9th Feb. 2010. Skyline has organized seminar on “product Launch” by Professor Debabrata Deb. The seminar focuses on strategies which can be adopted in this competitive environment during new product launch. It was a very interactive and knowledgeable seminar which brings various aspects to be considered during any product launch. Key point discussed during the seminar was:

• Need for Change in Marketing Strategy
• Market Research
• Firm Specific Market Research
• Need for Change in Product/Brand/Market Mix
• Steps to Product Launch
• Launch Activity Plan
• Pre-Launch Awareness Creation
• Launch
• Post Launch Growth Phase
• Monitoring & Course Correction
• Completion of Launch Phase

The most interesting part of the presentation is Launch activity plan and monitoring of launch plan. The Launch activity plan includes Product Specification Freezing, Branding, Packaging, Labeling  Design, Geography of Launch, Pricing, Advertising, Media  Planning , Promotion, including Event Management, Distribution, Launch Quantities, Merchandizing & Retailing Planning, Supplier Selection & Price Negotiations.
Also, at every phase of the launch, the marketer must monitor off take, usage experience, defects, returns, word of mouth, competitor responses, opinion leaders and influencers. The marketer must also monitor performance against targets. There must be time to time dialogue with top management. Resources must be provided as necessary and communication channels must be kept open both internally and externally.
This seminar gives us insights about the proactive approach of product launch, which every organization should take to make every launch successful.