How To Launch A New Product

Introducing a new product on the market may be challenging and daunting since there are so many moving aspects in this process.   It is important to determine your brand positioning and message and communicate it to important internal teams and stakeholders.

In addition to the brand position, it is also important to outline all launch-related activities and produce assets and sales promotional material.  Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a travel and lifestyle public relations agency based in New York City, shares tips to help companies launch a new product.

Identify Your Target Audience

Identify your target audience and develop key messages to communicate to this audience through an integrated consumer marketing public relations campaign.

Develop clear messages to communicate to different audiences based on age – Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers.  Research your intended audience and learn where and how to effectively contact them with your public relations campaign.

​It is important to know the marketing channels – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, print advertising -- to reach segment markets. Tweak your message slightly to appeal to the different age groups.

Select Your Target Market
 
Identify your target market. This is crucial because the words, media, and information you use to speak to and appeal to one group of people may not work as well with another group in another part of the country.
 
Your marketing will have more direction and be more consistent if you have a clear understanding of your target market. It will also be easier for you to interact with your clients in a genuine way through a proper marketing plan for product launch.
 
Select a couple of markets as the best prospect to introduce your new product.

Be Aware of the Issue You’re Addressing

It is essential to have a thorough grasp of a problem and the solutions you can provide to a particular service.
 
It's astonishing how often this is not carefully considered. Always remember your "who" and "why."
 
Test it out on your brand personas.  Conduct market research to test the messages to ensure it resonances with your target audience.

Establish Brand Identity
 
You must develop standards for the brand's voice and tone after you have built a strong brand. Be sure of who you are and how you want to connect with the world before you join the market.
 
Develop a unique logo and tagline to create an emotional connection with customers about your product or service.
 
Every team member should be prepared for success when it comes to disseminating messages on behalf of the brand since consistency is crucial for a brand.
 
Differentiate your product from competitors on the market.

Develop a User Friendly Website
 
A website is an important marketing tool and the first point of contact with potential customers.  Have engaging copy and photos to inspire consumers to linger on your website, learn more and ultimately make a purchase.

SEO

Ensure you integrate SEO keywords throughout your website to drive traffic back to your website. SEO keyword will help with organic traffic to inspire people to visit your website and learn more about your new product.

Recognize the Buying Process

All marketing and sales efforts are built on the principles of the purchasing process. You must have a thorough awareness of the buyer's pain spots, information sources, and decision-makers. Even specific occurrences could prompt a buy.
Depending on where they are in the purchasing process, customers have varied expectations for how they will interact with you.

Protect Your Online Identity

Cybersquatters have been known to target customers who failed to protect their domain name, trademark, social media profiles, etc. in the modern world. Before beginning any venture, it is essential to obtain all of these. Your domain name and other important marketing tools may often be held for a very hefty fee, and hiring lawyers is never cheap!

Develop a Broad Strategic Plan

Before introducing any new product or service, every brand should conduct a thoughtful and in-depth strategic planning process. This covers a variety of topics, including SWOT analysis, ROI calculation, success measurement, market/competition assessment, and communication planning.

Enlist support from a consumer marketing public relations agency to develop an integrated consumer marketing campaign with themed story ideas to keep your product top of mind in the media.

Incorporate social media as part of your marketing mix.  It is an effective marketing tool to build community engagement and inspire first time and repeat customers to become familiar with new developments with your product or service.

Get Everyone on the Same Page

Regardless of the channel—go-to-market, marketing, launch message, or customer support—the whole organization should be cohesive. Long-term success depends on ensuring clients have the best experience with your business, its product, or its solution.

Provide Incentives for Early Use

Prior to its release, you want to generate talk about your product. Offering discounts for pre-orders, free first usage, and awards for beta participation that encourage consumers to purchase at launch are some of the greatest methods to do this.
This product advertising is fantastic as well. No one expects a beta version of a product to be flawless, so test, get user input, and improve!

Continue to Test It

Introducing a new product or service is challenging. Every brand should test its product in advance, as many times as necessary until it fails.

You'll be closer to providing the experience you envisioned by gathering feedback and insight. Of course, you must also put together all of your marketing materials. That includes social networking profiles, landing pages, etc.

Know Your Story

Know your narrative inside and out so you can share it with anybody, including the media, potential consumers, businesses you can co-market with, and others. You will lose anybody who could help you create it if you are unable to articulate who you are, what you do, why you do it, and what motivated you.

Great PR professionals such as Allen Marketing Communications, Inc are excellent storytellers and interpreters. Utilize their marketing plan for a product launch to make sure your narrative is being communicated properly across all digital platforms.
 
By Joanna Allen, chief executive officer, Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.