When it comes to B2B product launches, the success of a product involves strategic planning—and most of the time that strategy involves a solid marketing campaign. Clients need to know that the product they’re investing in will maximize their efficiency, and you need to make sure you’re building brand loyalty.
What are some successful B2B product launches seen in the last few years? Kapost takes a look at two very different, but viable, companies that saw success with their product launches, thanks in large part to their marketing campaigns.
Squarespace and Jeff Bridges’ Sleep Tapes
Putting a celebrity face to your marketing campaign can certainly be a strategic and successful move. With Squarespace, this was a major part of their 2015 marketing campaign.
If you happened to be in front of a TV at all in early 2015, you probably remember Squarespace’s commercials—specifically the ones starring Jeff Bridges. Forever linked to the 90s cult-classic film The Big Lebowski, Bridges’ commercial features a multi-pronged advertising approach.
Known as the “Om” commercial, it’s an advertisement promoting both Squarespace and Bridges’ sleep therapy album. The site from which you can stream and purchase Bridges’ album is built on the Squarespace platform.
But there’s more to the story.
Timing is everything, and this campaign is a gleaming example. The Om commercial debuted during Super Bowl 2015. This placement not only put Bridges into millions of living rooms across the country, it also set forth a tidal wave of social media action. Twitter lit up with a trove of comments from viewers intrigued by the unique commercial.
Business has long since departed from traditional brick-and-mortar design, and the need for flexible, innovative platforms to grow your product is essential. In an interview with Adweek, Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena said the idea of this campaign was to reinforce the concept that “any idea, no matter how wild or weird, can be presented beautifully and meaningfully through Squarespace.”
In addition to the Om commercial being a smartly placed piece of advertising, it was also a campaign with philanthropic motives. Proceeds from the Sleeping Tapes sales go to No Kid Hungry, a program focused on ending childhood hunger. In fact, 100% of the retail profits go to this cause.
Starting with a $30,000 loan from his father, Casalena’s successful business is now valued at roughly $38 million.
Xerox’s Get Optimistic Campaign
Negativity is contagious, but so is optimism. Xerox launched a successful B2B campaign around this principle in 2013, titled Get Optimistic. The Get Optimistic campaign involved a personalized approach that focused on its prospects’ needs at a more molecular level than a broad, one-size-fits-all style.
The primary stage of the Get Optimistic campaign involved short, concise emails that Xerox sent out on a biweekly basis. These emails guided prospects to a microsite where they could search for content relating specifically to their needs and industry.
After the targeted email campaign, Xerox took a unique step by creating their own publication, called Chief Optimist. Partnering with Forbes to generate the content, this large-format magazine with industry-specific versions mimicked similar trade magazines that reach a broader spectrum of employees influential in decision making (rather than getting stuck at the executive level). For added versatility, Xerox also provided links to digital versions of its publication that were compatible with iPad and PC.
For the finishing touch, Xerox integrated the Get Optimistic campaign into its Focus Forward seminars across the U.S., which featured testimonials from existing clients.
The Get Optimistic campaign proved extremely successful for Xerox. In 2013 they won the Information Technology Services Marketing Association B2B Marketing Excellence Award (ITSMA) for their innovative marketing approach.
A testament to the campaign’s success can also be seen in its longevity. Xerox’s Chief Optimist is still a very active site with up-to-date content, including digital copies of the publication as well as weekly updates about seminar events and industry news.
A Successful Launch
The reality is, not all companies have the luxury of partnering with a celebrity. Squarespace’s tactic of putting a face to their campaign showed successful results, however, so even if you can’t get Jeff Lebowski for your next product launch, developing a trustworthy, likable character to stand in front of your product is a great idea. It’s also worth taking notes on Xerox’s targeted approach, since it helped develop long-lasting relationships.
If you’d like more detailed tips on setting up a successful product launch, check out Kapost’s webinar, How to Plan Your Product Marketing Launch. Matt Sweezey, Principal of Marketing Insights at Salesforce, and Jesse Noyes, Senior Director of Content Marketing for Kapost, are the hosts.
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