Marketing & Sales Roundtable

Planning Successful Company and

Product Launches
September 2004

Agenda

11:30 Introductions/Objectives
11:45 Company and Product Launches: Presentation
and Discussion
1:15

Summary and Wrap-up

2004RosemaryRemacle

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?

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Some Factoids
85% of new B2B products are failures
95% of new consumer products are failures
Failures = doesnt meet company objectives, withdrawn from market
within 12-18 months

Source: New Product News

2004RosemaryRemacle

Positioning Strategy Process

Market/Customer
Segmentation

Competitive Differentiation

Strategy Evidence

Market
Drivers

Market Segment

Market Entry Customer

Segment Critical Need and
Total Product
Requirements

Positioning Strategy
Statement

Technology
Enablers

Customer Segments

Company Total Product

Solutions Potential
Differentiators

Market Vision

Customer/
End-User Problem(s)
Definition

Competitors Total Product

Solutions Potential
Differentiators

Critical Needs

Applications

Product/Market
Category
Mission
Statement

Technology and Total

Product Roadmap
Partnerships

Company Product/
Service Match

Barriers to
Adoption

Market Entry Customer Segment

Roadmap and Market Segment
Leadership Roadmap

Company
Differentiator

POSITIONING
STRATEGY

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Total Product
Assets

Business Model
(Functional) Programs

BRANDING
STRATEGY

Positioning Both Company and Product

Company
Positioning Strategy
Market
Technology

Product
Company

Product #2

Product #1

Product #3

Technology
Functions/Benefits

Technology
Functions/Benefits

Technology
Functions/Benefits

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Launch Objectives
Unite company around shared objective: making the launch
successful
Provide strategy evidence of the companys 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

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Launch Objectives (cont)

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

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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

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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 wont cover the real deal

* Often executed as a crescendo launch, a series of targeted announcements leading up

to product launch

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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.)
Dont
Name product, provide specifications
Announce pricing
Provide precise launch date

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Launch Dependencies: Strategy Evidence

Product
Product
Concept
Concept

Go/NoGo
Preliminary
Preliminary
Positioning
Positioning
Strategy
Strategy

Go/NoGo

Business
Business
Model
Model
Beta
Beta Product
Product &
&
Reference
Reference
Customers
Customers

Positioning
Positioning
Strategy
Strategy
Validation
Validation

Go/NoGo

Bepreparedtopostponeforkey
piecesofstrategyevidence!
Launch
Launch
Planning
Planning
Strategic
Strategic
Partnerships
Partnerships
(channel)
(channel)

Go/NoGo

Post
Post Sales
Sales
Support
Support
Plan
Plan

18months
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Ongoing
Ongoing Market
Market
Reinforcement
Reinforcement

Launch
Launch
Date
Date

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

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Launch Checklist: Some Strategy

Evidence Options
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 systemsalesforce.com, eloqua,
etc.

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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 Manager is Command and Control

Weekly Status and

Project Management

Sales:
Customer
Advocates
Content

CTO/Guru:
White Papers,
Simulation
Strategies

Creative,
Website,
Interactive
Marketing

Launch
Program
Manager

Shows,
Conferences,
Events

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Product
Development/
Technical
Marketing: Data
Sheets & Demos
Press/Analyst
Relations,
Materials
Production

Strategic
Partners, Investor
Relations

Launch Responsibilities
Launch Strategy
Marcom: Creative, Website,
Interactive Marketing

Product Marketing:
Data Sheets & Demos

Marcom: Press/Analyst
Relations, Collateral

Biz Dev: Strategic Partners

Marcom: Tradeshows,
Conferences, Events

CTO/Guru: White Papers,

Simulation Strategies

Sales: Customer Advocates

Content

Finance: Investor Relations

Product Development:
Product Availability

Launch
LaunchManager
Managerand
andChampion
Champion

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Developing Strategy Evidence: Market

Leverage Model
Education

Company

I
N
V
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T
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S
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S

C
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A
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P
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I
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T
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Y

A
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F
I
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A
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A
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T
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T
R
A E
D D
E I
T
P O
R R
E S
S
S

B
U
S
I
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S
S

E
D
I
T
O
p R
R S
E
S
S

Market Segment

Market
Entry
Customer
Segment

Validation

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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

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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)

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Summary and Wrap-Up

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

2004RosemaryRemacle

Presenters
Rosemary Remacle, Consultant
Market Focus
408-244-0412
rosemary@mktfocus.net

2004RosemaryRemacle