How digital has changed the marketing of product launches

The job of the marketer is becoming more and more difficult as the digital industry continues to grow. At Your Favourite Story we recognise the importance of evolving with digital to create the best digital experiences possible.

Digital consumption habits have grown which has caused marketers and brands to grow along side to meet the customer expectations. Another problem is product life cycles are getting shorter; this effects brand loyalty and opens up competition. Like nostalgia, loyalty is not what it used to be and brands are forced to be constantly redefining who they are.

Unlike print or television ads digital requires extra layers of engagement and has brought new challenges that brands have not faced before. As more brands are dying, we naturally have more product launches, which are the very lifeblood of the business. Getting the product launch right has never been more important, here are 9 ways digital has changed the marketing of product launches.

1) GET THEM ON BOARD EARLY
Digital allows companies to get potential customers to sign up to be part of the brand community before the product even launches. Adding interested customers into a database to forward other products they may be interested in as well.  

2) BECOME A CULTURE, RATHER THAN A BRAND
Digital has opened doors to create both personal and professional relationships with people from all over the world, and customers are now able to bond over things they enjoy – including brands. Brands like Apple have mastered creating a culture around their brand. One way they do this is by keeping Apple on the mind of consumers and media year round, until they are ready to unveil a new product. Creating must watch live streamed product launches now allows for customers to feel like they are part of the brand journey at exclusive events. This has heightened brand loyalty for the company and has created long term customers who choose Apple above competitors.
 
3) MORE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
Digital means that companies can have a more “test and learn” approach to its marketing activities.  For example, it can test its online advertising launch campaign and change in real time to ensure they optimise its performance.

4) MORE TARGETED EXPERIENCE
Before digital, brands relied on in store, print, or television campaigns targeting a wide range of consumers – some of which had zero interest in the product or the brand. Digital allowed brands to target products and services that fit their potential customers needs and interests. Product launches could now be aimed directly at customers who were willing or wanting to buy from the brand.

5) CREATE BRAND AMBASSADORS
Through the use of Social media platforms customers can now be directly linked to a brand, this opens an interactive dialogue with consumers.  This can be useful in a number of ways, for example brands can now directly ask the community for feedback about product, features or encourage people to share its marketing messages. 

6) EMBRACE THE POWER OF VIDEO
Traditionally it was only large national brands that invested TV advertising due to the expensive nature of TV ad production and the cost of planning and buying the media.  Now every company has the ability to use the power of video to deliver its message. We recently worked with DEWALT on their Jobsite Of The Future product launch to create immersive digital experience using 6 stand-alone day in the life videos along with a supporting microsite to launch their XR Flexvolt cordless power tool line. When we began creating a digital strategy for the launch we decided to focus fully on the people who would be using the product during their day-to-day life. Unlike other forms of advertisement we wanted to keep it very personalised to the customers DEWALT hoped to attract. The project has received rave reviews and has won awards.

7) BE ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE CURVE
One product launch over the last year has received some of the highest engagement ratings and opened doors for the digital product industries. Pokémon Go, (http://blog.yourfavouritestory.com/how-to-use-pokemon-go-to-increase-your-business-revenue) used nostalgia paired with mobility to engage users like never before. People were tasked to physically get up and go- turning their city into an AR scavenger hunt with the goal to ‘Catch Em’ All’. Not only did this product launch receive staggering numbers, but it also challenged the limits of what a brand could do using AR. This product launch crashed multiple servers and caused real life riots and stampedes through parks and squares when rare Pokémon appeared.

8) RESEARCH YOUR OPTIONS
Finding the best option to showcase your product has become almost as important as the launch itself. The ways, in which a customer discovers a brand has grown exponentially, this has opened various channels of communication that companies can use to gain the most engagement and get a good ROI. Product launches through social media have been gaining popularity over the last few years and thanks to live commentary has opened up engagement options substantially.

9) DON’T DOUBT INFLUENCERS
Customer loyalty is dying! And brands are to blame, because of the increase in competition and worldwide purchase options, customers are given endless options and because of this don’t know which brands to trust making them easily swayed by a good deal. One way brands are combating this is through the use of social influencers to target customer bases more directly and offer exclusive looks. The celebrity endorsement has changed, as the popularity of YouTubers, bloggers, and social media influencers have increased, they have become the trusted source for product advice. Brands now offer exclusive sneak peeks and promotional codes through these influencers.

For more information on the best ways to create a digital product launch contact Sean Singleton at [email protected]