Hard or Soft?...know the difference Business people use the terms soft launch and hard launch to describe two marketing methods when bringing a product, service or new event to the public. One method is subtle while the other is brazen. The method you choose depends on things such as how much money you want to spend, the amount of attention you want to attract and the condition of what youre trying to promote. If you plan on marketing anything you should definitely learn the differences between a soft launch and a hard launch. Function A soft launch is generally used when a business doesnt want to draw a great deal of attention to a product/service/event right away; they want to gradually introduce the new offering or changes to the market. Perhaps theyre providing a simple upgrade to an existing software package or releasing a test version of a new software to a limited number of people. In either case, its not necessary to create fanfare around the releases so the company doesnt do a great deal of marketing, if any. On the other hand, a hard launch is generally used when a business wants to create major buzz--perhaps its a major upgrade to an existing software or a new groundbreaking product the company wants to heavily market. Considerations The main differences between the two methods is in how you achieve your desired goals. For a soft launch, a company could focus on updating its marketing and sales material or add new content to its website. The activities are more geared toward the business side of things. When it comes to a hard launch, the activities are more for the buyers benefit. The overall goal is to generate as many sales as possible, so a hard launch requires more aggressive tactics to reach the public. An example of a hard launch is when Apple released the iPhone 4 or 5. The company invested in a marketing campaign that included television commercials and online videos. Benefits There are different benefits associated with a soft launch and a hard launch. One of the benefits of a soft launch is that theres time to train and prepare staff to deal with handling a launch. Often with a hard launch, certain employees are expected to do interviews, presentations and demonstrations. A soft launch is less stressful and gives employees time to get better with public meetings and appearances. One of the benefits associated with a hard launch is the ability to quickly make money and see results. If you hard-launch a new electronic tablet, youre likely to make several sales within a short period of time. If you were to soft launch the same electronic tablet, sales would probably trickle in slowly before growing stronger. Warning No matter which launch you choose, its important to avoid creating a marketing disaster. If youre looking to see quick and dramatic results, choosing a hard launch over a soft launch is probably the best decision. With a soft launch, it will take longer for you to see any significant results or income. For example, promoting a book with occasional blog posts and word of mouth is a soft launch. You will see results, but they will take time. On the other hand, scheduling a book tour, sending out news releases, creating promotional videos and building an online following is a hard launch that will produce faster results.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:08:43 +0000
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