In today’s world of consumerism, we’re constantly pressured to buy, upgrade, and stay up to date, often falling into impulsive buying patterns – whether in-store or more aggressively online. This is typically followed by feelings of guilt, regret, and self-reflection: Did I really need this? Why did I buy it? Was it an irrational decision?
As brands, we face a unique dilemma. On one hand, we are consumers ourselves, fully aware of the frustration of being bombarded with ads. On the other hand, our main objective as brands is to SELL.
When launching a new product or entering a market, many brands focus too narrowly on their strategy and positioning. They often try to clone their competitors without assessing whether these tactics align with their values and positioning, or resonate with their ‘’potential’’ target audience. This causes them to jump ahead in their process and surrender to internal pressure to meet sales objectives, only to find these strategies difficult to reverse later.
To ensure a successful brand launch, particularly in an online world, you should consider several key elements:
Objective: In the early stages, focus on broad reach and awareness rather than on immediate conversions. Getting your brand out there is crucial for long-term success, even if this phase is sometimes challenged internally for its cost (no matter how big or small it is) or perceived as lacking immediate results. Think long-term!
Message: Your brand message should be clear and concise. Use multiple visuals if necessary to complement the campaign but avoid diluting your core message. Think of yourself as your own customer.
Visuals: Use eye-catching visuals that spark curiosity and encourage users to learn more about your brand.
SEM (Search Engine Marketing): Support your campaign with SEM and monitor search volume closely. Potential customers are curious, they will search for you.
Tracking: Ensure your website is properly tracked so you can retarget interested customers with the right and relevant follow-up messages.
Retargeting: Once you have captured attention, you can shift to more targeted assets/posts with strong calls to action that will build your online footprint and presence. This will define your way forward.
Test, test, test: Don’t hesitate to experiment. Early strategies are often based on assumptions, so use this phase to test, learn, gather insights, and adjust. This will help relieve the frustration of betting everything on a single approach.
Visibility: Be present on channels aligned with your brand’s interests and where your target audience is likely to be. If your budget allows, consider a 360-degree campaign to boost awareness and support later consideration stages.
Meanwhile, some things may seem essential but are better avoided to ensure long-term success:
Overexposure: While broad exposure is important for brand visibility, overwhelming your audience can backfire. Think about your own experience: how often have you been irritated seeing the same ad over and over again? You find yourself thinking, ‘Why am I still seeing this?' Not only is it annoying, but it also actively turns you away from the brand. Too much exposure, especially with repetitive ads on social media or display networks, leads to ad fatigue. To avoid this, you can cap your ad frequency to around 3–5 times per network and alternate your messaging to keep it fresh.
Shooting in the dark: Test your strategies before fully committing. Gather insights, assess performance, and make data-driven adjustments. Don’t just rely on guesswork and assumptions.
Misaligned messaging: Your brand’s values and messaging must resonate with your audience from the start. Consistency in positioning and messaging is key – it’s the brand’s voice. If you fail to make this connection early, it’s difficult to course-correct.
Launching a new product or brand can be both exciting and overwhelming. Patience is essential when planning initial online campaigns, and respecting the marketing funnel stages is critical: Awareness is key and consideration is vital – no one will buy your product if it’s not even on their radar. So, don’t rush the process just to see results.
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