Maximizing the Buzz

Launch 2012 (Part 3)

A great launch well publicized creates a “buzz” that generates even more impact than the actual launch. Yesterday, in The Tale of Two Launches, we looked at the major factor of difference between two companies, the actions of leadership during and after the launch. The Eastern Company embraced and drove the power of the launch through their company while the Western Company treated it more as an event.

What is interesting is the maximizing of the buzz post launch and announcement. The Western Company, due to a slightly better use of Internet channels actually created more traffic staying number 1 in the first four pages of Google searches for about 10 days, but the Eastern Company had a more sustained and deeper reach which brought greater impact.

The Eastern Company knew their launch would bring a lot of media attention, so they leveraged it by creating sub launches that captured different attention and a plan of launches that would sequence following the initial launch, continuing the buzz well beyond the initial event and not limiting the information to the event. They created an atmosphere that seemed to be electrically charged.

Western Company Strategy:

• Press Releases to major and minor local media sent at the crescendo of the event so that all company participants, vendors and others would have inquiries upon leaving the event.
• RSS feed of event information and newly launched brand. Included newly acquired companies in the release.
• Rebroadcast of the launch event via YouTube for not only those in the event, those that missed the event but also taking advantage of the search and distribution capabilities of YouTube.
• Links, information and releases on all company social media sites.
• Interviews with key players recorded and posted on site and fed to media.
• Press conference on site of the launch immediately following launch with lead in video of the crescendo and excited participants exiting the launch event.

Eastern Company Strategy:

• Press Releases to major and minor local media sent at the crescendo of the event so that all company participants, vendors and others would have inquiries upon leaving the event.
• Text message sent at crescendo of the event to all company employees, affiliates, vendors and other parties from the event with links to company press releases.
• Links, information and releases on all company social media sites.
• Interviews with key players recorded and posted on site and fed to media.
• Press conference on site of the launch immediately following launch with lead in video of the crescendo and excited participants exiting the launch event.
• Built multiple websites for components of the launch and sub-launches.
• Scheduled sub launches and continued launch announcements and press releases for once every week or two over a year. These included updates, new tools, features, acquisitions and interviews with not only key people but managers, staff and the sales force as well as vendors and some competitors.
• Each person in the company was given access to all info links and encouraged to share via email, social media and in marketing.
• Each leader had a defined voice, target subject and posts related to launch and subsequent events posted to social media.
• A speaker’s bureau was established in the company as a resource for media and associations.

While the strategy of the Western Company was good, once the rose faded so did the buzz. The Eastern Company made sure the roses were continuously blooming. The Eastern Company created a friendly PR environment that kept the buzz alive. Today, if you search for information on either of these two companies and their launches, you will have to be very specific to find much about the Western Company but the Eastern Company will be at the top of the search under a variety of terms and phrases.