Marketing & Sales Roundtable Planning Successful Company and Product Launches September 2004

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 2 11:30–Introductions/Objectives 11:45–Company and Product Launches: Presentation and Discussion 1:15–Summary and Wrap-up Agenda

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 3 The Importance of Launches “A company….must choose a launch strategy that is consistent with its intended positioning. The launch strategy should be the first step in a grand plan for life-cycle marketing.” Philip Kotler Marketing Management Does your product launch plan reflect all of the money and time put into developing the product?

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 4 Some Factoids 85% of new B2B products are failures 95% of new consumer products are failures Failures = doesn’t meet company objectives, withdrawn from market within months Source: New Product News

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 5 Positioning Strategy Process Positioning Strategy Statement Technology and Total Product Roadmap Partnerships Total Product Assets (Functional) Programs Business Model Market Entry Customer Segment Critical Need and Total Product Requirements Company Total Product Solution’s Potential Differentiators Competitors’ Total Product Solutions’ Potential Differentiators Company Differentiator Barriers to Adoption Market Drivers Customer/ End-User Problem(s) Definition Mission Statement Applications Technology Enablers Customer Segments Critical Needs Company Product/ Service Match Market Entry Customer Segment Roadmap and Market Segment Leadership Roadmap Market Segment Product/Market Category Market Vision Market/Customer Segmentation Competitive Differentiation Strategy Evidence POSITIONING STRATEGY BRANDING STRATEGY

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 6 Positioning Both Company and Product Company Positioning Strategy Market Technology Product Company Product #1 Technology Functions/Benefits Product #2 Technology Functions/Benefits Product #3 Technology Functions/Benefits

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 7 Launch Objectives Unite company around shared objective: making the launch successful Provide strategy evidence of the company’s intent, and right, to be a market segment leader in product/service category Build independent third-party validation, and strategy evidence, of positioning strategy Start the ‘buzz’, market pull with a consistent message architecture Support long leadtime sales cycles Facilitate fundraising

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 8 Launch Objectives (con’t) Establish core technology/system as an extensible platform for future products and partnerships Establish broad-based awareness and credibility with xxx customer segment Generate market momentum/Accelerate the sales cycle for Product XXX; delay customer purchase commitments to competitors

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 9 New Venture ‘Launch Phases’ Company funding announcements : PWC MoneyTree, Venture Wire, etc. Company : Stealth mode Identify system lite: business cards, industry event attendance Content-free microwebsite: contact info, investors, team, etc. (note: may have password-protected real site) Phone listing Company ‘launch’ : Seeding the market Company: team, market vision Technology platform Product category, general problem addressed Product launch : Going ‘public’ Positioning strategy: problem solved, market and market entry customer segment, competitive differentiation Product details: ‘architecture’, technology and product roadmap Key customers and partners (especially channels) Pricing and product availability information A ‘grown-up’ website

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 10 ‘Pre-Announcing a Product’?* Why? Complex problem/solution = market education Big budget line item product = long budget cycle, complex buying process Competitive pressures Need market ‘buzz’ for funding round Risks? Too much competitive information, too early Market environment can change substantively Product development slips ‘Obsolete’ an existing product Analysts/Media won’t cover ‘the real deal’ * Often executed as a ‘crescendo launch,’ a series of targeted announcements leading up to product launch

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 11 ‘Pre-Announcing’ Tips Do Describe key elements of technology Explain benefits of technology/potential applications enabled Articulate initial total product assumptions (services, standards, partnerships, etc.) Don’t Name product, provide specifications Announce pricing Provide precise launch date

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 12 Launch Dependencies: Strategy Evidence Product Concept Preliminary Positioning Strategy Business Model Beta Product & Reference Customers Beta Product & Reference Customers Positioning Strategy Validation Launch Planning Go/No Go Launch Date Ongoing Market Reinforcement  18 months Be prepared to postpone for key pieces of strategy evidence! Strategic Partnerships (channel) Strategic Partnerships (channel) Post Sales Support Plan Post Sales Support Plan

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 13 Launch Plan Outline Positioning Strategy Statement and Message Architecture Objectives and Strategies Competitors/Competitive Response Market leverage/Influencer plan Sales training and lead generation (closed loop) Marketing programs materials Schedule/Timeline Momentum milestones Appendix - positioning toolkit - customer segment profile - buying decision process

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 14 Positioning Toolkit Sales, channel strategy Product Release schedule Programs Ads, site sponsorships CD, Flash demo Customer seminars Data sheets, application notes Direct mail, , list promotions Newsletters Sales, channel launch; training Trial, swap-up program Trade shows, conferences, events; suite briefings Advance press and analyst tour Speaker program Regional field sales champions User groups, customer councils Webcasts/Webinars with guest experts: customers, analysts, partners Lead management system…salesforce.com, eloqua, etc. Materials Brochures Data sheets, application notes Presentations Price lists Product catalogs Product demonstrations Product roadmap Press releases Technical articles Technology, company backgrounders Testimonials White papers Web site update Launch Checklist: Some Strategy Evidence Options

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 15 Launch Program Manager Launch Manager is ‘Command and Control’ Creative, Website, Interactive Marketing Product Development/ Technical Marketing: Data Sheets & Demos Product Development/ Technical Marketing: Data Sheets & Demos Press/Analyst Relations, Materials Production Strategic Partners, Investor Relations Shows, Conferences, Events CTO/Guru: White Papers, Simulation Strategies Sales: Customer Advocates Content Weekly Status and Project Management

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 16 Launch Responsibilities Launch Strategy Marcom: Creative, Website, Interactive Marketing Product Marketing: Data Sheets & Demos Marcom: Press/Analyst Relations, Collateral Biz Dev: Strategic Partners Marcom: Tradeshows, Conferences, Events CTO/Guru: White Papers, Simulation Strategies Sales: Customer Advocates Content Finance: Investor Relations Product Development: Product Availability Launch Manager and Champion

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 17 Market Segment SALESSALES TARGETTARGET PARTNERSPARTNERS INDUSTRYINDUSTRY ANALYSTSANALYSTS ANALYSTSANALYSTS TRADEPRESSTRADEPRESS Market Entry Customer Segment Company BUSINESSpRESSBUSINESSpRESS EDITORSEDITORS ACCOUNTSACCOUNTS CHANNELCHANNEL FINANCIALFINANCIAL EDITORSEDITORS Validation Education INVESTORSINVESTORS Developing Strategy Evidence: Market Leverage Model

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 18 Market Leverage/Influencer Plan CategoryNamesRelationship/Objective/Program Company Owner Investors Sales Channel Beta Customers/ Targeted accounts Industry Partners, Leaders, Gurus Industry Organizations Industry analysts Financial analysts

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 19 Launch Pitfalls Launch planning starts too late in product development process Positioning strategy half-baked and untested, externally Not enough (credible) strategy evidence: bug-free product, the right – at least one Tier 1 - customer testimonials and references (negotiated into contracts), application notes and documentation, channels, customer support Proper market foundation has not been laid, no one has heard of the company or product A non-programmatic approach (‘escapes’ vs. launches): lack of launch manager, market leverage and message models, launch objectives, plan, measurable goals Lack of fully integrated plan (from product management to marketing communications to product development)

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 20 Summary and Wrap-Up The Launch Plan is the chance to get the company and product off to a good start in the market!

©2004 Rosemary Remacle 21 Presenters Rosemary Remacle, Consultant Market Focus