interactive Marketing

Product Marketing: Data Sheets & DemosProduct Marketing:

Data Sheets & DemosMarcom: Press/Analyst

Relations, CollateralMarcom: Press/Analyst

Relations, Collateral

Biz Dev: Strategic PartnersBiz Dev: Strategic Partners Marcom: Tradeshows, Conferences, Events

Marcom: Tradeshows, Conferences, Events

CTO/Guru: White Papers, Simulation Strategies

CTO/Guru: White Papers, Simulation Strategies

Sales: Customer Advocates Content

Sales: Customer Advocates Content

Finance: Investor RelationsFinance: Investor Relations Product Development: Product Availability

Product Development: Product Availability

Launch Manager and ChampionLaunch Manager and Champion


Market Segment

SALES

TARGET

PARTNERS

INDUSTRY

ANALYSTS

ANALYSTS

TRADE

PRESS

MarketEntry

CustomerSegment

Company

BUSINESS

pRESS

EDITORS

ACCOUNTS

CHANNEL

FINANCIAL

EDITORS

Validation

Education

INVESTORS

Developing Strategy Evidence: Market Leverage Model


Market Leverage/Influencer Plan

Category Names Relationship/Objective/Program Company Owner

Investors

Sales Channel

Beta Customers/Targeted accounts

Industry Partners, Leaders, Gurus

Industry Organizations

Industry analysts

Financial analysts


Launch Pitfalls

• Launch planning starts too late in product development process

• Positioning strategy half-baked and untested, externally

• Not enough (credible) strategy evidence: bug-free product, the right – at least one Tier 1 - customer testimonials and references (negotiated into contracts), application notes and documentation, channels, customer support

• Proper market foundation has not been laid, no one has heard of the company or product

• A non-programmatic approach (‘escapes’ vs. launches): lack of launch manager, market leverage and message models, launch objectives, plan, measurable goals

• Lack of fully integrated plan (from product management to marketing communications to product development)


Summary and Wrap-Up

The Launch Plan is the chance to get the company and product off to a good start in the market!


Presenters

• Rosemary Remacle, ConsultantMarket [email protected]

Planning Successful Company and Product Launches

Documents

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