Any business needs to perform a number of communications tasks before launching a new product. Here are just three to get you thinking:
Competitor media audit
At the earliest stage of product development, perform an audit of competitors’ media coverage to see how similar offerings have been received by the press. Include social media and online user reviews to get a sense of users’ reactions as well. Poor reviews can point out problems with earlier products that a new item could improve. Or, they can reveal that there isn’t as large a market for this product as you had hoped. The audit may even suggest that a competitor is filling the need already and that your product would do better to go in another direction. In any case, a competitor media audit will provide important information for your own product development and eventual media outreach.
Name the product, check the name
Brainstorm several potential names for your product. These should be easy to pronounce, spell and remember, and reflect the “sense” of the product you want to convey. Once this part of the process is finished, more research begins. Check if each potential name is already in use by another business, and if it is registered as a domain name. Look up the word to be sure it doesn’t have a meaning of which you are unaware.
Weigh how audience members might react to the name. Last year, amid a flurry of launch mistakes, Bustle.com was widely mocked online for sharing a name with a piece of ninteenth-century women’s underwear. And that was on top of having a name just two letters away from an existing publication with a similar intended audience, Bust.com.
Set up a Launch Plan
Don’t launch haphazardly. Create a thorough communications plan to guide your media and blogger outreach, social strategy and company announcements. Prepare press releases and develop a schedule for pitching. Decide your story angles and how you will promote the new offering both pre- and post-release. Will you hold a launch event? Will you release the product to key influencers ahead of time to generate buzz? Don’t forget to prepare for problems.
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No new products in the works? Check out our tips on launching a company blog.
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