I’ve posted about this in the past, but I as a young entrepreneur myself I can’t help but continue to think, when I do open my first business I will not be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a big display launch. Leave the fireworks to Beijing.
Everyone imagines the presentation of innovation rather than innovating. At a gala business men whispering to each other, “this is going to change the industry.”A big spread in Wired Magazine and to be feature on relevant blogs, are all high hopes, but longevity is a key in business and the easiest place to forget that is at the beginning.
Here are some brands that had no launch at all: Nike, Harry Potter, Google, Starbucks, Apple, Wikipedia, Snapple, Geico, Linux, Firefox and even, Microsoft. The public relations troops marched into town much later, long after any opening.
Don’t get me wrong great publicity is and always will be a treasured gift and give spawn to hounding press releases until the end of days. But it is not necessary, and searching for it is often a significant distraction.
Many business owners have in their mind that the upper echelon of the big launch is that seen in movies, red carpet, Jack Nicholson in tux and shades etc. And that’s valid because these launches are required for movies. But for just about every company, product or service, the relentless quest for validation by the media does not pay off. If you do get it don’t let that push you to rest on your laurels, and if you don’t, that’s just fine.
