| Six Months Ahead
Background Research: Examine your marketplace and
your position in it from both inside and outside the company.
Talk to employees, editors, analysts, and key customers or prospects.
Be realistic!
Five To Six Months Ahead
Outline A Marketing Communications Plan:
Address where you are today (situation analysis), where you want
to go (goals and objectives), and how you will get there (marketing
vehicles such as advertising and public relations). Include budget
and evaluation criteria.
Three To Four Months Ahead
Clarify Positioning: Where do you want to be positioned in the minds of
your prospects? Develop a short statement that conveys the unique benefits
of your new product or service. Use your "positioning line"
on all your literature, press kits, ads, etc.
Prepare Literature: Have data sheets, brochures, and company
information ready to go when you launch.
Prepare Advertising: Plan a media schedule that targets
your core market, and prepare an ad campaign for the recommended
media. Note: Magazines generally need advertising materials two
to three months ahead of the publication date, so think ahead.
Two To Three Months Ahead
Consider A Press Tour: If your product
is newsworthy, talking with editors can result in feature articles,
which can enhance the product’s credibility.
You may want your press release sent out by one of the several
companies that distributes such information. Your public relations
or marketing firm can help you select one. It will cost $150 to
$400, depending on how widely your release is distributed. Plan
distribution for the day of your launch.
If people outside your business would not be likely to view the
product as new and important, stick with press releases to editors.
Plan to distribute the releases two to three weeks before your
product’s launch day.
Throughout Your Program
Plan for Consistency: Success in marketing communications
depends on consistency over time. Plan to pound away on your target
market, and chances are your product launch will succeed.
Robyn Sachs is the president of RMR & Associates, a full-service
advertising, marketing and public relations firm based in the
Washington metropolitan area that specializes in the high tech
industry and is known nationally for its innovative campaigns.
She can be reached at rsachs@rmr.com.
The Marketing Advisor is published quarterly. We welcome yolur
comments or questions.
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