Are you planning a product launch?
Successful product launches are equally about finding a good product-market fit as they are about communicating effectively with your target audience.
You’ve done the first bit by building a product you’re proud of and your customers will love. The next bit is thinking about ways to let them know about your amazing product.
You’ll need a PR strategy to help generate media coverage and attract some initial interest.
In this guide, we outline a structured 30-day timeline to execute an effective PR strategy for your product launch. Let’s dive in!
Week 1: Set Goals
As with all things in business, start with clear goals and objectives. Define what success looks like for your brand, and outline key metrics to measure progress.
Joe Schaeppi, CEO & Co-Founder at Solsten, explains, “The key to a successful product launch is having a deep understanding of your audience’s mindset. Using behavioral intelligence, brands can position their products in a way that creates lasting loyalty, beginning with optimal engagement rates right from day one of your product launch.”
Some of the most critical metrics for a product launch include brand awareness, media coverage, influencer engagement, and sales.
If you haven’t already, you should also set aside some time to research and understand your target audience, as understanding their behavior will help you choose the best communication channels. This is essential for the next step.
Week 2: Create a Press Kit
Ahead of your launch, be sure to gather and prepare the essential PR materials. You’ll need to write your press release first. For the best results, this should be accompanied by high-quality images, a product fact sheet, and founder quotes.
For the best results, take care to ensure that your press kit is professionally designed. This is key to getting journalists to want to work with you, and will also help make your messaging more digestible to your audience.
Week 3: Media & Influencer Outreach
In week three, you’ll wrap up with preparatory steps and get ready for execution.
The main thing you’ll be doing is reaching out to potential brand advocates and industry influencers with some preliminary ideas for a collaboration.
When you reach out, it’s usually best to offer a compelling product story. Show how your product changes the industry or meets customer needs better than existing products.
For instance, if you’re launching a new fashion or apparel line, aligning your PR strategy with industry trends—like those outlined in this guide on how to start a T-shirt business—can help you craft a more compelling pitch that speaks to both media outlets and potential collaborators.
Furthermore, it is always helpful to think of ways to offer your potential partners some value. Some tried and trusted ideas include sharing behind-the-scenes content or offering pre-launch access to products.
One more thing to note, before you reach out to journalists and influencers, is the need for business processes and systems to effectively manage these relationships.
If you’re new to PR and external promotions, working with multiple stakeholders such as PR agencies, media partners, and suppliers can quickly get messy without these processes in place.
We’d advise investing in a streamlined contract management software to help keep agreements organized and accessible, and to prevent unforeseen legal challenges.
Week 4: Execution
With all the previous steps correctly implemented, the final phase is execution. This will likely begin with partner journalists publishing your press release. This phase may also begin with virtual or in-person events, such as a product demo, webinar, or launch party.
You can amplify the content generated from your product launch by republishing media mentions across all digital channels, including social media, your blog or website, and email marketing campaigns.
Additionally, be sure to encourage early adopters to share their experiences on social media, which is a great way to demonstrate social proof. Some brands even use an AI avatar to personalize their engagement, creating interactive video responses that make their audience feel more connected to the brand.
John Grant, Founder & CEO at Premier Bidets, shares, “A well-executed PR strategy isn’t just about being loud. It’s really about ensuring that the right people are talking about your product in a meaningful way. One of the most overlooked yet powerful tactics is user-generated content (UGC) during the launch phase. Integrating verifiable user stories with media outreach tends to create momentum that extends far beyond the initial launch.”
With execution underway, be sure to carefully track media coverage, social engagement, and website traffic. Compare your observations against your initial goals to evaluate the success of your product launch.
Depending on what the data says, you may either refine your strategy to correct any mistakes, or double down on your early successes.
Final Word
The structured 30-day PR strategy we’ve shared will ensure that your product gains the right exposure and builds early momentum. This is not the be-all-and-end-all of marketing communications for new products, however. Post-launch engagement and follow-up efforts are just as important for maintaining interest. Learn how integrating marketing and PR can boost business growth.
