How to Use PR to Improve the ROI of Your Product Launch

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