It can be tough to coordinate a successful product launch.
Examples of Successful Product Launches
Check out these three brands that managed to do it right.
Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee
Launched in February of 2009, Starbuck’s instant coffee made use of 100 percent natural roast coffee. Unlike many other instant coffee options, the VIA mix was high in quality and made without any preservatives. This launch is one of the biggest Starbucks product launches to date, and was a resounding success. What made this launch so successful? Time.
Starbucks spent nearly twenty years developing and perfecting VIA. Once they had the recipe down pat, Starbucks hit the street to orchestrate sample and feedback sessions with customers. They differentiated their instant coffee from other instant brands with a clever slogan: “not instant coffee, but coffee in an instant.” Starbucks was eventually able to launch VIA in a range of different grocery stores, including Safeway and Target. The moral of the story? If you want to successfully launch a product, then you must take your time, solicit customer feedback, and work to differentiate.
2013 Dodge Dart
A compact sedan, the Dodge Dart is both high-tech and luxurious. It boasts a range of sleek features, including specialty lighting, colored dashboard display, a rear cross-path detection system, and spot monitoring. In order to launch the vehicle, Dodge relied on focused television spots and print ads, using New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and musical artist Pitbull as spokespersons for the vehicle. All in all, the launch was a resounding success. Remember, when launching a product, a little bit of fame hanging around your brand can go a long way.
The KFC Double Down
In 2010, KFC decided that it was time to reinvent the chicken sandwich. So, what did they do? They took away the bun and replaced it with chicken, stuffing bacon and cheese between two boneless white meat chicken filets. They dubbed the new creation the “Double Down.” Sure, it might be a heart attack just waiting to happen (The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine actually requested that KFC avoid marketing the sandwich to children and requested that they keep ads for the sandwich from within 500 yards of schools) but the shock and awe tactic worked like a charm.
KFC leveraged the buzz around the Double Down to their advantage, creating compelling social media and Internet advertising campaigns. Double Down fans even created highly entertaining Twitter and Facebook pages for the “sandwich.” The bottom line was impressive to say the least, with the Double Down contributing to 5 percent of KFC’s sales. In total, the brand managed to sell roughly 10 million double downs in the first six weeks. Ultimately, when it comes to successfully launching a product, generating attention is key. Even unorthodox attention is sometimes considered good attention!
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with extensive experience in the medtech industry. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
