When the Twinkie re-launched, it prepared a Web page called “Prepare Your Cake Face.” The idea was to capitalize on a consumer’s nostalgia for Twinkies, a product that looked like it would be extinct by the end of 2012. The result was a success, and the company dubbed it “The Sweetest Comeback in the History of Ever.” Here are some ideas and science experiments to help you mount a product launch that is as successful as the Hostess brand.
Present a Limited Time Offer
When you artificially limit your product or service, you create a sense of urgency. You can entice a number of new customers to sign up, then work on an upsell once they are in your database to make up the difference. Try offering free shipping to the first 100 orders, or hold a “percent off” sale for the first six hours of the day.
Change the Name
Sometimes you can change the name of a product or service and rebrand it. This is useful if the product had a poor reputation, or if the name never really took off. By renaming your product, you present something new to the audience. The taco chain “Del Taco” used this tactic recently when they renamed their “Big Fat Tacos” to “Flatbread Tacos.” The move came in response to health concerns.
Send the Product to Space
If you have a near space balloon, you can attach your product to it and launch a promotion that is not just outside the box, it’s outside the stratosphere. Small cameras can be fit to the payload that will record photos of the launch as it happens, or you can track data about the travel with a logging device.