AMA: MyFitnessPal Vice President Product Marketing, Katie Levinson on Product Launch Strategy

Building on defining a successful product launch, measurement is a key factor in figuring out whether the launch is successful and what potential pivots you may need to make. The success of a product launch is typically measured by how well it meets business objectives, customer needs, and market expectations. As an example, for a new mobile app launch, KPIs could include daily active users (DAU), app downloads, retention rate at 7, 30, and 90 days, and user ratings in app stores.  KPIs vary dep ...Read More

You should define the success of your launch BEFORE you actually launch, and even before you finalize your go-to-market (GTM) strategy. This should be done in partnership with your fellow marketing cross-functional teammates, who will be responsible for helping move KPIs, and with the product team, whose strategy and goals will play a major role in your GTM strategy and plan. With that out of the way, a successful product launch really depends on your goals. Are you trying to attract a ton of ne ...Read More

Not all products require a full formal launch. Small feature updates or enhancements can be released quietly or with just an internal announcement. Lighter product updates that help drive forward a strategy could leverage just a one off email or notification, and something more substantial but not a big rock launch could be launched through just your owned channels like lifecycle and social media. Huge product launches and times when you’re entering a new market could call for a launch formal lu ...Read More

Getting alignment early and checking in often is incredibly important for not only a successful launch but also ensuring that people are bought in and excited for it. Here’s how I approach it: Collaborate with Key Stakeholders Early: Make sure you bring in product managers, customer support, engineering, design and marketing teams from the very beginning. Each group will have valuable insights about customer pain points and help you to develop the best possible messaging strategy. Conduct Messag ...Read More

There are a few things you can do to ensure a product is ready for launch. Some of this comes way before launch as part of “inbound product marketing” - conducting the research you need to feel confident that you have the right messaging, value props and RTBs in place, and are meeting your target audience where they are and solving the right pain points for them. Some of this research involves: Foundational research: Depending on the size/scope of the launch and if it’s the first of its kind at ...Read More

Yes! There are many reasons why you may want to hold off on launching a feature or product after it’s already been released. This often happens when you want to either bundle a bunch of features for a coherent narrative, or there’s a time in the market when it would be better to capitalize (for instance, if there’s a large tech event where you can unveil your new product or feature to maximize press). To get a bit more specific, here are some scenarios: Align with Market Timing: A competing prod ...Read More