Key Things To Consider Before Going For a Big-Bang Product Launch

Launching a product is always a critical moment for the project and product team..and for the company as a whole. Lots of work has been done during weeks, months (or years sometimes) to build a new product that will possibly change the world, at least (and hopefully) bring additional satisfaction to existing users or extra revenues for the company. Presumably, this new product meets market needs and it is now time to push it to the market and harvest. Well. There is still some more work to do actually.

Launching a product is not just about writing a press release and sharing it with key media groups in your industry. You need to decide on the best approach to maximize your chances of success. While there are many elements to consider when preparing your product launch, let’s focus on the need to decide if you will go with the Big-Bang approach or through a phased launch….and to start with, a deep dive on the Big-Bang approach. I’ll briefly describe what is a Big-Bang product launch, then mention some main benefits of doing Big-Bang launch and, last but not least, list key favorable conditions to go for such an approach.

What’s a Big-Bang product launch (short version)

The Big-Bang approach is about keeping things hidden and mysterious until the D day. No one knows what you prepare. No one knows when it will be available. No one knows what it delivers and to whom. They might know you are working on something. That’s it.

Typically, Apple and Steve Jobs have been the best in this area with the product launches keynotes, the “one more thing”, etc. For your reference, the Iphone Launch in 2007.

Big-Bang product launches always come with a surprise effect. That’s what makes them “cool” and “sexy”. To get started, let’s see what it does bring to your product to launch in a Big-Bang mode:

Often encountered benefits of Big-Bang product launches.

This grabs audience interest: It is well known. We, human beings, like good surprises. This grabs our attention. We talk about it.

It fuels the marketing buzz machine: The same goes for the press, media, and industry players. Surprises make a good story. The buzz is out there. Surprise effect increases the chances of strong marketing and virality effect potential.

Competitive edge: Preventing information to go out there to the market, you limit your competitors’ visibility on your innovation focus and strategy. This can help you gain a few months advance on fast movers, sometimes years on large scale product deliveries.

But when you have one shot, better not miss it.

Favorable conditions for Big-Bang product launch.

You are 100% sure of your product/market fit: You know the market(s) your product addresses. You know their exact needs. You have analyzed it in and out and now live and breathe with their pain points, their goals. From the big picture to the little details. The reality is that you will always discover improvements and enhancements opportunities. But conceptually, you need to be sure you have covered the top-down and the bottom-up approach of your product/market fit…and that what remains doesn’t impact customer experience too much.

You already have a strong “fan” base: The difference between your typical customer and your fan is that your fans tend to be positive about what you do…and he lets people know. If you already have a sizable fan (or evangelist) base, chances of success of the Big-Bang product launch are much higher.

Your story is crystal-clear: You know your audience. You know and have documented all the features of your product in a way that makes sense (not a linear list of 100 features). You know and have documented the benefits of your product…and how users can achieve their goal and grow when using it. All this needs to be clear and understandable to your audience. This also means you and other company representatives are able to articulate your Unique Selling Proposition/Points on-demand and in seconds. Because you will be asked to do so if the surprise effect works.

You are supra-confident with your technology: Launching the product mass-market straight away also means you expose your technology to “real” users in a (potentially) massive number. Even in B2B, there can be a big difference between 5 internal users performing internal tests (QA, UAT, penetration, performance, etc) and the first 50–100 customers that will be using your product on a daily basis. If first customers are not satisfied, do experience crappy user experience, or do not achieve their goals with your product, this will impact your chances of success. And even worst if they communicate their frustration on social networks and to the rest of your target audience.

No doubt, all your ducks are in a row: Launching a new product encompasses many areas. Technology, User experience, Marketing are the most obvious. But what about operations and customer service? Are they fully trained on the product? Is the documentation available in all needed languages? With all the relevant details? Have you foreseen enough resources or a plan to scale up if the demand increases rapidly during the post-launch days, weeks, and hopefully more? Do the sales forces know how to sell the product? How to qualify the prospects? The process to get them on-board? Are all the potential customers' touch points streamlined and aligned across the organization? You need to make sure that all your teams across the organization are on-board, fully prepared, and ready to absorb the new flow of work brought by this product launch.

Your product is a game-changer: Beyond your product and organization readiness, a factor that can encourage you to push forward with Big-Bang launch is the nature of your innovation. If your product is disruptive, threatening some actors of your value chain, or bringing you 3 steps beyond competition, you’d rather go Big-Bang. On one hand, chances you’ll capture the audience and media attention are higher. But more important even, you’ll save precious time to grab customers’ hearts, convert them into product evangelist and grow your user base (and market share).

As you could see, there are pro’s and con’s to go for Big-Bang and this is not a light decision. The next article addresses the “phased launch” approach for your product launch!

I hope you found this article valuable and useful. Feel welcome to share your thoughts in the comments area. Let’s stay in touch.