AMA: Asana Director of Product Marketing, Erica Conti on Product Launches

A product launch I worked on in 2022 didn't go as expected due to rapidly changing market conditions. We initially developed aspirational messaging, but realized it wouldn't resonate in this new environment where "doing more with less" was very top of mind for our target audience. We quickly needed to pivot our messaging across channels without delaying the launch. This experience taught me two lessons that still influence my product launches today: 1. Stay acutely aware of market dynamics: * Continuously monitor market trends * Keep a pulse on competitive activities * Regularly reassess your target customers' mindsets 2. Maintain flexibility and agility: * Be prepared to pivot if necessary * Have contingency plans in place * Prioritize launch timing over perfection For me, this experience reinforced the importance of balancing long-term planning with short-term responsiveness. It's crucial to have a solid launch strategy, but equally important to remain nimble and ready to adjust when the market shifts unexpectedly.

I create my product launch strategy through a six-step process, which is outlined in my attached template. Over the years, I've found that this process ensures a comprehensive approach to product launches, while still maintaining flexibility to accommodate the specific needs of a launch: 1. Plan: This initial stage focuses on setting the strategy and aligning with key stakeholders. I define the: * Target audience * Primary and secondary goals * Success metrics * Value proposition * Marquee products or features * Naming * Overall channel strategy based on my launch goals and brainstorms with channel partners 2. Kickoff: Here, I engage marketing channel and regional teams to determine specific tactics and creative needs. I discuss the: * Customer journey * Required assets and content * New activations to test * Targeting criteria across channels 3. Execute: During this phase, I partner closely with creative and other marketing channel teams to bring the plan to life. Key considerations include: * Ensuring all channel teams understand my requirements and timing * Adapting messaging for different regions * Localizing assets 4. Preview: This stage involves preparing Revenue teams and engaging analysts. I focus on: * Distribution of enablement materials * Conducting analyst inquiries * Building a plan to drive internal momentum (as PMMs, we need to market both externally and internally!) 5. Finalize: As I approach the launch, I obtain final sign-offs and prepare for global release. Key activities include: * Getting assets approved by Legal * Asset handoff for localization 6. Launch: In the final stage, I make last-minute preparations and plan for post-launch activities: * Setting up communication channels for launch day * Planning team celebrations * Scheduling retros to improve our launch processes * Preparing to share results with leadership at 30, 60, and 90 days

My framework for analyzing customer feedback after a launch involves implementing multiple voice of customer channels, then analyzing the data to inform our product priorities and launch strategy. Here's an overview of my process: 1. Build dedicated voice of customer channels: * Set up dedicated Slack channels for the Revenue teams to share customer questions and feedback * Monitor community forum discussions * Track comments across social media channels * Collect questions raised at events like webinars 2. Analyze and extract themes: * Utilize AI tools to analyze and categorize the feedback 3. Share insights with marketing channel and Product teams: * Share insights to inform product roadmap decisions and post-launch activities

Yes, I tier features in product launches. This tiering system helps prioritize our marketing efforts and resources - here's how I determine the tier for each feature and the key differences between them: * Tier 1 features receive the highest level of attention across all areas, as they are crucial to deliver on the company's strategy and market positioning. * Criteria: Major drivers of company objectives and product vision, as well as newsworthy and highly relevant to current market trends * Focus: High buyer-, user-, and internally-focused activation * Tier 2 features are important for business growth and user adoption but may not require the same level of market-wide attention as Tier 1 features. * Criteria: Important drivers of sustained ARR and/or product adoption * Focus: High user-focused activation, with medium buyer- and internally-focused activation * Tier 3 features, while still important, are more focused on user experience and internal enablement, requiring significant educational efforts rather than broad market communication. * Criteria: Require significant change management or education efforts * Focus: Medium internally-focused activation, with low buyer-focused and user-focused activation

To launch new features (vs new products), I ladder them to our established, core use cases. This approach ensures consistency in marketing materials and helps customers understand how our new features fit into the greater set of solutions that our product provides and makes them stronger. For learning about product marketing, my favorite resources include: 1. Online communities: Sharebird, PMM Files and PMM Camp (PMM Files and PMM Camp share a lot of examples in the wild that I enjoy clicking through!) 2. Industry publications: Ad Age (I love to be inspired by messaging and creative across industries!) 3. Professional networks: Following CMOs from various industries on LinkedIn (I am interested in seeing what is top of mind for them, and benefit from any wisdom they share!)

When stakeholders express resistance to launch activities, I emphasize that there's no "one-size-fits-all" approach to launches, and I focus on demonstrating the value of each activity and its connection to our launch goals. To address the "why do we have to do all this stuff" question, I also explain my own 70/20/10 approach to selecting launch activities: 1. 70% proven impact: * Tried-and-tested activities with demonstrated results * Provides a solid foundation for the launch 2. 20% somewhat proven impact: * Activities with promising but not fully established results * Allows for calculated risks 3. 10% experimental: * New, innovative approaches * Helps create a pipeline for future proven activations * Keeps our launches fresh This approach ensures we're not just doing activities for the sake of it, but strategically choosing activities that contribute to our goals while also promoting internal innovation.

Internal buy-in is crucial for the success of a product launch. Here are some of my tips for creating excitement and building buzz internally: 1. Get leadership alignment and advocacy: * Engage leaders early about the launch and ensure they champion it across the organization 2. Create actionable CTAs for internal audiences: * Encourage employees to try the product, invite customers to a launch-related event, or post about it themselves on social media channels 3. Facilitate easy social sharing: * Provide pre-written posts and shareable content about the launch tailored to employees' own social networks 4. Leverage company-wide communication channels: * Present at All Hands meetings and use internal forums to articulate why employees should get excited 5. Host internal launch events: * Organize celebrations, treats, or giveaways to boost engagement Driving internal buzz helps employees at your company be your best brand ambassadors!