product launch event management

Elevating your brand: innovative product launch event ideas

There's no two ways about it - a great product launch event can make all the difference. You're tasked with ensuring that your company's latest offering is easily distinguishable from your competitors while also setting yourself apart as an innovator. You won't need us to tell you that it's not easy in today's ultra-competitive market.

 

When it comes to differentiating themselves from the rest, the most successful product launches transform physical spaces while also taking advantage of the broad reach of the online realm. For instance, the launch of Eucerin's Sun Hydro Fluid 60 Sunscreen by MCI Brazil involved an immersive experience for an exceptionally discerning audience in person and online. 
 

'95% of new products miss the mark' - MIT Professional Education 
 

The event led to exceptional organic engagement and the kind of social media buzz that gets your products on everyone's lips and in thousands of shopping baskets. Results like these don't happen by accident, as there is invariably a brilliant plan behind them.

So, come with us now as we explore the cutting-edge strategies and creative approaches that can elicit the reaction you're looking for from your audience while highlighting the uniqueness of the product you're launching.
 

Understand your audience for a great product launch event

Product launch event management at its best requires that you understand who you're marketing to. This is a basic tenet for success, but it's a factor that sometimes gets overlooked. Get this aspect wrong, and your messaging—both pre-, during, and post-launch—is likely to fall on deaf ears, impacting your engagement and ultimate sales. 

Understanding the wants and needs of your ideal customers is critical to tailoring your launch marketing correctly. This is nothing new in marketing, of course, but it can be so obvious so as to be missed while you're focusing on all those other complex launch metrics.
 

Knowing your ideal customers' preferences

Having a firm grip on what your audience wants and needs shouldn't be left to chance, as it's information that's pivotal to gaining the traction required for success. The good news is that there are a number of ways it can be gathered through conventional and more progressive channels, such as:

  • Surveys and questionnaires—there's nothing wrong with directly asking potential customers what they're looking for in the kind of product you're launching. A number of software platforms exist that make this particular job a pain-free one. 
  • Focus groups—another option is to put together small groups from within your target audience, acting as focus groups to reveal deeper insights that surveys might overlook. 
  • Social media listening—or how about keeping a close eye on social media platforms for trends and discussions relating to your product category? These conversations can reveal much to help your cause. 
  • Competitor analysis—then there's the rich resource of data that is your competition. By studying what they're doing, it's possible to identify what your customers like and dislike. 

The way in which you glean this information is entirely up to you and your team, but it must be gained for the sake of your strategy and your ability to satisfy unmet needs. Next, we look at another important element in the product launch equation - your event location.
 

Choosing an innovative product launch venue

As a primary element of your product launch event planning strategy, the venue you choose is crucial. It sets the tone and can leave a lasting impression on attendees. Your venue is the first point of engagement, and the experience you offer can transform a typical launch into a truly memorable event that resonates in all the right places. 

Take the launch of the Range Rover Sport SV, Edition One, in 2023, where the innovative location played a huge part in its success. It was organised by MCI Europe and held at Range Rover House in Cap d'Antibes, France, which is a singularly luxurious location. 

The venue was pivotal in allowing guests to become completely immersed in all the planned activities—which involved gourmet culinary experiences, test drives, and watchmaking masterclasses—and epitomised the luxury that the car manufacturer was trying to communicate in its launch.
 

Themed events represent a powerful strategy

Another way to create a buzz around your product launch event is to base it on a theme, something that allows you to create a cohesive and memorable experience. This strategy can be powerful and enhance audience engagement, and when you design your event around a central theme, your attempts to convey your values become that much easier. 

Based on the theme of a fresh Alpine experience, the MCI team was once again involved in a highly impactful product launch - this time for Bvlgari's Man Glacial Essence Fragrance. This involved one of the most creative product launch event ideas you'll see, featuring real-life events and a 360-degree interactive environment that replicated the landscape of this stunning, mountainous part of the world. 

This next-level experience allowed in-person and online attendees to set off on a virtual expedition while exploring the new fragrance in a super-sensory way. If a product launch event exists to capture the imagination, this one did in an extraordinary way. 

product launch event

Leveraging technology for a completely unique experience


If innovation is what you seek, nowhere is it more readily available than in the world of technology. By leveraging cutting-edge tech product launch events, you can offer amazing and unique experiences that capture attention and provide unparalleled levels of entertainment and engagement. Traditional events simply can't compete when the latest tech, such as VR and AR, is utilised to its fullest. 

  • Virtual Reality (VR), for instance, can be used to create entirely virtual environments in which people can explore what you have to offer. Highly interactive experiences can be provided that offer an entirely different way to interact with your product.
  • Augmented Reality (AR), on the other hand, allows you to overlay digital information, images, and even sound over reality so that the viewer can make better sense of what they're seeing. It can be an extremely impactful marketing tool. 

To see this state-of-the-art tech being used to great effect, look no further than the collaboration between MCI and SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing) (SAP), the German multinational software corporation.

The use of AR and VR as part of this product launch event allowed people to understand the perspective of everyone in the supply chain. It also helped to make sense of what - to some - is a very complex and hard-to-grasp subject while highlighting their product's unique benefits. 

Getting social media influencers to amplify your message


While using social media influencers in your product launch event management approach might not be new, it can certainly be effective. When you enlist anyone from the various levels of the social media influencer pyramid to amplify your message, it can add real substance to your product launch event. 

They can bring with them a huge and loyal following who hang on their every word, helping you share engaging content, updates, and live coverage of your event. This approach boosts not just your visibility but also your credibility through what's perceived as an authentic and unbiased voice.

Post-event engagement is equally important


After all the pomp and fanfare of your product launch has come to a close, your innovative ideas will hopefully have had the desired impact on anyone who attended. The question is - how can you know for sure? That's where post-event engagement comes in, which is an equally important part of the process.

Effective ways to gather this insight include social media interactions, targeted email campaigns and feedback surveys. Exclusive content and offers can be used as an incentive in exchange for sharing highlights from your product launch event and creating posts to encourage a continuation of the conversation about your new product. 

Not only does the info gained help you assess your current event's success, but it also helps to inform future product launches you might have in the pipeline. On top of everything else, it makes attendees feel more connected and valued - all of which are highly desirable outcomes.

Ensuring your product launch event is a success


A successful product launch event does not happen by accident. It takes hard work, planning and the know-how that comes from years of experience in the field. Success also requires the use of creative product launch ideas that create a buzz that stays long in the memory.

The use of innovative strategies has become something of a non-negotiable due to the high level of competition in the commercial world, so it’s not something that you can afford to ignore. It’s also why you need to choose the agencies you collaborate with wisely. 

At MCI, we have a proven track record in product launch event management, and our expert team understands what's required to elevate your brand above the rest. To find out more about us and what we do, take a look at our full range of services. Alternatively, get in touch with our team today and we’ll show you from minute one that your success is our number one priority. 

MCI Content Team

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