Sometimes the loudest, most convincing person in your organization has a pet idea and they can push it through with gusto, gaining a title wave of emotional support along the way. Before you hit the go button, check your data and testing to make sure the product is something consumers will pay for and fulfills an actual need. Which brings us to number two.
Not like “women 25-32” know, but REALLY know. Have you met her during consumer feedback sessions, and then met her again and again until she’s a friend you could plan a party for? If you’re just relying on your old standby demo for a target audience, you may be in for a rude awakening.
Have you determined the exact moment in that consumer’s life when the product you are offering will be needed? And, do you have a plan to speak to them at that precise moment? Is it when their first child goes off to college or when they get promoted to executive-level for the first time? Don’t know? Ugh, better find out.
Even at launch, many products are a work-in-progress, and that’s okay. But, the whole product shouldn’t be a work in progress. Define what is foundational (is it the audience, the price or the product) and what can be morphed to fit the needs you discover. It’ll motivate your team to know how you plan to improve in the future.
Here’s a little secret: don’t keep your product a secret. Find advocates in your target audience (see number two) to help tell your story to the world, let them try it out and love it BEFORE you launch. And don’t stop there – sometimes an excited group of employees can be just as valuable, if not more. Deploy an internal communication strategy that gets the team fired up well before the public knows what’s up.