04/08/23 1

Planning Successful Company and Product Launches

04/08/23 2

11:30 – Introductions/Objectives

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

1:15 – Summary and Wrap-up

Agenda

04/08/23 3

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?

04/08/23 4

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objectives, withdrawn from market within 12-18 months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

04/08/23 5

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

04/08/23 6

Positioning Both Company and Product

Company Positioning Strategy

• Market• Technology

• Product• Company

Product #1• Technology• Functions/Benefits

Product #2• Technology• Functions/Benefits

Product #3• Technology• Functions/Benefits

04/08/23 7

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

04/08/23 8

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

04/08/23 9

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

04/08/23 10

‘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

04/08/23 11

‘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

04/08/23 12

Launch Dependencies: Strategy EvidenceProduct

ConceptProductConcept

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

04/08/23 13

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

04/08/23 14

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

04/08/23 15

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

04/08/23 16

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

04/08/23 17

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

04/08/23 18

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

04/08/23 19

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)

04/08/23 20

Summary and Wrap-Up

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