We’ve previously talked about product development and how to go from a simple idea to a physical product in just 7 steps; but then to actually launch a new product, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Even if you’ve created a phenomenal product, it’s not going to sell if people don’t even know it exists. The launch process can be broken down into three stages:
Planning your product launch
As with anything, proper research needs to be done. You will have already done thorough research on your product before the production stage, but this time, you should be focusing your research on your competitors. You should already know what products they have released, as you wouldn’t have exhausted your energy “inventing” a product that’s already out there! However, during this stage, you should be finding a way to improve on what your competitors have done and what will make your product stand out from the crowd.
Once that’s done, decide who you are going to market your new product to – your target customer. Talk to potential customers; what do they like? What don’t they like? This will give you a good idea of where your niche will be.
What message do you want your product to convey? Some of the most well-known brands have catchy slogans attached to it, such as Nike’s “Just Do It”. Try to create a product slogan that will connect to your target market. Then, design attractive packaging that matches that message and speaks to your target customer. We have expert designers at Idea Reality who can help you create stunning packaging that will impress your customers.
Marketing your product idea
It is essential to have a website these days, and when you launch a new website, you want to get all the publicity you can get. Have a website simply dedicated to your new product, have plenty of call-to-actions where they can buy your product, read reviews, share on social media and help spread the word.
Anyone can produce a stunning-looking website to show off their product, without having any previous coding experience, through using free website-building packages such as Wix or Webflow that both offer attractive Website Templates, which are easy to edit and update.
To get reviews, you will need to have gotten people to test your new product. If your product isn’t too costly, then offer a free product to testers for honest reviews and feedback. Otherwise, you can set up demonstration displays at events or other public places. This can help you gauge interest and analyse the demographics of the people interested. Use these testimonials on your website.
Invest in good advertising; as well as website ads (e.g. Google Adwords) and social media, don’t forget the “old-fashioned” methods such as newspapers and magazines. Find out which are the leading publications in your product’s industries and get quotes on advertising space.
Launching the product
Now that all the prep is done, all that is left is to actually launch the new product! Try a “rolling launch”, meaning that the process is stretched out over a significant amount of time. We recommend you start 6-8 weeks before you plan to unveil the product. “Leak” pictures and start rumours about its features – get people talking on social media. Send in anonymous tips to bloggers and plant news on various channels.
When you choose to launch the new product, create a big event out of it and invite influential people in your industry, as well as popular bloggers and journalists. Give out free samples of your new product do demonstrations. If you can get a celebrity or two to turn up too, that will help make the event newsworthy.
