What tactics do you use to effectively incorporate new, creative aspects into product launches that can so easily become routine and mundane?
in my opinion, each launch has its own nuance. Not every product goes to the same audience (there are likely subsets of your user base that are more or less excited by some launches than others), and so when youre looking for how to deliver value to your new launch, there is likely a part of the launch plan that you turn on for one launch that doesnt play to another. We have a framework for launches where the list of tasks a PMM can do gets broken down into four components: user insights/opportunity sizing -> positioning and val prop creation -> GTM -> growth. and in each of those four compnents theres a list of tasks from reasearch to messaging frameworks to naming strategies to blogs to social to analyst engagement and press briefings and so on. So I'd suggest you think less about a routine bill of materials and think more about a line card of marketing deliverables across the different stages of a launch, and rather than your PMM checklist being a set ~10 activities, come up with your list of 20-30 options and then pick which 10 you need to deploy for each subsequent launch.
Two things:
Always be getting inspiration from other brands... I have a coworker who likes to look to brands like McDonalds and Nike, and it always inspires new ideas.
Take a step away from your work, clear your head, and come back to it with fresh eyes. And ask yourself - is there a way to make this fun? What would a kid do to promote this?
Stay on top on new marketing trends, tools, tactics by following blogs/newsletters/communities like Marketing Brew, Sharebird and PMA.
PMMs are often under-resourced and the ‘check the box’ launch can be all too common if you don’t get in front of the launch early. It's essential to focus on uncovering key insights early and securing alignment from stakeholders on the launch ambitions. A few ways to achieve this:
Early Insight Discovery: Conduct thorough market research and customer interviews early in the planning phase to uncover unique insights about customer pain points and needs. These insights can serve as the foundation for a compelling and differentiated launch strategy.
Narrative Development: Use the early insights to craft a story that resonates deeply with your audience. Highlight how the product solves specific problems and improves users' lives, making the launch more engaging and meaningful.
Launch Tiering/Ambition: Establish different tiers for your product launches based on their importance and potential impact. This allows you to allocate resources and creativity appropriately, ensuring high-priority launches receive the attention they deserve while maintaining consistency across all efforts.
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Stakeholder Alignment: Engage key stakeholders from the outset to align on the vision and objectives of the product launch. This ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding the ambition and can unlock opportunities to pursue more creative launch activities.
The actual aspects of a more ‘creative’ launch – in person event, UGC, celebrity partnership, pushing creative boundaries, etc – will be more executional once you’ve addressed the above.
Totally hear you -- how do you balance the need for consistency and meeting the expectations of partner teams with consistent materials, with more creative ways to break through the noise?
Few places I draw inspiration:
My background is in B2B product marketing, so I try to stay on top of recent investments not only in enterprise marketing but in the consumer world. What are these brands doing to activate their communities and spotlight new products? We once created a chrome extension that got general consumer visibility for an initiative we were driving. It wasn't exactly a 1:1 to what was in our product, but it led to the same general value -- and got the broader market talking about the problem at hand (and ultimately back to what we were really trying to launch/sell).
I also try to think about the ICP from a more personal level. For example, many folks I've worked with in security love solving problems -- as one security colleague put it, "We like really cool problems or really cool solutions." One idea we'd had for a security launch was creating an escape room like experience to build buzz within our customer and their peer community.
Lastly, and perhaps the least strategic but sometimes very fruitful -- sometimes I'll just throw a key word/phrase into Google image (and/or GPT) and see what it pops out. The further you scroll, the farther afield the images get -- and potentially new ideas that might strike.
Finding new and creative approaches to product launches is one of the most exciting yet hardest parts of GTM. Product marketers have to break free of the GTM checklist. It’s understandable that PMMs fall back on email and social posts because they are efficient channels to use to reach your target market.
If you don’t have the resources or budget to try a new channel, get creative in your existing channels. Instead of your typical post on X, whip up a fun GIF or 1 minute tutorial showcasing the new feature. There are a ton of easy to use video tools available like Descript.
Another low lift strategy is to have an advocate or partner post on social media on your behalf. By utilizing your ecosystem, you can reach new audiences while validating the feature’s value through a 3rd party.
Look for new channel opportunities like podcasts, partner’s youtube channels, or even (gasp!) direct mail. Have some fun, experiment, and start small. Make sure you set some benchmark expectations with leadership. Great leaders will support your new ideas and guide you as you fail and pivot along the way.
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