Ask These Questions Before Launching Anything
This is a condensed version of a longer list of questions I have collected and developed over my marketing career. The extended version can be downloaded as a PDF if you sign up for my newsletter - HERE.
A person or team, when excited about an upcoming product or promotion, can become blinded by passion. I have found that these questions, when answered honestly, can help your team get an unbiased perspective on what they’re trying to accomplish. They already love the product or service they’re designing or trying to promote. Make sure the customer does too.
The Product or Service
What is this?
Why will people care?
In 500 words or more, describe the product or service that we are trying to create or promote.
In as few words as possible, describe the product or service that we are trying to create or promote.
Why hasn’t someone else already done this?
What product or service like this currently exists in the market?
Why is this product or service unique?
The Customer
Who is the intended purchaser of this product? i.e. Who are we pitching?
Who is the intended USER of this product? This is often different from the purchaser.
What are our customers' pain points?
What will it mean to them if we are able to solve this problem for them?
What will they love about this?
What will they hate about this?
The Place
Place can be described as the location and why that location has been chosen. What is unique about this location? It could be a physical address (I want my clothing store on Rodeo Drive), or it could be something about the experience of the place (we serve champagne when people walk into the store) or perhaps its how we treat the customer (our staff are the friendliest, warmest people on the planet), or perhaps there is some charitable or mission driven component (we donate 10% of our profits to charity). It could also describe the website where people purchase a digital product or a social media channel where they discover it. Or all the above and more!
Where will this be?
Why will this be there?
Where else could it be?
Where should it be?
The Price
Price is the cost of the item, both for the end user and the organization. Also consider opportunity cost and how that time or money could be used by the organization in other ways.
How much do we think we should charge?
Why should we charge that much?
What's the ABSOLUTE MOST people will pay for this?
What exists like this in the market, and what does it cost?
The Budget
Do we have a budget to promote this?
How much is our budget?
What results can we reasonably deliver with this budget?
How will we measure our results?
The Outcomes
What is the desired effect?
What will success look like?
Does this "make the boat go faster?" i.e., does it advance the organization in the direction we want it to go and help us build or maintain momentum?
What questions do you ask before you begin to design a new product or launch a new marketing campaign? What would you add to this list or remove from this list?