marketing & sales roundtable planning successful company and product launches september 2004
TRANSCRIPT
Marketing & Sales Roundtable
Planning Successful Company and Product Launches
September 2004
2©2004 Rosemary Remacle
11:30 – Introductions/Objectives
11:45 – Company and Product Launches: Presentation and Discussion
1:15 – Summary and Wrap-up
Agenda
3©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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 KotlerMarketing Management
Does your product launch plan reflect all of the money and time put into developing the product?
4©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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new B2B products are failures• 95% of new consumer products are failures• Failures = doesn’t meet company objectives, withdrawn from market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
5©2004 Rosemary Remacle
Positioning Strategy Process
Positioning StrategyStatement
Technology and TotalProduct Roadmap
Partnerships
Total Product Assets
(Functional) Programs
Business Model
Market Entry Customer Segment Critical Need and
Total Product Requirements
Company Total Product Solution’s Potential
Differentiators
Competitors’ Total Product Solutions’ Potential
Differentiators
CompanyDifferentiator
Barriers to Adoption
Market Drivers
Customer/End-User Problem(s)
Definition
Mission Statement
Applications
TechnologyEnablers Customer Segments
Critical Needs
Company Product/Service Match
Market Entry Customer Segment Roadmap and Market Segment
Leadership Roadmap
Market Segment
Product/Market Category
Market VisionMarket/Customer
Segmentation Competitive Differentiation Strategy Evidence
POSITIONINGSTRATEGY
BRANDINGSTRATEGY
6©2004 Rosemary Remacle
Positioning Both Company and Product
Company Positioning Strategy
• Market• Technology
• Product• Company
Product #1• Technology• Functions/Benefits
Product #2• Technology• Functions/Benefits
Product #3• Technology• Functions/Benefits
7©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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 positioning strategy
• Start the ‘buzz’, market pull with a consistent message architecture
• Support long leadtime sales cycles
• Facilitate fundraising
8©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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
9©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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
10©2004 Rosemary Remacle
‘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
11©2004 Rosemary Remacle
‘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
12©2004 Rosemary Remacle
Launch Dependencies: Strategy Evidence
ProductConceptProductConcept
PreliminaryPositioning
Strategy
PreliminaryPositioning
Strategy
BusinessModel
BusinessModel
Beta Product & Reference Customers
Beta Product & Reference Customers
PositioningStrategy
Validation
PositioningStrategy
ValidationLaunch
PlanningLaunch
Planning
Go/No Go
Go/No Go
Go/No Go
Go/No Go
LaunchDate
LaunchDate
Ongoing MarketReinforcement
Ongoing MarketReinforcement
18 months
Be prepared to postpone for key pieces of strategy evidence!
Strategic Partnerships
(channel)
Strategic Partnerships
(channel)
Post Sales Support
Plan
Post Sales Support
Plan
13©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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
14©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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 system…salesforce.com, eloqua,
etc.
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 Checklist: Some Strategy Evidence Options
15©2004 Rosemary Remacle
Launch Program Manager
Launch Program Manager
Launch Manager is ‘Command and Control’
Creative, Website,
Interactive Marketing
Creative, Website,
Interactive Marketing
Product Development/Technical Marketing: Data Sheets & Demos
Product Development/Technical Marketing: Data Sheets & Demos
Press/Analyst Relations, Materials Production
Press/Analyst Relations, Materials Production
Strategic Partners, Investor Relations
Strategic Partners, Investor Relations
Shows, Conferences,
Events
Shows, Conferences,
Events
CTO/Guru: White Papers,
Simulation Strategies
CTO/Guru: White Papers,
Simulation Strategies
Sales: Customer
Advocates Content
Sales: Customer
Advocates Content
Weekly Status and Project Management
16©2004 Rosemary Remacle
Launch Responsibilities
Launch StrategyLaunch Strategy
Marcom: Creative, Website, Interactive Marketing
Marcom: Creative, Website, Interactive Marketing
Product Marketing: Data Sheets & DemosProduct Marketing:
Data Sheets & DemosMarcom: Press/Analyst
Relations, CollateralMarcom: Press/Analyst
Relations, Collateral
Biz Dev: Strategic PartnersBiz Dev: Strategic Partners Marcom: Tradeshows, Conferences, Events
Marcom: Tradeshows, Conferences, Events
CTO/Guru: White Papers, Simulation Strategies
CTO/Guru: White Papers, Simulation Strategies
Sales: Customer Advocates Content
Sales: Customer Advocates Content
Finance: Investor RelationsFinance: Investor Relations Product Development: Product Availability
Product Development: Product Availability
Launch Manager and ChampionLaunch Manager and Champion
17©2004 Rosemary Remacle
Market Segment
SALES
TARGET
PARTNERS
INDUSTRY
ANALYSTS
ANALYSTS
TRADE
PRESS
MarketEntry
CustomerSegment
Company
BUSINESS
pRESS
EDITORS
ACCOUNTS
CHANNEL
FINANCIAL
EDITORS
Validation
Education
INVESTORS
Developing Strategy Evidence: Market Leverage Model
18©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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
19©2004 Rosemary Remacle
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)
20©2004 Rosemary Remacle
Summary and Wrap-Up
The Launch Plan is the chance to get the company and product off to a good start in the market!