Tips For A Great Product Launch
Ready to launch your new product?
Organising a launch event is really exciting (!!) but also can come with a LOT of pressure. A launch needs to be done well - as if it’s not, it can be really hard to build and maintain momentum for your new business or offering.
There are a few key simple elements that we feel a product launch must include to be successful. These elements will help the event to run by itself on the day (essential! as you need to be talking to guests) and will set you up for future enquiries, keep your business memorable, and therefore bringing you lasting success.
So let’s get started!
Tip One - spend time on your invitation
If you're inviting social influencers to your event, keep in mind that these people receive hundreds and hundreds of event invites, so yours needs to stand out. A few ideas that you could include to make your invite stand out would be making it 3D (so for Event Flair’s brand, we’d be adding feathers, flowers, sparkles and more), giving a small gift to give a little taster of the event - maybe something to do with the event theme! Some party props are a nice touch, or if it's a summer event - some branded sunglasses, maybe even a cool glass if it was a beverage launch. If you are giving a gift, it needs to be something that is true to your brand, memorable and going to get them excited to come to your event.
Tip Two - spend time on your first impressions
We talk about this a lot at Event Flair, as how your guests feel when they first walk in the door is absolutely crucial. It will set up their impression not just for the event but also for you as a business.
Having someone at the door to greet guests, show them where to go, tell them what's happening at the event and hand them a little gift or beverage… all of these little things create a great first impression and are very easy to do.
However! Ideally the person to do all of this - is not you as the business owner. You are likely going to be very busy and it’s super important that you’re out there networking. It's best if you leave this job to someone else that you can trust, because the last thing you want is to be running away from the door and then trying to get back and it all turning into a big disaster.
If you do need a hand, Event Flair offers themed arrival staff who can take care of all of this for you, and we offer the option of custom made costume designs tailored to specific products and services. For more info – check it out here.
Tip Three - create a photo opportunity
We want to make attendees brand ambassadors for your product. If you have a great photo spot for them, this could turn into a free advert for you on social media. A few ideas for a photo opportunity would be a branded photo backdrop, a roving photographer or choosing a venue that you know has an amazing view. Anything and everything that encourages guests to take photos is going to be great for your launch and for creating a lasting effect.
Tip Four - have a main event
The simple “thank you for coming” speech has been and gone. You need to do something different if you want guests to remember your business. A main event needs to be brand specific. It shouldn't be time-consuming, but all in all - it needs to wow. To get you started on ideas, here’s a few examples of what Event Flair has done in the past for launch events:
We worked with a beauty brand called Lissom, who have brand themes of suppleness and grace, so for their launch we provided a ballerina, all in white and light pink (to match their branding), to perform to a classical piece
A Las Vegas promoter wanted a singer to perform at their event. To really make an event of it, our gorgeous singer was dressed head to toe in sparkles and sang a small selection of Las Vegas classics - short and simple, but super effective
We had a venue approach us wanting to market themselves as more of a night-life spot, as opposed to just a bar and restaurant. To achieve this, on a busy December evening we performed a flash mob dance with performers dressed in a summer party spin on the venue theme, and got the dancefloor from empty to full in a matter of minutes!
If you need a hand thinking of a main event, we’re overflowing with ideas, so feel free to get in touch here.
Tip Five - have something interactive
If you are bringing lots of people together who may or may not know each other, you are going to need something to break the ice. This could a set-up for them to create something that they can take home, it can be a themed face painting station (we have had great response to this at events in the past, and creates lots of photo ops!), a roving performer (a magician can be a lot of fun) or some kind of game with a prize for the winner.
Tip Six - follow up post-event
People have a lot on their minds these days, and your business needs to be one of those things. It is really important to touch base post event – so we recommend following up between three and seven days later - no more, no less. This can be via email, via a quick phone call, or if you think this person or business could be a great client, drop them off a gift or pay them a visit.
To summarize:
Spend some time on your invite, making it unique. Create great first impressions, by having people to greet your guests so you can move and network as you like. Create a photo opportunity. Have a main event, not just a speech. Provide something interactive to break the ice and follow up post-event.
it's been a pleasure sharing these tips with you, we wish you all the best for your product launches!