Ever heard the term “virtual launch” when referring to a product launch? It’s a term I enjoy using which essentially means, “Let’s not load the sales reps down with a huge three-ring binder full of printed sales sheets, price sheets, brochures, FAQs, etc. It’s too heavy, too cumbersome and frankly, it really positions a company as old-school vs. innovative and modern. Instead, let’s be fresh and relevant and deliver the important information on an interactive USB drive or DVD – allowing the rep to navigate through the contents like a Web site to find important customer presentation materials, downloadable brochures, demonstration videos, etc. The rep will look organized and modern and the buyer will appreciate the efficiency.”

Ummm … OK, maybe you won’t find that definition at Dictionary.com. But, nonetheless, the definition stands.

When launching a new product, many teams look to their sales reps to determine what tools they need to sell the new product. It’s important to remember, though, while a sales rep’s job is to sell the product to the buyer, it’s not their job to advise on the business or communications strategy to do so. The insight a sales rep may be able to provide about their selling challenges will be quite helpful, but as marketers, we shouldn’t be settling for same-old, same-old. The rep’s job isn’t to think about how to launch the product better; as marketers, that’s our job and we can do it by reading between the lines and probing for deeper interpretations.

As you embark on your 2010 product launch calendar, think about including your agency in interviewing your sales reps to find out what the best tools could be. My suspicion is that after interpreting the feedback, 90 percent of the time, the groundwork will be laid for more interactive tools and less bulky binders. Would you agree?

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It seems every time I turn around I’m reading or hearing something about how “everything” is going online or mobile. It appears that if your brand is not online or mobile – in an engaging way – you’re losing out. Well, this may have some truth to it, but that doesn’t mean print solutions aren’t still valid.

Consider this:

• 70% of companies have renewed a relationship with a customer using direct mail
• Consumers receiving a printed catalog are two times more likely to purchase online than those who don’t receive a catalog
• 75% of consumers say they’ve made a purchase as a result of direct mail
• Worried about seeming wasteful? In 2007, 45.2 million tons of paper were recovered from recycling – that’s 57% of all paper and paperboard products

At Go East when we’re working on a project – to be distributed online or  via “old-fashioned” paper – we work hard to balance print and interactive strategies. Campaigns need to be integrated, but not redundant. They need to be impactful and they need to be targeted.

Don’t abandon one for the other or you won’t be able to capitalize on the biggest opportunities!

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Q: How can you race a new product to the market and ensure successful sales?

A: You can’t.

Was that painful to hear? Think about this: You might be successful, but you can’t ensure that you’ll be successful. Racing a new product to market ensures only one thing – and that’s missed opportunity.

Well, let me qualify that. You can race a new product to the market and ensure successful sales if you have a clear strategy. The problem with racing is that often teams get so focused on the final launch date, the strategy gets left behind – or worse – never developed.

A good launch strategy considers not only business objectives, but communication objectives for all of the audiences. What you say to the sales rep is different than what you say to the buyer, which is different than what you say to the consumer. Or at least it should be. (And, yes, you should be talking to all of those audiences.) If it’s not – you’re missing opportunities. Big time.

At Go East, we collaborate with our clients to create the communications strategy for new product launches. After all, how can we ensure success without this information? When you are working with a solid strategy, everyone can feel better about the accelerated timeline – including your team and the agency’s team.

So, think about this the next time you’re asked to participate in a product launch: How are you going to ensure success? Answer: Define the strategy and keep it close as you race to launch your product.

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Come on,  admit it  … you’re using coupons more than ever. According to a recent study, coupon redemption increased 29 percent in the third quarter of 2009 – and coupon distribution increased 10 percent. Is your brand on the coupon bandwagon?

Coupons aren’t just for food products. In fact, coupon distribution among non-food products is the fastest growing category of coupons.

While the economy may or may not be on the upturn, coupon use is definitely on the rise and not expected to fall off any time soon. In other words, existing coupon clippers continue to clip and use even more coupons than they normally do and, at the same time, new families have started clipping and redeeming!

