It’s the most exciting time in a product life cycle and also
the most frustrating and tiring time, it’s the time when you decided to launch
your product, before we discuss even deeper allow me to tell you a story that
fascinated me.
The Mars Curiosity Landing
Sometime around 3 or 4 months ago NASA landed a 6 wheeler Robot
unto Mars, what fascinate me is that: it takes 40 minutes for radio wave to
from Mars to reach earth and it takes another 40 minutes from Mars to Earth and
the whole landing from Mars atmosphere to the Mars surface is 8 minutes, so you
can imagine NASA won’t know if the landing is successful or not. This means, NASA
has to rely on the PLANS they made on earth before launching, NASA cannot
interfere with the Landing process once it begun. Once the rover has landed
NASA has to make sure that all the scientific gadget that curiosity has is
adequate to conduct all the scientific research that is needed on Mars.
NASA gambles their million dollar of tax payer money on
their PLAN and of course on the Curiosity ability to make autonomous decision
to land – which is part of the PLAN also –
I can see by this time you already know where am I heading?
The Confession
I launched several mediocre product to the market before and
my Launch PLAN was simple and naïf, it only took me 30 minutes to assemble a
launch plan and I took me a split second to decide when to launch it, and then
I rely heavily on market inputs to adjust my plans, which takes another split
second to decide which way the product should go in the market, which usually
it goes 180 degree turn over night, in summary I have pseudo-plans (my fancy
words for crappy plans) , I adjust to the market and I called myself a true
solid marketer !
Does this short confession of mine ring a bell? Have you did the
same thing as I did? Sure you did, somewhere around the corner of your mind, if
you are a marketer you did the same thing as I did at least once in your life
time
The revealing Truth
I’m now a changed man! I know think of my Launch Plan even
before the product exist! it’s true ! when you create a well thought product
even before the product finish the development phase you already have this
hunch, this mental picture of how the market will react, how the market will
accept your product, by visualizing this product success, you already have a
small peak to the launch plan, all you need to do is to make more complete
launch plan,
And I do need to remain you, Marketing is not just launching
a product or maintaining a product in the market, Marketing is a combination of
the magical 4P – Product, Price, Place and Promotion!
You need to see your product the way NASA see Mars Curiosity
Rover, think of Plan that is autonomous, that can adjust itself to the market –
sure you’ll do the adjustment- but it will only takes small adjustment not a
big one.
Yes this blog is asking you and myself whenever we create a
Marketing Plan (it means the whole 4P) try to make a PLAN like NASA made, the
PLAN has to be autonomous, when you launch it there is no coming back and put
it in your mind you cannot or don’t want to make major adjustment ! The Plan
need to be accepted by the market when you launched it, therefore you’ll need
only minor adjustment
The Plan has to start from the day your product is still an idea!
You have to commit to your plan and distance yourself from
making major changes to the plans once it’s executed!
Note: I tried to list down some pointers and after listing
down so many points, all the points are exactly the same as a common Marketing
Plan, what makes it different is your mindset, on how you imagine the execution
will be.
Image source : Nasa
Image source : Nasa
