How to Start Planning a Launch for a Product or Service (and a checklist for what to do next!)

Did you hear about The Greatest Showman movie before it was released in theaters? If you have a pulse and are were born before 2015, then your answer is most definitely “YES.”

The promotions, trailers, and advertisements were everywhere. And naturally, you were probably really excited to see the movie. You were anxiously awaiting the release date, and maybe you even made plans to go see the new film with your significant other or friends. You probably watched the trailers and you probably saw the video of Hugh Jackman singing in rehearsals. Bottom line: there was a buzz.

People were talking about it.

Now, part of this has to do with the fact that Hugh has an incredible, loyal fan base. I mean, who doesn't love him? He's so normal. But part of this fact also has to do with the marketing and launching strategy of the film. You see, if you really pay attention to what big, successful businesses and corporations do, you can see some pretty strong trends. They’ve mastered the art of the launch.

How can we, as business owners, learn from these trends and strategies?

I would argue that regardless of what you sell, you should write and plan a launch strategy. It’s guaranteed to offer you more success, more sales, and more profit.

The good news? Launch strategy does not have to be scary or complicated or hard. It just takes some planning and a little bit of work in advance.

Have I convinced you that launch strategy is something you need to learn about?

Let’s have another look at a company who kills every launch, every time. We all know we spend too much money on coffee. And most of us probably like getting coffee from that place with green straws and fabulous customer service. You know who I am talking about, right? If you do, then that right there is called excellent branding, but, I digress. We are talking about Starbucks.

When Starbucks releases a new drink, cup, or reintroduces a seasonal favorite, they do it with excellent strategy. There are obvious trends seen throughout these launches. Without boring you with a complete case study of Starbucks, let’s just take a peek at what each launch includes. There are: discounts, advertisements everywhere, branded imagery, incentives to purchase, and eventually a buzz is created. When Starbucks releases their famous, seasonal drink: the PSL, everyone is talking about it. They’ve made it a cultural trend and have created natural brand ambassadors by launching with strategy.

So, are you ready to dive into strategies for launching your next product or service?

Yes? Well that’s fabulous news!

The first step to launching a product or service is:

working backwards.

You have to start with your launch date, and then everything else will fall into place. Once you have that date, you can start to work on what needs to be accomplished. In order to help you start planning your next launch, I've compiled an extensive checklist of #allthethings that need to be done before you launch your next product/service!

Download that here: