AMA: Bluevine Sr. Director of Customer Research, Content, and Product Marketing , Anna Wiggins on Product Launches
November 7 @ 9:00AM PST
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Bluevine Sr. Director of Customer Research, Content, and Product Marketing , Anna Wiggins on Product Launches
Top Questions
What does internal communication look like leading up to a product launch? How are teams looped in?
Do teams have their respective launch lists? Is there a weekly meeting leading up to the launch?
Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
Kick-off Meeting: Start with a comprehensive kick-off meeting involving all cross-functional stakeholders essential for executing the launch. This meeting should cover what is launching, include a product demo, share the Go-To-Market (GTM) plan, and outline schedules and timelines. Weekly Status......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
Lack of internal alignment
Lack of central GTM POC
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In your eyes, what's product marketing's role in the launch? What's key to ensure it's smooth?
What are the key deliverables PMM provides? What gets handed off to other teams to run with and create?
Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
I hate to use a cliche, but Product Marketing is the glue that holds everything together. We're the central point of contact, part project manager, part strategist. We create the Go-To-Market (GTM) plan based on research and product-market fit, and then we kick it into gear. It's about rallying a......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
One of the most important steps is to get organizational alignment and buy-in that you need a launch discipline. Some early-stage organizations may prioritize agility and move quickly without formal processes. It's crucial to ensure everyone recognizes the value of having a structured approach. ......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
Creating a GTM strategy for a product with an extended beta period involves adapting to change. Begin by understanding the beta's goals and the phases involved. Instead of finalizing a fixed GTM strategy upfront, focus on defining critical milestones between the beta and full launch. Develop a t......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
See my answer to the previous question on process organization. Going into the launch, you need to have a clear understanding of the target audience, their pain points, and how the product/feature solves those pain points and messaging to explain what you’ve built. These ingredients are consta......Read More
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If your product team works in two-week sprints, how do you balance and prioritize each launch? In other words is a "release" always a "launch" and how do you differentiate and treat each?
Product team releases something worthwhile (to a degree) every two weeks. A new feature is released in an MVP stage (not always in beta) and frequently iterated on. How does a small team manage the constant updates to existing products to ensure clients are informed (so the updates get used/don't take anyone by surprise) but aren't constantly being bombarded by marketing messages.
Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
While a product may technically be ready for launch, it doesn't necessarily mean it's market-ready. The key to addressing this lies in the quarterly planning process, which involves reviewing the roadmap and tiering the launches. Larger, more impactful launches are given dedicated moments to shi......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
This is a great question that often goes overlooked. In high-velocity roadmap organizations, the focus tends to be on getting a product to market and then moving on to the next launch, without pausing to assess how the product actually performed. To evaluate the success of your launch, there a......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
First, the sales team needs to know what is launching and when so they can make appropriate plans to incorporate it in their sales conversations. To facilitate these conversations, the choice of tools and practices should be tailored to the product's complexity, the sales cycle, and the team stru......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
When considering the key elements of a successful product launch, common themes emerge: early alignment, clarity on next steps, audience definition, and strategic go-to-market planning. Internal organization plays a pivotal role in achieving success. The fact that you don’t have a dedicated POC o......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
Whether you need a big industry event for a successful launch really depends on what you're selling and your industry. Most of us aren't launching the next iPhone, so we can get our products out there without a big event. The main thing is understanding your audience – who they are, what they wan......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
When it comes to launching a product internally, the process can vary depending on the launch's size and whether there's a sales component involved. But let's focus on the critical documents and collateral you'll need. Foremost, you must have a well-structured Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy docu......Read More
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Anna Wiggins
Bluevine Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Content, Customer Research • November 8
Absolutely, tiering product launches is crucial for optimizing their impact and resource allocation. This practice combines elements of both art and science, and several factors should be considered: * Strategic Impact: Evaluate whether the launch significantly advances your company's pos......Read More
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