The Secret To a Great Product Launch Party

Hosting a product launch party can be a fun and memorable part of any marketing strategy... if it works. On the off chance that a product launch party doesn't go off without a hitch, then they become social obligations, a glaring monument to the failures of your team, your product, and your company. I know, I know, 'It's just a party, what's the big deal'? It's not the event itself, but what it represents: TIME. This party represents the time spent developing a product, and whether intentional or not, people will associate the time at the party with the product it's launching. So if people don't have a great time, then the story becomes one of how bad your product is. It's a big gamble, for sure, there's a lot at stake for just throwing a simple party. Today we'll outline the steps to throwing a great product launch party.

A great product launch party begins, as most projects do, by Defining Goals and Objectives. First of all, you need to clarify your purpose for throwing a party. It's not enough to just do it because someone told you to organize one, what are your objectives? Do you want influencers to talk about your new app? Or are you revealing to the world what your new shipping company is capable of? Regardless of what your goals are, you should set realistic and measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Some common examples are number of attendees, or even number of leads generated, but depending on your product, you can use whatever works for you - just make sure that your goals are clearly defined and measurable.

As you continue your plan, you'll need to Identify Your Target Audience, which is party specific. This is the target audience for the party, not for the product. Why does that matter? Because depending on the event and who you invite, this could include celebrities, internet influencers, or even politicians. You should begin putting together a guest list as soon as party planning begins so that you can gather enough information about who's coming and tailor the event to their interests, expectations, and tone. If I attended an event which seemed curated just for me, and then someone asked me to download an app and use it - I would 1000% download that app.

But no party plan can be completed without an honest discussion about Budget and Resource Allocation. As a marketing manager, you're going to face an uphill battle trying to convince senior leadership to give you more money for a party. However, if senior leadership plays a role in setting your KPIs, this may be easier. If the CEO wants a celebrity at the party, justifying spending money will be significantly easier. But if you're told to throw the worlds best party on a shoe-string budget, there are ways to do this too. For starters, you can leverage 'in-house talent'. Does your company have a creative engagement team? Use them to design invitations. Does anyone moonlight as a DJ? Boom! Music = covered. Being imaginative can help your budgeting, but you should also take special care to be realistic and honest with your expenditures.

Now for the fun part, it's time to Choose The Right Venue. Chances are, you're throwing your party in a larger city with a multitude of historic buildings, high tech hubs, and open garden spaces. Opting for a high tech venue will certainly help align with your product theme. A historic venue will offer a touch of class and refinement for the upper class (if that's what you're going for). You could consider a sports stadium for a larger audience. Whichever you choose, keep in mind your budget, accessibility, and capability. First of all, can you afford the space you want? If not, there's no shame in moving on to choice number two. Secondly, is the venue accessible to everyone? This consideration goes beyond just checking the number of ramps and elevators in the building - where is everyone going to park? Are there enough bathrooms? Finally, does the venue have what your party needs? Is there enough electricity in this historic venue? How am I going to put up 200in LCD screens in a park? These are all important things to consider. Now, most venues that regularly host events usually employ an event coordinator that you can correspond with, someone who can answer all these questions, and even help you come up with creative solutions. However, this often involves additional costs, so, make sure you request a clear breakdown of those costs before the event - remember your budget.

Ok, now it's time to take care of some actual business aspects and Develop a Theme and Agenda. Every great party has a theme, and product launches are no different. Whether you're showcasing the "Future of [Industry]" or "Redefining [Technology Aspect]", your theme should closely align with your previously established goals. Remember, your goal with this party is to create a unique experience, so the more unique your theme - the better your party will be. But keep in mind that this decision will influence other aspects such as the color scheme of the invitations and so on, so to that end, the sooner you can decide - the better. Agendas on the other hand, are boring, but critical. If you've ever planned any kind of event, you know there's a lot of behind the scenes work that goes on, and having a defined schedule keeps the chaos at bay. You'll want to plan an engaging mix of activities that not only captivate attention, but also highlight your product (it is the reason for the party after all). A keynote speech or presentation is a great idea, but your party shouldn't just be speech after demonstration after Q&A session - include some games or live music! Mix things up, have fun! Just make sure that everything is planned down to the smallest amount of time you can. You may also consider publishing this agenda as soon as possible so everyone knows their role.

