Stairwellblog

Last time we talked a lot about MySpace’s rise and fall. One thing they did to get to where they were for so long was entice companies to launch new products through their website. They bent over backwards to get Apple to launch the new iPods on their site and lots of other companies started launching their latest gadget or ‘whatsit’. Sadly, they couldn’t carry that momentum for long. At the very least, however, it opened the door for other companies to debut all kinds of products on social media sites. Sure it’s a risky move; it’s like announcing your running for office on The Tonight Show, sometimes it can lead to a big payoff and sometimes it can turn people of and strike a blow to your credibility. But if it works it can lead to big things.

One company that does a great job of using Twitter as a launch pad is Kraft Foods. They made their subsidiary, Degiorno Pizza, one of their top selling brands and they used their twitter following to make it happen. Kraft’s major Twitter campaign included organizing launch parties around the country for its latest product. All it really cost them was time and they had instant access to fan feedback and fan generated content. And this was before the product even went on the market. They used Twitter to create a decent buzz and it paid off – big time.

One thing social media does is level the playing field somewhat in industries that normally take millions of dollars to launch new products. The Powermat is a neat little device that lets you charge your gadgets without a cord. They were smart enough to know that they should launch their product through social media websites like YouTube and Facebook because they didn’t have the money to compete with Sony, Apple, and other companies on a national level. On YouTube they could get their name out and tap into their niche market without a huge advertising budget.

“But it’s easy for electronics companies to launch products online because their audience is already there,” you might say. (If you are saying that you’re probably talking to yourself and you have a more serious problem then online advertising) My answer to that is two surprising words “Louis Vuitton.” Louis proves that even a company that’s been around for 150 years can still learn a new technology. Louis makes sure Twitter (twitter.com/louisvuitton_US) is the place to be for news and new product and store launches. They make sure their Twitter is an invaluable resource for people looking to see their new products.

These companies had successful product launches via the internet and there are a few things you can learn from their example. First of all, like all kinds of social media advertising, if you are too pushy you’re going to lose your audience. The great companies that launch things via the web tell a Story about their product and nudge followers in the right direction. Make sure to ask them questions about what they want and what they think and stimulate conversation about the potential new product. Kraft understood the value of fan generated content and it drove them straight to the top.

Build a mailing list. A great way to capitalize on your pre-launch buzz is to start an e-mail campaign. Sending your followers email updates is a good way to really create a big opening.

Mail out an invite to your opening that leads to your Twitter on the big day of your launch like Kraft, or you can start a fake launch party that encourages people to tweet about your product or chat on your message board during the big day. A mailing list is also a great way to send some coupons and reward loyal followers.

If your kids are about to go to the dentist for the first time, do you tell them as you pull up to the door or do you talk to them about it first to make sure they know exactly what’s going to happen? Unless you enjoy seeing your kid cry, I’d imagine you’d choose the latter. The same principal is applied to launching a new product. The earlier you start preparing people, the smoother the launch will go. Drop hints and ask questions from your audience about what they would do with similar products. You want people to know exactly what they are getting into before the launch date, right?

Speaking of starting early, Gillette just started a campaign for their new Razor, the Pro-Glide, using YouTube to launch a contest. It’s already gotten some great buzz and built up a message board with over 500 comments and it’s still got some time to go before the new product launch. On top of all that, launching via social media is a great way to funnel people to your web site homepage. In the end a product launch via social media can lead to some measurable consumer interest online and offline. If you just make sure to create some buzz and build fan generated content you can have a highly successful launch campaign without breaking your ad budget.

www.twitip.com/how-to-use-twitter-for-a-product-launch/

www.virtualassist.net/blog/using-social-media-for-product-launches.html/

www.amymengel.com/2009/08/anatomy-of-a-social-media-product-launch-screenr

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