Stop us if you’ve heard this one before.
You’ve got a new product to launch. You spend months, maybe more, preparing and planning. Scrutinizing every detail and nuance. You’ve invested a whole lot of your team’s collective effort getting ready for the market introduction.
You count down the days. Your ducks? They’re in a row.
Then The Big Launch Event™ comes.
And then? Well, let’s just say the rocket launch you hoped for is more of a fizzle.
What happened?
Chances are good that you put all your effort into preparing for an event. A finite thing.
But that’s not how a launch works. Because launch is a verb, not a noun.
Viewing launch as a noun is short-term thinking. It implies a date or an event. But successful launches require a more long-term, comprehensive approach. It’s not a thing that happens. It’s something you do with discipline and collaboration.
Because launching is a process that demands cross-functional teamwork to aim, align, and, ultimately, build momentum. Launching isn’t the sole responsibility of marketing. Many disciplines need to work together in lockstep to coordinate efforts before the product goes live—and continue to collaborate after the product is in the market.
So next time someone at your company talks about launch day, caution them on the dangers of that short-term thinking and planning, and set their sights on a long-term approach.
Follow along with our Rocket Fuel series to get some more tips on how you can make the most out of your product launches.