“Launching” new products is probably a core activity for most product managers but what does it involve? If you think the launch plan is just a list of marketing collateral and a date when you will issue a press release or show the newborn product at an exhibition, think again. The launch plan should touch every single aspect of the “whole product customer experience,” where “whole” and “customer” should be considered in the broadest way possible. The whole product is more than just the product, it involves every aspect of the product that contributes to the full customer experience.
Of course, a product launch involves the publication of marketing collaterals such as brochures, pictures, ads, etc. but did you also carefully consider something obvious such as the product name? The product name affects first impression and online findability. A product name may have unexpected meanings in another language. How about uniqueness, registering the product name, associating it with a product-specific logo and acquiring the internet domain name?
A product launch requires all sales materials to be available: price lists, presentations and offer templates. Without those, sales may not take off as you expected, simply because of practical hurdles.
A product launch requires the product to be manufacturable. Are all product part numbers defined in the ERP? Is the bill of material and external sourcing clear? How about packaging? There is an opportunity in pimping up packaging through attractive design, by making it useful (e.g., for storing occasionally used products) and by carefully considering ecological impact. The box is the first thing a customer of your product is confronted with.
Nowadays, online presence is critical to the success of a new product. The product webpage is an obvious requirement but is there also a clear social media plan in place with rich content?
Information sharing and training is a crucial step towards market success. It starts with internal communication and training to all involved parties, which is in most cases the whole company. That does not mean everybody needs to know every detail about the product: adapting the message to the public will increase effectiveness.
Above all, make sure the product is ‘complete’. That does not only mean a working product but also associated documentation (in the right languages), tools, support, and service capabilities. It means that all dependencies are solved and some of these may be outside of your own company. Imagine buying the latest electrical car but having no place to charge it.
An extensive and inspirational product launch checklist can be found in my book “Practical Product Management”.
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