Next up, you start Promoting the Event. There's a certain artform to 'generating buzz', but there are some tried and true methods you can try such as email campaigns, press releases, and social media posts. If that's not what you're going for, you can try other ways to induce excitement such as a teaser video or a countdown to the event. You can use your imagination here and get creative - maybe your email announcement includes a puzzle, the answer to which is the password to get into the party. Maybe the countdown isn't to the start of the event but to the start of the celebrity performance. Regardless of what you decide to do, this step also includes registration for the event. You need to know how many people you're hosting so you know how much food, drinks, and swag to pay for. You could just ask people if they're coming, or you can get creative - use a special hashtag to sign up, record a short video explaining why you're excited for the event. Let your imagination run wild here!

Alright, so it's the day/night of the party and now you have to Deliver An Exceptional On-Site Experience. This is the important part, so I'm going to break this down into three parts: Technology, Catering, and SWAG. Keep in mind your party's target audience, if it's largely younger, social media influencers, they'll probably expect more technology integration. If it's older, government officials, they probably want a healthier menu.

• First up, technology. It's the 21st century, the internet's not a fad, and almost everyone has a smartphone. Use an app to streamline check-in, post the agenda, and encourage guests to post photos/videos of the event to social media. If your budget allows for it, try using holographic presentations, gamified demos, or an AI chatbot. Just make sure you have proper cyber security - people will post offensive content if you give them the opportunity.
• Next in line is the catering. The food at a party is often the unsung hero of the event. How often have you had a great meal and then raved about it to someone else? That's the kind of Word Of Mouth advertising that money can't buy. The food should be modern, imaginative, and abundant. If possible, pair with local suppliers to maintain sustainability. Providing drinks are a great way to add a special flair to your event. Sure, you should have juice, water, and coffee, but what about a signature cocktail for the event? Or maybe the drinks are served in a commemorative glass. This is another area where you can and should let your imagination run wild.
• Finally, the Stuff We All Get, who doesn't love SWAG? Oh sweet, free towel! I don't even need another towel with a company logo on it. Will I take it? Yes, absolutely, free towel! You're going to want to focus on high quality, branded content, that's tied to your product. The more likely someone is to use this in everyday life, the higher the likelihood that they'll associate with your product. You can do a quick Google search and find several SWAG production companies, but if your trying to keep costs down, try looking to a local vendor first to showcase environmental sustainability and bolster the local economy.

As everyone's having a great time drinking their signature cocktails and playing smartphone games, you should Capture and Share Content. Consider hiring a photographer or videographer to capture high quality content. This can be used as promotional material for later events. Again, look inward to your organization and see if you have a team that has this capability before looking externally. Again, you can keep costs down and generate buzz by asking your guests to post photos and videos to social media from the event with a unique tag. Consider broadcasting the event live over the internet for a broader reach, and to facilitate remote attendance.

Ok, so everyone's had a great time and we're all going home, make sure you Follow Through. Be sure to thank your guests before everyone leaves, and if your plan includes it - make sure you mention any deals or promotions available exclusive to the event. Then take some time to follow up on your Key Performance Metrics (KPIs). Did you reach any of your goals, if so, keep a careful record of what you did right and be sure to include this information in future planning. What if you didn't, can you venture a guess as to why not? As mentioned previously, you can use the captured content to produce future promotional material. Gathering as much information about the event will help you analyze future plans.

BONUS ROUND! Let's talk about how you make this event special and memorable. The first suggestion is personalization. Literally anything you can do to make the event more personable will get people raving about the event. Maybe you've done your homework, and know what drinks someone would want, then you use a smartphone app to pair attendees up, order each other's drinks, and use that app to find each other at the party and deliver drinks, thereby gamifying the event, personalizing it, and facilitating 'buzz'. What if you had a VIP experience? A behind the scenes look at production, or an opportunity to meet a celebrity. When all else fails, a good surprise element such as a live music performance by a celebrity is always a great choice. But remember, these kinds of surprises have to be... a surprise.

And there you have it - a well planned product launch party. Have you ever thrown a successful product launch party? What KPIs did you use to measure success? Have you ever thrown a bad party? What went wrong? Leave a comment down below, and as always, if you found any of this information useful, please consider re-publishing the article. Until next time friends.