A product launch has the potential to be a perfect storm—the right solution at the right time in the right place for the right people.
Today’s product launches—whether in person, virtual or hybrid of the two—need to appeal to a larger, more diverse audience than ever before, through increasingly more communication channels.
With information flooding through so many channels, it’s imperative to use smart techniques to make sure your product and message get out to the largest possible audience.
By focusing on these four traits of an impressive, immersive product launch, event professionals can devise a successful event.
1. The Perfect Product Launch Location
When choosing where to launch a product, think about where your intended audience is physically located. Finding the right venue will help optimize your event for the best possible results.
Consider placing the event near where key potential attendees are located, and make sure you include a virtual or on-demand components that’s accessible to others who may have to travel to get there. Or, if important players are scattered, consider a rolling launch across multiple regions to spread the word consistently across the country or globe. Your customers and partners are your greatest promoters, so find the location most convenient and exciting to them.
Alternatively, try piggybacking your product launch on top of a well-attended, high-volume industry conference. Your intended audience will already be there and you’re likely to draw other people in that you didn’t anticipate, too.
2. Out of This World Event Production
Just as important as the location of your product launch is its production. A far-off event is much more appealing if the production value—the glitz and glamour of the whole thing—is top notch.
In fact, the single most important element to creating an impressive product launch is developing an exciting and innovative plan for the production and marketing of the event. Your product launch’s production should be in direct alignment with the product’s marketing plan, and should amplify the message through content selection, speaker choice, parties and more.
On that note, no matter what product you’re launching, offering hands-on or on-demand video demonstrations help. After you’ve touted the values and features of your new product, people want to get their hands on the thing and play with it for themselves. That’s why demos are crucial.
Consider an onstage demo, or, if appropriate, give your attendees the opportunity to interact with the product themselves. If it’s a digital product, hand out or send demo versions of the product at the launch to make sure it’s top-of-mind after the event and available for further investigation.
Giving your audience information about your product is important. Delivering it in an exciting, interesting way is essential.
Related: Want to engage today's experience-minded customer? Discover how to create something unforgettable in our ebook.
3. Effective & Efficient Communications Plan
No matter how much you try—and how cool your event is—not all of your key audience will attend your event. This is inevitable—but, thanks to tech that’s blossomed in recent years, it’s a hurdle that can be overcome.
Think about Apple product launches—hundreds of thousands of tech fans around the world tuned in for the launch of the newest Apple iPhone, the iPad and others. When you webcast or live stream your event, you build that same sense of excitement. No matter where they are, fans can get nearly the same experience.
But to get people at the event—or to spur them to tune in from home—requires some planning ahead of time and the right message to be shared in the right way. And, to perfect that message, event planners need to know their audience.
While it can be tempting to center your communications strategy around Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other digital platforms, focusing on only one medium can miss the mark.
Don’t just focus on one communication channel. Take a mixed-media approach, involving print, social media, email and more, in order to reach the largest audience on the platform they interact with most.
On that note, sometimes the best way of getting the word out is a more traditional media audience: the press, analysts, industry bloggers and others.
Your product launch event attendees will be broadcasting your message, so make sure key media contacts hear it loud and clear and offer plenty of interview access to executives and other key players in your company.
4. Actively Engaged Internal Brand Advocates
Don’t forget to include your internal and sales teams in the excitement—having their buy-in is key to a successful program. Get them excited about what’s new and give them the tools to promote it within your organization and to your customers.
Smart event professionals know that there’s one secret weapon when it takes to building an incredible product launch: your internal team. While it’s important to build some intrigue about your event with your internal team, give them the scoop on what to expect (entertainment, speakers and the product itself) so they can bait potential attendees.
Excitement is contagious. Help spread that excitement by offering your sales team the tools to promote your product launch within your organization and to potential clients.
Want to learn the secret to an extraordinary product launch? It’s all about brand immersion. Learn all about the reasons why building brand immersion at your event can help you nurture potential brand advocates—and reach incredible success.