Is your brand among the thousands that have suspended a planned product or service launch?
For many established brands and start-ups, right now is likely not a good time to roll-out and promote a new product or service. In fact, a recent special report reveals that consumers “expect brands to stop selling to them and start solving the unique challenges of life during a pandemic.”
If you’re a marketer whose 2020 product or service launch has been stopped in its tracks, know this: COVID-19 has delayed your launch date, but it should not derail your launch planning.
After all, while the current COVID-19 environment might not be the right time to announce your launch, it can be the perfect opportunity to fully prepare for it. You may even find that pre-launch activities will allow you to test some of your strategies, fine-tune your messaging and tweak your tactics for the post-coronavirus world we should all be planning for.
Post-pandemic life will be different…now’s the time to adjust for it and make sure your eventual launch takes that into consideration. In the COVID and post-COVID environments, consumers will demand safety, transparency, and accessibility from brands, products, and retailers. They will also be seeking simplicity and comfort as antidotes to the uncertain journey to the “new normal.”
Consider these tips from Campaign Monitor for launch planning during a global pandemic like COVID-19:
- Always think about your audience and customer first—what they’re going through, what their life is like, and how they’ll read your message.
- Consider the level of focus put on your new product—is your message too self-serving? Is it inauthentic and not in alignment with the current environment? If yes to either or both, how can you pause or adjust?
- Adapt your product offering, marketing language, and availability—think about how the product may be perceived in a vacuum, and ask your team if there are ways to pivot the launch.
As a marketer, you may be ultra sensitive to figuring out just when exactly it will be the right time to launch? While we can’t provide you the perfect formula for calculating that, we can offer a variety of product launch planning resources to help you be ready when the time is right.
Product Launch Resources for Marketers:
- 3 PR Strategies for Optimal New Product Launch Lift-off
- 11 Tips to Help Your Next Launch Take Flight
- Destination: Brand Loyalty (infographic)
- The Product Launch Marketing Bundle
- Kickstart Your New Marketing Campaigns with this Tool
