Product Launch Planning with the Marketing Roadmap

Over the past several months, we’ve done some research into what companies identify as their biggest challenge when planning marketing activities for a product launch. Though a well-established marketing plan is a large part of the groundwork for a successful product launch, we’ve found that many companies simply don’t have one. Our resources can help.

Avoid the “Now What?” Phase

Too often we hear about launches that failed due to a lack of marketing preparation. The post-launch phase is a commonly missed opportunity; without a plan for continued growth after the launch, product launch teams are left wondering, “Now what?” This is often the case when marketing is a lower priority or left out of the product launch plan altogether due to timeline constraints. However, launching a product without marketing execution can result in a lot of lost time (and leads, dollars, etc.) for your team in the long run.

To help you organize your marketing tactics when launching your new product, we recommend using our Marketing Roadmap. We use this tool with our clients during product launch planning to build the engine and then ensure sustained progress after the launch.

Launch with a Clear Plan

Use the Marketing Roadmap to plan out marketing activities supporting your product launch. From trade shows to email campaigns, you can customize your Marketing Roadmap for up to a year’s worth of marketing aligned with your launch.

Your team should begin developing a Marketing Roadmap after the initial planning phase. This will give you enough time to prepare for pre- and post-launch activities surrounding your major events. For example, if you’re planning an event for a major press announcement, you might include on your Roadmap accompanying email marketing, direct mail, or social media activities to complete before and after the launch.

Having a clear marketing plan for your product launch will allow your team to meet deadlines, prioritize action items, and understand the scope for the entire launch campaign.

Download your blank copy of the Marketing Roadmap to develop a strong product launch marketing plan.

10 Tips For Using the Marketing Roadmap Planner

1. Print the Roadmap (12x18” PDF).
2. If you are launching to more than one distinct market, use a different colored marker or sticky note for each.
3. Start with major events like trade shows or press announcements.
4. Note pre- and post-launch marketing activities for each event.
5. Include progress of the product launch in correspondence with marketing activities.
6. Stay on brand and in tune with your target market’s channel usages.
7. Connect your activities or draw arrows for events dependent on each other.
8. Keep your roadmap visible—posters demand attention.
9. Attach the roadmap to your daily toolset—calendars, agendas, etc.
10. Adjust certain activities based on measured successes.

Looking for more product launch and marketing resources? Download our Product launch plan & communication guide, so you ensure you have everything covered when planning for your next product launch.