The launch of a new product can have a dramatic impact on a company’s business success. Do it well and it can catapult the company’s revenue and market share. Flub it and the opposite is true. A critical component to a successful launch is the impact that a communications program makes in creating awareness of the new product. It’s the messaging that communicates the new product’s benefits and media visibility that builds credibility in the market.

While every launch has its own idiosyncrasies in the form of objectives and resource allocation, we’ve found over the years that they also have certain commonalities. One of those core common elements, particularly in business-to-business launches, is the importance of the credibility built thorough public and market analyst relations. These sources build trust with audiences and create a certain sense of security and safety – if one of these experts touts the virtues of a product, it brings a validation of it to customers and prospects.

When longtime client Harris CapRock Communications cued up its biggest product introduction in years, it turned to M/C/C to spread the word.

In the communications field, Harris CapRock has a reputation as an innovator and a leader. As the company launched its game-changing Harris CapRock One service, it needed marketing that was up to the task. As part of an integrated communications program, public relations was critical to building third-party credibility and generating customer interest.

Key to our launch strategy was employing an embargo approach by which Harris CapRock briefed targeted outlets and market analysts in advance of the launch. These high-value influencers were intrigued by the innovation which led to top tier coverage and a groundswell of attention early in the introduction and set in motion a wave of coverage both at-launch and in the weeks to follow. Harris CapRock executives had seven interviews and launch coverage has surpassed 80 articles, including 16 features on the new offering.

Two weeks after the official launch, Harris CapRock exhibited at two leading industry trade shows during the same week – the perfect places to showcase their new solution in-person. In addition to securing two speaking slots at these shows to introduce Harris CapRock One to customers, M/C/C set up five interviews with reporters at the events for hands-on demonstrations. Those interviews resulted in a second wave of media coverage.

In order to support these core media relations efforts, M/C/C produced varied forms of content as resources for reporters and customers. We developed and published three blog articles with different angles on the solution, thought leadership articles distributed on social networks in the industry with links back to the Harris CapRock blog, a video demonstration as well as many contributed articles to trade magazines. This content marketing component gave reporters supplemental content to link to and include in their coverage while giving Harris CapRock the avenue to tell a more in-depth story.

The launch of Harris CapRock One has pulled no punches, reaching potential customers through leveraging the media adds to and amplifies the service’s image in the market. We look forward to more results like these as we continue to tell the Harris CapRock story about this breakthrough innovation.

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