Making a client’s launch “purposeful”

As an agency who specialize in launching brands, we have the privilege of seeing our client’s professional ‘dreams’ come to life when their new product is finally ready to be shared with consumers. The passion, drive and focus that went into product conceptualization to development is coming to fruition and the fruits of their labour will finally be realized.

They’ve got one shot to make a first best impression and it’s our job to make sure we break through the clutter and introduce the product/brand in a relevant, memorable and sustaining way.

As part of the launch strategy, it’s critical to understand what makes their product unique? How is it truly different from their competitors and why should consumers really care? Sometimes it’s hard for our clients to realize consumers might not embrace their new product as passionately as they believe they should.

With literally thousands of brands launching every day, it’s challenging for brands to have a unique point of difference. Particularly when it comes to the functional attributes of a product. Sure, consumers consider quality, perceived value, price and packaging when looking at new products, but often they are looking for something that will make a meaningful impact on their lives. In other words, often the they are looking for a brand with purpose. A brand with a purpose delivers genuine value to consumers by standing for something consumers care about.

Many mature brands are trying to increase their relevance by identifying a new purpose and ‘reason to be’ for their brand. Dove’s purpose of widening the definition of beauty by increasing self-esteem or Nike’s purpose of bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete are two good examples of this.

The good news for brands just launching is they can communicate their purpose from the start. It’s not about trying to reinvent themselves but it’s about coming out of the gate with a compelling reason to be.

Here’s why marketers and entrepreneurs launching a new brand should consider launching with a purpose:

1. Brands with clarity of purpose financially outperform those without
2. Brands with a purpose achieve stronger brand loyalty and market share for the longer-term
3. The disconnect between brands and consumers is becoming the new norm and consumers believe only 28% of brands improve the quality of their life or well-being in some way
4. Meaningful brand actions are increasingly becoming paramount to building authentic, genuine relationships with audiences and shareholders.
5. 1 in 5 brands considered meaningful purpose brands, outperform their less meaningful competitors

Want to talk about how defining a purpose or leveraging your purpose should be part of your launch strategy? Call or email us. We would love to help optimize your launch debut.

Harbinger is a Toronto-based North American marketing agency with expertise in product launches. We help brands get noticed and purchased.