Even for well-established companies that have successfully introduced products before, bringing a new product to the marketplace is by no means a guaranteed success. For a company launching its very first product, the feeling of nervous anticipation throughout the organization can be intense. Predicting how consumer products will be received by the target customers groups is always difficult. The product introduction phase -- announcing it -- requires a diversified sequence of strategies that all work together to generate customer interest.
Test Market Your Message
A company's marketing team creates the themes it wants to emphasize in print or broadcast media, press releases, signage, in-store displays and other media. Base these themes on the benefits your product provides customers. Many times companies find that the theme they thought the customer would immediately respond to actually meets with a tepid reception. The marketing team then has to re-imagine position the product and develop new ad themes. To keep the cost of this revision process low, try testing your marketing themes in smaller markets, local or regional. Look for smaller markets that are representative of the larger, national market you hope to eventually reach.
Try Two or More Themes
Motion picture distributors often use more than one type of television advertisement because they aren't sure which aspect of their film will appeal most to moviegoers. One ad could emphasize the stars of the film, another might present the suspenseful elements, and a third ad might show the fast-moving action sequences in the movie. The danger of this strategy is that it can leave the customer confused about what they really are getting from the product. But many products have more than one benefit, so presenting all the benefits can make the product seem more exciting to consumers. Automobile companies often introduce their latest model year products as having a robust combination of benefits -- fuel economy, fun to drive, status symbol and environmentally friendly.
New, Different -- and Needed
Build a sense of anticipation for the release of your product through an advertising theme with a variation on the idea of "coming soon." Create an image for your product as being a strikingly fresh, innovative solution, one that has been sought after by consumers for a long time. Announce it to the marketplace in the form of "it's finally here!" Forge a positive association between your new product and existing ones by reminding customers of the valuable innovations you've brought to the market before.
Get the Customers Involved
Because the Internet is so much a part of companies' marketing strategies today, the term "viral marketing" has been coined to describe the rapid dissemination of information about a product through customers emailing information about it to friends or colleagues. Satisfied customers are the best -- and least costly -- advertisements for your product. To stimulate initial purchases, offer deep discount coupons online or even product giveaways. Reward customers who spread the word by giving them further discounts on their next purchase. If your company has more than one product, use your existing customer base to generate interest in your new product by including coupons or product literature for the new product in the packaging of your existing ones.
Tags: your product, more than, existing ones, information about, marketing team