Launching a new product or service is both exciting and challenging. It’s one of those potential turning points in the life of your brand — a game-changer, if you nail the details. While it’s just one moment in the product’s lifespan, “A well-executed product launch can strategically position the product in the market and create demand, leading to greater brand recognition and product sales,” says asana.com.
In building toward a successful launch, there are numerous decisions to be made: Should your brand execute a soft or “dark” launch, testing the product with a smaller, select group of users to gather the feedback that will let you iron out the kinks before the full release, or should you dive in with a full-scale launch event that draws media and consumer attention? Should the launch be part of a brand activation or experiential event, or solely about the new product? What are the steps you should take in preparing for a launch of any scale? And how can you measure success and lay the groundwork for the next stage in the life of your brand? Many brands find the answers by working with an agency that specializes in product launches.
What Is a Product Launch Agency?
A launch agency, much like a brand activation company, works with brands to strategize and execute successful product launches. Some launch agencies focus on only one side of product launches — digital, for example — while others are full-service, helping brands build product launches that increase brand and product awareness, driving sales and engagement.
What Does a Launch Agency Do?
Launch agencies typically take on the background tasks of a product launch, from the research that lays the groundwork for strategy and messaging to leveraging digital channels to generate buzz. They’ve done this before, and “their experience streamlines the process, allowing you to focus on product development,” says creativeos.com.
Research
Because a launch is a multi-step undertaking within the framework of the brand’s broader marketing efforts, an agency specializing in launches starts with extensive research encompassing the brand, the product, and the market. And though there are some considerations unique to launches, as with any marketing campaign, success begins with good data.
The agency will conduct research into your target audience as well as competitor research to understand your product’s place in the overall market. This may include demographic and psychographic data, customer surveys, personas, journey mapping, and focus groups to get the clearest picture of market opportunities and customer needs.
Positioning
The purpose of this research isn’t solely to determine whether and to what extent the market wants your new product, though it may reveal insights in that regard. Understanding the market “will help you develop product positioning that stands out and resonates,” says asana.com.
Product positioning is essentially defining the product: what problem does it solve, what need does it meet, what does it do that existing products don’t. These form the basis of key components of your launch campaign. “The goal here is to craft clear, concise messaging that underlines the gap your product fills,” asana.com says, “so you can build a product launch strategy that highlights its benefit and value for customers.”
Messaging
With positioning established, the agency works with the client to craft a narrative around the new product — one that will resonate with the target audience. Beyond unique selling propositions, this messaging will position the product within the market and the brand’s other offerings through multiple strategies. These might include storytelling, product sampling, experiential activations, media coverage, and online and social media presence.
Execution
Product launch agencies are experienced in managing the moving parts of experiential events like activations. “They take care of all the details, from planning and managing the event to handling marketing and promotion, ensuring everything goes smoothly,” says getcameracrew.com. Like any activation company or experiential agency, a launch agency will manage the complex logistics and vendor relationships involved with experiential events.
Promotion
Creating social media buzz ahead of a product launch can be critical to success. “Launch agencies are skilled at creating events that attract media interest and make an impact on social media,” says getcameracrew.com. They have the connections and experience to work with the media and leverage digital channels like web and social media to put your launch in front of as many of your target consumers as possible.
Introducing the next chapter in the life of your brand can be daunting, says digital agency Singlegrain. “Without the right strategy, your stellar creation might not achieve its full market potential, leading to disheartening launch results.” Working alongside a launch agency is one way to ensure the best results for your new product.
Promobile Marketing is a dynamic experiential marketing firm based in New York City. For over a decade, Promobile has collaborated with a range of brands—from budding startups to major CPG brands—on immersive marketing campaigns. Want to discuss your next project? Reach out below.
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