At the launch of a new product, you want it to get the attention it deserves. You know how useful it’s going to be for your market and just how innovative it is; unfortunately, it doesn’t matter if your target group is oblivious to it.
These days, it seems to take more than simply writing up a press release, leaning back and waiting for everyone to come running. It’s not how it’s done anymore. If you want them to love the product as much as you do, there are a few important steps you can take both before and just after the big launch.
Getting to know each other
Your new product is going to help a lot of people, which is just one of the reasons you love it so much. Before it’s released onto the market, you should spend some time with the product team as well as the product; you need to understand the vision behind the product and why it will be so useful to people. Ask them questions and be around for the different tests, it will only make you closer to the product and more familiar with its new environment.
Although it seems obvious, it’s important to think about this when planning its launch. Do you understand the product and the problems it can solve? It’s not just about the product and the market, but also about how it fits in with your current range of products – is it a breath of fresh air or a new take on something old?
Focus on the individual buyer
Building a brand around one person’s story or a single narrative is a trick that appeals to a lot of people. It’s quite natural; a long and complicated story that involves a lot of people will suddenly be a lot sweeter if we get to know one person and make her our hero. That’s why a personal story often helps people connect with a brand – and it’s why you should try to focus on one single buyer when imagining your market.
Invent a likely buyer persona and think about what kind of challenges they might have, and how they will use the product to solve this. When you have a persona ready, talk to someone about the product who fits this profile.
Be early
Anything that needs a lot of exposure should be talked about as soon as possible. Instead of hanging around until people start to write about it, get out there early and start the conversation. This can be done long before its actual launch to catch their attention and is an excellent way to get creative; what about a rolling launch, for example? Keep it going for a couple of weeks, and you’ll be able to expose the product directly to influencers in your area. Produce corporate videos around the product as well to make sure it gets full exposure – before it is even launched.
Remember to keep it rolling, though, and feed the reporters with regular news and social media updates. You need to give them something to write about when they’re ready – and they won’t necessarily be there when you want them to be.
