The document outlines an agenda and presentation for a marketing and sales roundtable on planning successful company and product launches. The presentation covers topics like positioning strategies, launch objectives, phases of new venture launches, pre-announcing products, launch dependencies and evidence, launch plan outlines, toolkits, responsibilities, and common pitfalls. The goal is to provide strategies to help launches be successful and get companies and products off to a good start in the market.

1. Marketing & Sales Roundtable
Planning Successful Company and Product
Launches
April 2016

2. 2
11:30 – Introductions/Objectives
11:45 – Company and Product Launches: Presentation
and Discussion
1:15 – Summary and Wrap-up
Agenda

3. 3
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?

4. 4
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• Failures = doesn’t meet company objectives, withdrawn from market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. 5
Positioning Strategy Process
Positioning Strategy
Statement
Technology and Total
Product 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
Company
Differentiator
Barriers to
Adoption
Market
Drivers
Customer/
End-User Problem(s)
Definition
Mission
Statement
Applications
Technology
Enablers Customer Segments
Critical Needs
Company Product/
Service Match
Market Entry Customer Segment
Roadmap and Market Segment
Leadership Roadmap
Market Segment
Product/Market
Category
Market Vision
Market/Customer
Segmentation Competitive Differentiation Strategy Evidence
POSITIONING
STRATEGY
BRANDING
STRATEGY

6. 6
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. 7
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. 8
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. 9
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. 10
‘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. 11
‘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. 12
Launch Dependencies: Strategy Evidence
Product
Concept
Product
Concept
Preliminary
Positioning
Strategy
Preliminary
Positioning
Strategy
Business
Model
Business
Model
Beta Product &
Reference
Customers
Beta Product &
Reference
Customers
Positioning
Strategy
Validation
Positioning
Strategy
Validation
Launch
Planning
Launch
Planning
Go/No Go
Go/No Go
Go/No Go
Go/No Go
Launch
Date
Launch
Date
Ongoing Market
Reinforcement
Ongoing Market
Reinforcement
≈ 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. 13
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. 14
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. 15
Launch
Program
Manager
Launch Manager is ‘Command and Control’
Creative,
Website,
Interactive
Marketing
Product
Development/
Technical
Marketing: Data
Sheets & Demos
Press/Analyst
Relations,
Materials
Production
Strategic
Partners, Investor
Relations
Shows,
Conferences,
Events
CTO/Guru:
White Papers,
Simulation
Strategies
Sales:
Customer
Advocates
Content
Weekly Status and
Project Management

16. 16
Launch Responsibilities
Launch StrategyLaunch Strategy
Marcom: Creative, Website,
Interactive Marketing
Marcom: Creative, Website,
Interactive Marketing
Product Marketing:
Data Sheets & Demos
Product Marketing:
Data Sheets & Demos
Marcom: Press/Analyst
Relations, Collateral
Marcom: 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. 17
Market Segment
S
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Market
Entry
Customer
Segment
Company
B
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D
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Validation
Education
I
N
V
E
S
T
O
R
S
Developing Strategy Evidence: Market
Leverage Model

18. 18
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. 19
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. 20
Summary and Wrap-Up
The Launch Plan is the chance to get the company and product
off to a good start in the market!

21. 21
Presenters
• Ahmed Allabban,
Sales Marketing Director