Product launches ppt @ bec doms mba bagalkot 2009

1. Planning Successful Company and Product
Launches
03/10/12 1

2. Agenda
11:30 – Introductions/Objectives
11:45 – Company and Product Launches: Presentation
and Discussion
1:15 – Summary and Wrap-up
03/10/12 2

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 Kotler
Marketing Management
Does your product launch plan reflect all of the money
and time put into developing the product?
03/10/12 3

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objectives, withdrawn from market within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
03/10/12 4

5. Positioning Strategy
Process
Market/Customer Competitive Differentiation
Market Vision Segmentation Strategy Evidence
Market Entry Customer
Market Segment Critical Need and Positioning Strategy
Market Segment
Drivers Total Product Statement
Requirements
Technology
Company Total Product Total Product
Enablers Customer Segments Solution’s Potential Assets
Differentiators
Customer/
End-User Problem(s) Technology and Total
Definition Competitors’ Total Product Product Roadmap
Critical Needs Solutions’ Potential
Differentiators
Applications Partnerships
Company Product/ Barriers to
Product/Market Service Match Adoption
Category Business Model
Market Entry Customer Segment
Mission Roadmap and Market Segment Company
Leadership Roadmap Differentiator (Functional) Programs
Statement
POSITIONING BRANDING
STRATEGY STRATEGY
03/10/12 5

6. Positioning Both
Company and Product
Company
Positioning Strategy
• Market • Product
• Technology • Company
Product #2 Product #1 Product #3
• Technology • Technology • Technology
• Functions/Benefits • Functions/Benefits • Functions/Benefits
03/10/12 6

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
03/10/12 7
positioning strategy

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
03/10/12 8

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
03/10/12 9

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
03/10/12 10

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
03/10/12 11

12. Launch Dependencies: Strategy
Product
Concept Evidence
Go/No Go
Preliminary
Positioning
Strategy
Go/No Go
Business
Model
Beta Product &
Reference
Customers
Be prepared to postpone for key
Go/No Go
Positioning pieces of strategy evidence!
Strategy
Validation
Launch
Planning
Strategic
Partnerships Go/No Go
(channel)
Post Sales
Support
Plan Ongoing Market
Reinforcement
Launch
03/10/12 ≈ 18 months Date 12

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
03/10/12 13

14. Launch Checklist: Some
Strategy
Evidence Options
Positioning Toolkit
• Sales, channel strategy
• Product Release schedule
Materials
• Brochures
• Data sheets, application notes
Programs • Presentations
• Ads, site sponsorships • Price lists
• CD, Flash demo • Product catalogs
• Customer seminars • Product demonstrations
• Data sheets, application notes • Product roadmap
• Direct mail, e-mail, list promotions • Press releases
• Newsletters • Technical articles
• Sales, channel launch; training
• Trial, swap-up program • Technology, company backgrounders
• Trade shows, conferences, events; suite briefings • Testimonials
• Advance press and analyst tour • White papers
• Speaker program • Web site update
• Regional field sales champions
• User groups, customer councils
• Webcasts/Webinars with guest
experts: customers, analysts, partners
• Lead management system…salesforce.com, eloqua,
etc.
03/10/12 14

15. Launch Manager is ‘Command
and Control’
Creative,
Weekly Status and Website,
Interactive Product
Project Management Sales:
Marketing Development/
Customer Technical
Advocates Marketing: Data
Content Sheets & Demos
Launch
CTO/Guru: Program Press/Analyst
White Papers, Manager Relations,
Simulation Materials
Strategies Production
Shows, Strategic
Conferences, Partners, Investor
Events Relations
03/10/12 15

16. Launch Responsibilities
Launch Strategy
Marcom: Creative, Website, Product Marketing: Marcom: Press/Analyst
Interactive Marketing Data Sheets & Demos Relations, Collateral
Marcom: Tradeshows, CTO/Guru: White Papers,
Biz Dev: Strategic Partners
Conferences, Events Simulation Strategies
Sales: Customer Advocates Product Development:
Finance: Investor Relations
Content Product Availability
Launch Manager and Champion
03/10/12 16

17. Developing Strategy
Evidence: Market
Leverage Model Education
Market Segment
B
T U
R S
I A P I A F A I
N C TC A N N I N A E N E
V S H AC R D A N A D D E D
E A A A E I Market
Company S L N RO T U L N L T S I
T E N GU N S Y C Y P O S T Entry
O S E EN E T S I S R R O Customer
TT R R T T p R
R L S S Y S A S E S R S Segment
S L S E
S S
S
Validation
03/10/12 17

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
03/10/12 18

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
03/10/12 19
launch manager, market leverage and message models, launch

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!
03/10/12 20