Happy
Fall!
Welcome
to another issue of Communications
Matter! In every issue, we will review topics that will help you grow
your business faster with cutting-edge communication skills.
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We send this publication only to those who have requested it. We do
not sell, rent or give out our mailing lists. If you find this newsletter
to be of value, we invite and encourage you to forward it to your friends.
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In this
issue:
New Product
Launch Basics
More
Effective Press Releases
Creativity
Corner: Mind Mapping Know-How
New
Product Launch Basics
Do
you think product launches are difficult? We can help!
Mason Works loves to work with companies on New Product or Service
Launch Plans and Implementations. We have had great success working
with Colorado Companies to grow their businesses quickly and efficiently.
Usually, companies are showing a profit in as little as four months!
We
find that a strategic plan is essential for success. This plan
defines your target market through exhaustive research to determine
the best way to go-to-market in terms of time and money. This
step alone can save you thousands of dollars. |
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Here are
seven phases to use to build a successful launch:
1.
Launch Plan Development
Many companies plan their budget up to 12 months before their product
or service ships. This overall launch plan allows you to take your product
or service from idea to reality. Our working model sets up the phases
of the launch into distinct, time-sequenced stages.
2.
Select and Plan Advertising/Media/PR/and Communications
Your go-to-market strategy needs a creative concept partner. Communications
are selected and budgeted specifically to reach and influence your target
market.
3. Create tactical plans for your promotions
This phase develops your plans in detail-both for schedule and budget
purposes. Here is where you can create a careful timeline for rollout
of your promotional strategy, public relations, events and research.
4.
Channel Management and Distribution Planning
Whether your company has its own sales force or not, channel management
and distribution planning is critical for any new launch. We set up
a plan to select partners and then increase their sales effectiveness.
5.
Implement Plan Advertising/PR/and Communications
Using our tactical plan, we start to roll out your communication plan.
These plans are ususally designed for 12-18 months.
6.
Market Evaluation and Tracking Research
There is a close evlauation about the product's future- from production
capacity figures to channel selection. If companies have a next generation
of the product planned, then this is when they consider whether they
should begin production on additional models or the new-and-improved
version.
7.
Critical Evaluation for Sustainability
Product viability is studied to see if a loyal customer base is building.
This can begin as early as six months into the launch depending on the
purchase cxycles for the product category.
Mason Works, LLC has been helping companies launch new products and
services for years. We can help you determine the best target market
and communicate effectively with them. Please call 303-527-2978 if we
can support you.
More
Effective Press Releases
Do
you need inexpensive publicity?
Press
releases are a wonderful way to get the word out about your company's
product or services. Seemingly simple publicity can produce dramatic
results. There are many opportunities to be interviewed from all
types of media from sending these simple press releases. Just
follow the following rules to get started: |
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1.
Make it a real news story
2.
Customize your releases according to your audience
3.
Make the writing clean and easy to understand at first glance.
4.
Maintain well-tended, up-to-date mailing lists of relevant contacts.
5.
Supplement your own lists with distribution via Business Wire, PR
Newswire or a similiar service.
For more
information or guidance on using Press Rreleases for business growth,
please contact us at 303-527-2978. We will be happy to help!
Creativity
Corner: Mind Mapping Know-How
Welcome
to another month of Creativity Corner. Over the past year we have presented
you with several different methods to enhance your creative solutions
at home and at your business. This month, we want to cover Mind Mapping
to help you use this powerful tool in your marketing. We find it a productive
tool to build creative concepts for New Product or Services Launches.
Mind
Mapping has been around for over 25 years. It was popularized
by Tony Buzan, in his book, Use Your Head, and others.
Mind Maps help you efficiently manage and learn from information.
They also inspire you to plan before you act, to create the best
results.
Mind
Maps help marketers, writers and publishers work faster and more
accurately with information, goals, resources, objectives and
time.
Use
these easy steps for Mind Mapping Marketing success:
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1.
Harvest- enter your title of your project (article, marketing
project, book, class) in the center of a piece of paper. Enter other
keywords as they come up. Work quickly- do not organize or edit anything.
You can do this by yourself or in a group.
2.
Edit- now delete any duplicate or inappropriate ideas. Organize
the thoughts that remain into a correct hierarchy and sequence.
3.
Chunk- Simplify by organizing ideas and tasks into logical
categories like "beginning, middle, end," etc.
4.
Format- Add visuals to incrrease message's effectiveness. The
visuals act as hooks to help everyone remember key points. Also color
add emphasis.
We hope
that this tool helps your business create better solutions. If you'd
like more information on Mind Mapping, go to www.mind-map.com,
www.mindjet.com,
or www.b-smart.net
Here's
to creative and more successful outcomes!
* * * * * * * * *
We hope
that you have enjoyed our September 2005 newsletter and will gain many
useful ideas from our experience to accelerate your business! Please
contact us if you do not want to receive future mailings. For more information,
email kathy@mason-works.com
or go to our website, www.mason-works.com.
The Mason Works Acceleration team looks forward to helping you grow
your business faster and more cost effectively.
