“Houston, we have a problem.”

All that planning, all that preparation, the harried last minute changes. The product launch ‘event’.

Then, whew, it’s over. Watch it sail forth like a balloon released in the park, bidding the new product a farewell with little consideration of where – how – when – it lands.

Product launches are critical, and by and large there is a critical date or time attached to the launch, the GA (general availability), the press tour, the cocktail party, the trade show demo. All this requires planning, preparation, and harried last minutes adjustments to the plan. But then what?

Without proper consideration of the next steps, the product is just as likely to fade as that balloon will drift to the ground. A product launch is not the end to itself, but rather should be treated not as balloons but like launches of space craft, the start of greater exploration and understanding of the world around it. Product refinements are determined, distribution strategies adjust, the environment changes.

Or not.

Your launch can resemble a balloon release, a faint effort without consideration for the direction the winds may take it, hoping as we do that the winds will be favorable and our carefully planned launch will result in organic interest.

Treat your launches like a rocket, with the fanfare and resources required not only to capture the imagination, but with a longer term plan in mind for long-term revenue contribution, expanding market share, and to continue to address the problem it was created to solve.

That requires an additional step, but offers a giant leap in the promise a new product can have on the bottom line.