One popular coupon distribution method is through a free-standing insert (FSI). (You know, those coupon pages in your Sunday paper). At Go East, we always keep the following ideas in mind when creating a FSI:

• When appropriate, the creative design should integrate with what the consumer may see when they get to the point of purchase.
• Remember, the coupon is typically cut away from the creative part of the ad, so repeating the product name – and showing the packaging (along with the offer) – is important.
• Simple is better. An FSI is not the time to educate consumers about how to use the product. Keep messaging minimal!
• Always work with an agency that is familiar with guidelines for your coupon distribution method. At Go East, we work with Valassis and SmartSource, among others.

One last thought about coupons – it’s not always about stimulating trial of the product. Other objectives can be met through coupons, including stealing market share, driving volume, building equity in your brand or introducing new products. FSIs have a particularly unique advantage in that consumers have invited the paper (via subscription) into their home. Some studies indicate that 72 percent of all U.S. households look at promotional marketing weekly. But wait …  there’s more: The results are measurable!

Even amidst a drop in the value of the coupons and shorter expiration periods, redemption rates continue to rise. This is good news for manufacturers who are trying to gain audience penetration – you should either continue your coupon strategy or get one now!

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In a recent survey, 75 percent of U.S. employees indicated that they do not think their company’s mission statement reflects the way the company does business.

What’s the disconnect? Why do companies “talk the talk” but not “walk the walk”? Perhaps they don’t understand the value of internal brand building. Maybe they’ve never even heard of internal brand building. Consider this a mini primer:

What is internal brand building? It’s actually quite simple. Brand building is the same whether it’s external or internal: It’s generating awareness, excitement and goodwill about your brand. Internally, though, it should be taken a step further: Employees should not only know the brand and be excited about it — they should also live the brand. Consider this: How can you say your company’s brand personality is “friendly” when your employees are afraid of their boss? That scary boss isn’t “living the brand.”

Why is internal brand building important? Given the above example, what do you think your employees are saying about your company when they’re out in the real world? How do you think your customers perceive you if your employees show fear — whether consciously or unconsciously? If you and your employees are not living the brand — you are actively eroding all external brand-building efforts.

Whose role is it to build the brand internally? In a word: everyone’s. But someone has to lead. That leadership should come from the top down. And it shouldn’t be a one-time campaign. This means nurturing an everyday, ongoing culture that needs to be developed, refined, flexible and true to your brand.

Living the brand is not hard. Consider these three tips when you’re outlining your marketing efforts:

• Budgets should be allocated to internal brand building
• There should be buy-in at the top
• At Go East, we make internal brand building recommendations to our clients when appropriate — and all agencies should

My final thought: Internal brand building is valuable because the payoff is happy employees who are more dedicated to the company and passionate advocates for the brand. That’s something every company needs!

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It’s not quite the end of the year, but there is not a better time to review this year’s marketing budget. First of all, the last few weeks of the year are very hectic and will fly by — so reviewing this year’s budget now allows you the opportunity to spend more time on it. But the better reason to do it now is so you’ll have time to adjust spending and saving: If you see how much money you have left now, you’ll have time to spend it thoughtfully on efforts that will pay off. (more…)

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If that’s the question, then it seems the response in this economy should be, “I’d do almost anything. … Tell me more!”

I’d be happy to. (more…)

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Yesterday someone told me that we have officially hit the countdown period to Christmas. It’s four months and counting (in case you’re wondering). Of course, my immediate reaction was to shake my head in disgust … the kids aren’t even back in school yet and there are two major holidays between now and Christmas. But then it occurred to me that some people DO need to think about it now (and some should have been thinking about it even earlier).

Then I remembered, at Go East, we’ve already completed 50+ projects for this holiday season ranging from online campaigns to in-store merchandising.

It’s true. If you are a marketer and you haven’t begun planning your holiday efforts, you are behind. This, according to the emailINSIDER, is a proven fact: 8 percent of major online retailers have already mentioned the holidays in their e-mail campaigns.

Read blogger Chad White’s post about the 18 phases of Christmas and then tell me, are you ready?

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