This document provides guidance on launching a new B2B product or service. It outlines the top 5 pre-launch steps: getting positioning right, defining the audience, developing collateral, preparing spokespeople, and developing an announcement strategy. It also discusses how to create pre-launch, launch, and post-launch excitement through tactics like teaser campaigns, briefing influencers, creating videos and landing pages, and measuring web traffic and social media engagement. The goal is to effectively introduce the product and measure the success of the launch campaign.

2. Introduction
The successful launch of a B2B product or service
requires more than an excellent concept. It requires an
effective strategy and an implementation plan.
This webinar will cover:
• The five steps to take pre-launch
• The key elements in positioning and messaging
• How to leverage the social web to gain exposure
• How to create pre-launch, launch and post-launch
excitement
• How to measure the effectiveness of your launch
campaign

3. You’ve invented a better mousetrap –
now what?

4. The Top 5 Pre-Launch Steps
Sep #1: Get Your Positioning Right
• Unless you properly position your product, no one is
going to care
• Don’t put all the focus on features – those are secondary
– focus on the benefits
• Play up needs that your product will meet, or problems it
will solve
• Be prepared – have your key spokespeople well
schooled in facts, features, benefits, etc.
• Be here now – make sure you’re available to respond to
any media inquiries

5. Step #2: Define the Audience
• Who are the target buyers?
• Where do they hang out? Twitter? LinkedIn? Blogs?
Pubs?
• What is important to them?
• What drives their purchases?
• Who are the influencers? Who can help get your story
told in the media?
• Do you have (happy) beta customers? If possible, line
them up ahead of time for inclusion in media outreach

6. Step #3: Develop Collateral In Synch
With Your Audience
• Identify the messages that will resonate most with your
audience
• Keep the messaging consistent across all collateral
materials
• Determine how best to tell the story: demos, visuals,
webinars, case studies, (if beta testers), video, etc.
• Are there any cultural issues to consider (region,
country, etc.)?

7. Step #4: Line Up and Prepare Your
Spokesperson
• If possible, choose someone with media experience
• If not, take advantage of media coaching services – do
media role-playing, mock interviews, scenarios, what ifs
• Determine ahead of time what is within the scope of
media conversations, and what is out of bounds
• Have the spokesperson well versed in all product
knowledge – sit him/her down with a product engineer or
other in-house expert

8. Step #5: Develop an Effective
Announcement Strategy
• Determine the most effective vehicle or vehicles to
trumpet your product: press release, bloggers, social
media
• Offer an exclusive to a key, influential reporter or editor
• Hold a series of pre-launch briefings
• Make embargoed version of the release available to a
select group

9. Best Practice: How to Go from Anonymity
To Fame in One Tweet
• Read all about it here in Fast Company magazine:
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/wendy-marx/brand-u-
wendy-marx/draft?partner=leadership_newsletter
• In the recent past, when major news broke, bloggers
would follow suit after the mainstream media, but this
pattern is reversing itself
• The recent death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is a prime
example: first reported on blogs, then mainstream media
• Even if blogs are simply “regurgitating” what they picked
up from mainstream news sources, you can still create
an effective “echo chamber” for your product news by
getting pick-ups in key blogs

10. Best Practice: Take Advantage of As Many
Low-Cost/Free PR Tools As Possible
• Free services like PR Leap and PitchEngine will get your
release into the main search engines (Google, Yahoo,
MSN, AOL)
• Use the for-pay distribution services (PR Web,
Marketwire, etc.) sparingly, weighing “news value” in the
decision process
• Use your customer and prospect list as a marketing
machine – sent them a note about your product news
with a link to your release
• Be sure to copy/paste your news into the body of the e-
mail; spam filters hate attachments
• Send a note on your product news, with a link to the
release, to all your online groups/friends as appropriate
(LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

11. How To Create
Pre-Launch Excitement
• Develop a teaser campaign; seed LinkedIn/Twitter/RTs
• Brief key analysts/influencers
• Develop a landing page with an offer/demo
• Create a thought leadership video; post on YouTube,
Viddler/Vimeo
• Offer exclusive to key media outlet

12. How To Create
Launch Excitement
• Send a press release to targeted media. Research who has written
about similar products/services.
• Include a quote from an analyst firm or other key influencer and a
client quote if possible
• Blog about your launch; comment on high-profile blogs
• Announce your launch on Twitter/LinkedIn/Facebook
• Create links in your release to white papers, demos, video podcasts
• Email clients/prospect list. Create a special offer

13. How To Create
Post-Launch Excitement
• Send a note to your customer/prospect list including links to any
media pickups or mentions of your product news
• Toot your own horn: Talk about the success of your launch on
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
• Consider a follow-up release with client success or case study
• Create a video or podcast including client testimonials – nothing
sells your product like a happy customer

14. Measuring the Effectiveness Of Your
Product Launch Campaign
• Create a separate landing page for your new product, so it’s easy to
measure web traffic
• Provide something of value as a vehicle for capturing downloads:
white paper, offer, demo, etc.
• Use analytics (Google, etc.) to determine the sources of the web
traffic
• Measure Twitter “retweets,” as well as comments posted online
about the launch

15. Questions and Answers
Thank you for your time
Join Us At Our Next Webinar:
How to Create A Standout B2B PR Campaign
Wednesday, November 11, 12 pm ET
To Register: http://www.brighttalk.com/webcasts/7101/attend
Marx Communications
Wendy Marx, 203-445-2850
wendy@marxcommunications.com