2021 Product Launches: 5 Tactics That Can Replace Trade Shows

With so many product launch timelines tied to trade shows, it’s a good time to step back and consider how to add an element of excitement, unveiling, and engagement without a live event.

1. Rethink direct mail

It’s been many years since this has made our recommendation list, but with increased screen time, direct mail is a great way to add an element of physicality to your product launch. Think beyond the flyer: a product sample, a mailer with tablet video, or fun swag can make an impact. Think quality not quantity: in content, texture, design, and spend your energy pruning your list to well-qualified targets.

2. Live demo or drawing on social media

The same extra element that would have increased your trade show ROI can still work without the trade show. Go live on LinkedIn or Facebook to unveil your product or select a contest winner. Countdown timers can increase anticipation.

3. Share an experience

Themed lunch and learns, an interactive game….with so much of our work day now spent in video conferences, the added attention to creating a memorable experience and common ground goes a long way.

4. Think like your buyer

Data proves it pays to focus on digital presence where your buyer gathers their information. Outbound sales numbers, measured in new opportunities, are at an all-time low, while inbound leads are higher than last year. Buyer-driven marketing tactics, like content marketing, are working. Publish a blog, promote it in social media—think buyer problem not product.

5. Rethink your CTA (Call to Action)

Touchless test drive. Take a virtual demo or tour. Order a discovery kit. Whether it means a shift to a subscription model, an extended guarantee, or upping your demo experience with AR/VR, consider changing what you’re asking your buyer to do as a first step toward purchase.

As we all search for the bright side and opportunity in the face of a shared pandemic, carefully looking for ways to allow business to carry on, know that buyers are still searching for solutions to their business challenges and looking for ways to connect with like-minded peers, while mitigating their purchase risk. Tactics like these can help build trust and engagement and ease their buying journey while helping you meet your product launch goals.

For more information on digital product launches, check out our podcast with AZO.

About Launch Team, Inc.

We are a multidimensional, highly focused marketing firm that has helped companies in technical and engineering-driven industries succeed. We've been doing this for over 30 years, increasing and improving our offerings along the way. Our team's backgrounds include optics, chemistry, and biology paired with a core business and marketing focus. This allows our team a unique understanding of your business, the decision makers you work with, and the engineers who will evaluate your solution.