Rarely do we see an executive come through Red Fan’s doors with a communications strategy fully prepared to support the launch of a company or product. However, every now and then we see a gem of a business that has been refined, cut and polished to approach the press and other industry influencers. As a PR agency that finds the balance between marketing and journalism, it’s our job to be skeptical, to push back on ideas that may not work and to question the assumptions our clients have made about their brands, products and industry. If all goes well, they will emerge as Swarovski diamonds in a room full of cubic zirconia.
When done well, your go-to-market strategy will:
– Establish competitive differentiation.
– Secure external validation of your product or service.
– Begin to tell your company’s story to industry influencers.
– Establish a cadence of newsworthy content and communications.
We understand that preparing to release a new product offering or shift toward a new brand campaign can be a daunting task. However, such times are great opportunities to understand what messages effectively resonate with your target audience and what elements of your strategy need to be revisited.
Developing a competitive analysis prior to your announcement will allow you to see key differentiators in your product and weave yourself seamlessly into those gaps in the market. Differentiating and beating competitors is a common goal we see from clients, but it can’t and shouldn’t be the end goal. Rather, it’s the route by which you attract customers and become a market leader. This can’t happen unless your go-to-market strategy affirms and capitalizes on the differentiators you identify, which of course can’t happen until you do the research well in advance of a launch.
Your go-to-market strategy should be finalized so you can see results and be prepared for media conversations immediately. If you’re launching a product, for instance, you should already have testimonials, case studies, usage data and an existing client or two on standby ready to engage with press. If you don’t have these types of elements in place when you launch, the media and potential clients will feel the weight of your unpreparedness, which can cascade well beyond one missed interview opportunity.
Conversely, a carefully constructed communications plan with messaging that resonates with clients, reporters and analysts and tells a compelling brand narrative—not to mention complete with marketing collateral and related materials—can position you for success well into the future.
