New Product Launch Plan

At Zesty, we’re witness to the power of branding. If you hope to launch “the next big thing”, then you need to make sure that you charge into the marketplace the right way. In this guide we’ll explain how to launch a brand successfully.

The food and beverage product launch frenzy

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a rapid increase in supply and demand for various food and beverage products, healthy snacks, vegan products and other creative alternatives. From micro-producers to experienced artisans, you will find people launching foods products far and wide. Launching a product brand is a huge opportunity. The savviest entrepreneurs know how to tap into this opportunity as a way of raising brand awareness and kicking things off well.

Launching a brand is your chance to get customers just as excited about your company and products as you are. From experience, we’ve noticed that companies often leave their launch plans to the last minute, meaning that important decisions and significant events are rushed and under-considered. This leads to new brands beginning their lives with a whimper, when they could’ve have a booming impact.

The point of this “How to launch a brand” guide, is to show you the waypoints to creating big news. A brand launch strategy is your chance to get people excited, develop a buzz, and make everyone (customers, retailers, press, and investors), lean in and take notice.

How to launch a product brand

There are many small, moving parts that must be accounted for in planning your brand launch. Adequate preparation takes time, but will make all the difference.

Branding agency support

We’d hope that before you launch your brilliant new product, you’ve worked with a Branding Agency to develop a stand-out brand and effective package design. The best branding agency will help you:

• Craft your brand strategy and messaging
• Design all brand materials (logo, colours, standards, photography, typography, fonts etc.)
• Create mind-blowing package design that is CFIA compliant
• Help you with marketing and communication materials (Sales sheets, press, social media, advertising, website design)
• Define your Zest Factor — Today’s customer believes your dollar is your voice. Buying brands who truly stand out, have a purpose, who do some type of social good; these are ways brands make a difference and support something customers believe in.

Strategic brand goals

Before embarking on your brand launch, it is vital to set goals to measure what you hope to achieve. Setting measurable goals are key to achieving success within a specific time frame. Additionally, your strategic brand goals will help you formulate and execute your budget — critical if you’re getting startup funding from investors.

Check your brand message

With an understanding of your audience, ensure that your brand messaging appeals to your audience. Does your brand have a clearly noticeable and memorable personality and message? Does your brand inspire and make a connection with your ideal customer?

Deliver this message through the right channels

Are you delivering your brand message through the correct channels that relate to your audience. What are the habits of your customer? Where are they found? What is their lifestyle? What are they doing? Are you pitching your product to the relevant retailers for your audience?

Is your supply chain dialed?

For many small businesses, managing a supply chain is a struggle. Gobal supply chain issues like the COVID-19 pandemic or the Suez Canal crisis can cause major hiccups for product brands. Consider a strategy for keeping on top of your product demand, such as domestic sourcing and production, which may even outmaneuver the large corporate brands when times get tough. This important consideration can make or break your retailer partnerships, so it should not be overlooked in your Product Launch Plan.

Preparing your new brand launch

Timing is important, you may want to introduce rebranding as fast as possible, however a rushed launch leads to mistakes and inconsistencies. Postponing your launch temporarily could make all the difference between a huge success or total failure. Before launching nail down your positioning and brand message. Revisit your brand standards and ensure packaging is compliant and looks great, get your website and social media ready to roll.

Keep your brand on course

A well executed brand launch is only the beginning. What lies ahead is the future of your new brand and the many ways that your customers will experience it. It’s important to stay on course and keep your brands purpose in mind.

Following a brand launch, you’ll want to ensure brand stewardship and consistency. New content creation, marketing campaigns, advertising initiatives, trade show booth design, etc. The through line in all of this should be a consistent brand promise, brand personality, brand identity and brand strategy. You should never be complacent or caught in a trend that doesn’t make sense for your brand.

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