A new launch is intimidating.
There is nothing quite like it in marketing, and perhaps in business itself.
You start early. You start from zero. There are no customers, no revenues and often no precedent. Everything has to be built.
There is so much to do: assess the market opportunity, define the positioning, prepare the sales team, build the launch plan and much more. And these are just the headlines.
Yet even with all this effort, and sometimes even with a very good product, many launches struggle to deliver what was expected.
Why?
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work on a few major new product launches. What struck me was that many of the factors that ultimately determine success are not discussed in launch frameworks or marketing textbooks.
Some are marketing lessons.
Some are organisational lessons.
Some are sales lessons.
And some only become visible after the product finally reaches the market.
The observations below are not intended to be a launch framework or an exhaustive list of reasons why launches fail.
Rather, they are practical lessons I have learnt through experience. Some surprised me at the time. Others became visible only when the product was actually launched in the market.
Most of these are learnings in areas that teams do not always think enough about before launch.
1. A launch needs leadership intent
A new product is often treated as just another way of getting growth.
It shouldn't be.
A launch needs a different level of organisational thinking. There needs to be clarity on the strategy and go-to-market (GTM) plan: who we want to target, what behaviour we are trying to change, what success looks like, what resources are needed and how long we are prepared to give it.
This starts with Leadership Intent.
If the organisation does not see the launch as a priority, it becomes very difficult for Marketing, Sales, Medical or anyone else to make it one.
2. Research is often the first casualty
Research takes time, money and capability. And somehow, when it comes to a launch, it is often the first thing to get compromised.
I have seen two common situations which can become problematic for launch success.
Either there is very little research.
Or we research the need gap but don't adequately research the new concept and how it compares with what the HCP is doing today.
A need gap tells us there is an opportunity.
It does not tell us whether the HCP will adopt our product, who is most likely to adopt, what will make them change and what will stop them.
These are very different questions, requiring different levels of rigour and analysis.
3. The customer may behave very differently after launch
This is one of the trickiest parts of a launch.
Pre-launch research may tell us that HCPs are interested. They may say they are willing to try. The product may look very attractive.
And then the product gets launched.
And nothing happens.
The first few sales calls may not tell us why. Sometimes the real barrier emerges only after the HCP has had time to think about the product, use it or compare it with what they are already doing.
What people say they will do and what they actually do can be very different.
A launch has to be prepared for this.
4. The need is to segment the market and find the right target. Then do it again.
This is particularly important for a new launch.
There are actually two types of segmenting & targeting that I like to use.
The first is the traditional, research-led exercise: understanding who is more likely to adopt.
The second is an on-ground exercise with the actual launch team, just before launch.
The field team knows the customers in their call list. With the right questions, they can help identify who is most likely to adopt first.
Research tells us who is likely to adopt.
The field team helps us identify who is most likely to adopt first.
This is where science meets experience and, honestly, sometimes a bit of instinct and luck.
But we need to get this right.
5. Don't forget to ask: Why change?
This is something I have seen marketers miss again and again.
We spend a lot of time talking about why our product is better.
But the customer may be asking a very different question:
"Why should I change?"
What does the HCP have to give up?
It could be familiarity. Convenience. Time. Money. Mental peace. Or simply the comfort of continuing with what already works.
In one of the launches I worked on, there was a clear segment that essentially felt there was nothing wrong with the current option.
So the issue wasn't whether our product had benefits. The issue was: Why change?
And that changes how you build the proposition.
We need to be clear about what current behaviour we are asking the customer to change and why they should do it.
6. The sales team needs a different mindset and mind space
Sales teams are used to rejection.
But a launch can mean rejection from a very large proportion of the customer base, every day.
That can be difficult.
Product training is important. But it is not enough.
The team needs to be prepared for uncertainty, objections, rejection and the fact that they are building something from zero.
This is where mindset becomes important. Leadership has a role to play in preparing the team, building patience and providing the support needed to sustain the effort.
And then there is mindspace.
If a salesperson has five priorities, the new launch cannot become one of five equal priorities.
The launch has to be the priority.
This needs to be reinforced by Leadership, Marketing, Medical, L&D and the broader organisation.
Marketing cannot do this alone. Neither can the sales team manage without this clarity.
So, what makes a launch more robust?
For me, there are five things.
1. Get the segmenting & targeting right
Research is the starting point.
Then validate it on the ground.
Who will favour us more?
Who is most likely to adopt first?
2. Build a proposition that can change behaviour
It needs to be valuable to the target customer and clearly differentiated.
Ultimately, this is what we are asking the customer to act on.
3. Execute consistently
Once the target and proposition are clear, stay with them.
Don't change everything because the first few months are weak.
A launch needs time.
4. Prepare the sales team with even more rigour and intent
Not just on the product. Also, on having a different mindset.
Prepare them for rejection, uncertainty and the reality of building from zero.
And make sure the launch has the mindspace it deserves.
5. Have a back-up
Back-up.
Back-up.
Back-up.
Plan B. Plan C if possible.
Things change quickly in a launch. We need to give Plan A the maximum time, attention and patience. But if something changes, we should not be starting from scratch.
A launch starts from zero
There is no perfect plan for a new product introduction.
And every launch is different.
But after working on launches, I have learnt that success depends on much more than having a good product.
It requires leadership intent, customer understanding, disciplined marketing, a prepared sales organisation and, above all, patience.
Most importantly, a launch is not simply the introduction of a product into the market.
It is an attempt to create new behaviour among customers, sales teams, channels and sometimes even the organisation itself.
That is what makes launches challenging.
And that is also what makes them fascinating.
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At Aovantage, we help healthcare businesses build stronger growth strategies and translate them into effective market execution.