Craft: Ingredients for Successful Product Launches

By Bob Decker

In the past several weeks the Redpines team has been focused on product launches for several of our clients. In fact, there's been so much activity around product launches that I've been thinking up new ways to track it all. While every client is different, the process of launching a new product from our point of view is nearly always going to include the following:

• A completed briefing sheet, questionnaire, "platform," or other document that goes beyond the product's specifications to explain what problem it's solving for customers, why they should care, and how it compares to products like it on the market
• A sharp, simple, well-lit photo of the product
• Content on the client's website about the product that includes a way to learn more, get a demo, or order samples
• Outreach content created specifically to be served up to these audiences
• Inside sales and channel partners — who normally should be the first to know when a new product is hitting the market
• Anybody who's ever reached out to the company before indicating an interest in this type of product
• The media and influencers interested in new products in the client's industry
• The client's social media followers and anyone the company would like to have as a social media follower
• The company's investors, if it's a public company

Of course, there are so many other ways to talk about a new product—videos, podcasts, infographics, webinars, and so forth—but you always want to be sure the basics listed above are done as well (and done first). 

Looking for more helpful ideas about successful product launches? I invite you to download Redpines' Product Launch Checklist, which goes into more detail on the key ingredients of a successful launch.