Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Meet “Sliced Bread”…
Four tips to consider when introducing a novel product or service to the general public
 When Wonder Bread introduced sliced bread to the public in 1930, they knew exactly what they were doing. Launching the product with a campaign tagline “the greatest thing since sliced bread” gave the consumable carbohydrate a memorable slogan and stellar positioning within the marketplace. But had Wonder Bread been introduced in today’s day and age the same way, would it really have succeeded with just a snappy tagline? corecubed shares 4 tips for introducing a new product or service to the public.
It takes courage to venture into the unknown.
A couple of weeks ago, cheers broke out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as NASA’s Phoenix Lander beamed back its first images of the Martian surface. Mars may be earth’s nearest neighbor – notwithstanding the moon – but it’s a vastly different planet for a myriad of reasons. Given how little is known about the planet, it would take guts of steel for anyone to venture out into that unknown wasteland.
It may not be Mars, but many people approach purchasing new products or services just as cautiously. We want to have proof that a new hot-off-the-shelf product will deliver, and we want confidence that our money is well invested in a service we never before knew existed.
So what’s the best marketing strategy to get even the most conservative of customers to pull out their wallets and invest in your new product or service? Take a lesson from Wonder Bread and pay attention to the following...
“I started seeing movie trailers for Flicka a long time ago (more than six months, I believe) and my daughter has been asking to go,” he said. “I honestly thought we somehow missed it and it should be coming out on DVD soon. The initial excitement (for my daughter, don’t worry…) is long gone. I do not think it was a huge mistake, but it did create a sense of a let down instead of anticipated excitement.” A perfect example of how a long product introduction can lead to stale customer response.
Steve Jobs, chief executive officer of Apple, usually doesn’t announce a new product until it’s ready to hit the shelves. According to marketing professor Christophe Van den Bulte, cited in an article published by the University of Pennsylvania, the timing of a marketing campaign depends on the type of new product being marketed. A good rule to follow: If it’s a durable, expensive product with a long life span, begin marketing early. If a product is a consumable that can be replaced quickly and easily, begin marketing the day it hits the shelves. And corecubed’s advice is to only start marketing a service when it is ready to be delivered. You may even want to offer a free trial so the users can start creating buzz for you.
The problem consumers have with a new product or service is that no one has ever used it before. They don’t know how it works – or if it works. That’s why it’s often a good idea to shoot video of a product demonstration that can be shown in commercials, at trade shows or on your Web site.
“If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video offers 10 times that,” explains Michael Bryant of Sony Creative Software in this article. “There is nothing like a rich multi-media experience to get your message across. Video enables you to engage your prospective customer on several levels simultaneously.”
A video demonstration accomplishes two things for your customer: It shows them that your new product works, and it gives them a basic understanding of how it should be used.
For a new service, showcase examples and list testimonials. Testimonials are a great way for others to understand how a business thrived by using the new service, and how the business USED the new service.
Coming up with “the greatest thing”- insist on creativity in your campaign!
Perhaps the greatest thing about Wonder Bread is its tagline. Think about how the phrase “the greatest thing since sliced bread” has worked its way into society’s lexicon. Your marketing campaign should reflect the resources, time and creativity that you poured into your new product or service. That means you should be deliberate in the way in which you introduce your product or service to the masses. Make a list of all the benefits and make a point to include them in the marketing strategy. Come up with a logo or graphic that is representational. And above all, market the product in a way that gets consumers’ attention.
“Your launch promotion should be as innovative as your product,” explains Gwyneth Dwyer from Marketing Profs. “Don’t negate countless hours of product development with a ho-hum launch. To intrigue your audience, you need that big idea, that theme, that concept, that intriguing visual…”
That’s where a good public relations and marketing firm can help. corecubed can match the logo and launch with the message and the targeted audience. Like selling a sow’s ear for a silk purse, the unwary consumer must know what they are getting by the marketing. Their anticipation must match what is to be delivered. The adage “don’t over promise and under deliver” is paramount in the marketing campaign. This is the consumer’s first opportunity to experience and you want it to be successful.
There’s a good chance that many of your employees – at least the ones not directly involved with the new offering – will be just as clueless about how it works as the external consumers are. Perhaps they have never actually had sliced white bread. If what you are offering is new and different, and if you expect your employees to represent your new creation to the masses, they’re going to have to know the ins and outs of your products and services.
“Do you know why customers will want to buy from you vs. the vast field of competitors out there?” asks Kim T. Gordon in this article on entrepreneur.com . “What benefits and features will you provide that your prospective customers will value most?”
All of your employees should be able to answer these questions – and they should be able to demonstrate the product’s or service’s use.
Want more survival tips on how to avoid dangerous land mines when launching new products? Check out 10 Reasons Why New Products and Services Fail.
And if you want to launch a new service or product, and need a hand in building a good marketing strategy and implementation to make your launch successful, feel free to call your communications partners at corecubed. Visit us online at www.corecubed.com, contact us at 1-800-370-6580, x1 or email us at info@corecubed.com. We are experts at strategically creating ongoing monthly communications tactics that reach desired audiences, reap results and help increase your business.
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Some marketers advise to start marketing a new product months before it launches in order to create as big a buzz as possible for the actual release date, but that’s not always the case, according to some. Ron McDaniel explains in his blog post how this strategy failed when a motion picture studio began advertising the children’s movie “Flicka.”
Sure, that grocery clerk may tell you the bread is fresh, but we all want to squeeze the loaf to test and see if it’s the perfect one for us. The same goes for new products or services that people have never used before. Consumers don’t know how it works, IF it works and if it will be the RIGHT product or service for them. So you have to anticipate the “need to squeeze the loaf” and show them. 
