Launching or re-introducing a brand is probably one of the most exciting and challenging aspects of marketing in general. You’ve spent considerable amounts of valuable time on (re)shaping the identity and positioning of the brand, collected valuable data, analysed the landscape including its competitors and finally have come to the point where it’s time to face the world. What are the essential first, initial steps to keep in mind when marketing a (new) brand?
You obviously want to make sure that the internal aspects of your brand are right in order. The brand identity should be shaped professionally, including a distinctive positioning. Content plans should be realised – which will form the foundation of your marketing and communications efforts. You created and activated all the suitable channels for your business to accelerate and grow, such as an independent and optimised website, social media channels, contact streams and further physical and digital touch-points.
Data. Isn’t it all about data? During the creative and strategic processes of shaping your brand, you should gather as much valuable data as possible from the market(s) you’re about to enter, your competitors and surely; the target group(s) you desire to connect with. Combining this valuable data and using it as fuel for the creative processes as described above, will provide you with the right ingredients to create a cutting-edge and seamlessly adaptive launch plan.
It’s time to execute your launch plan. This is the moment where everything comes together; the branding, positioning, content plans and marketing communication strategies, all supported by data. It surely depends entirely on your business – and goals – which specific channels and instruments you should be using for introducing the brand. Social media advertising, press statements, PR, influencer marketing, physical touch-points, online marketing and so on. The possibilities and combinations are endless. Together with your creative partner you would have to select the tools that fit your expectations and budget accordingly.
The early stages of launching a brand are pure learning curves for you to gather as much data and feedback as possible, in order to steer and guide the process when required. It’s a dynamic process which is impossible to foresee entirely, so make sure you’re prepared as good as possible, but most importantly: get ready to adapt. It will always be a dynamic and unpredictable happening which requires you to be agile. Resilience is an important keyword here.
There are so many more factors influencing the success rate and efficiency of launches and market introductions, so we’d be happy to discuss this with you in appliance to your brand. Contact us for a non-binding consult, let’s talk.