Service
Go-to-market strategy and launch planning
We build launch plans for new products, markets and brands. We work out who you need to reach, what they need to hear, which channels matter and what has to happen by when, then we can run the digital side with you.
What's included.
- audience and market review
- positioning and message direction
- channel plan and budget split
- launch calendar
- content and creative requirements
- tracking and measurement plan
- approval and responsibility map
- launch support and post-launch review
What a go-to-market strategy covers.
A go-to-market strategy is the plan for how a product, brand or business reaches its first customers in a market. It answers who you're selling to, why they should care, how they'll hear about you, how they'll buy and how you'll know whether it's working.
The right plan depends on the launch. A consumer product entering a new country, a pharmaceutical program with several audiences and an experience opening in a new city all need different things. We start from what you're launching and the limits around it.
When to bring in go-to-market consulting.
Outside help is most useful when the launch is new territory for your team. That could be a new country, a new category, a new audience or a product that hasn't been sold before. It can also help when several teams or partners need one plan to work from.
Bring us in as early as you can. Decisions about audience, pricing, positioning and timing affect what media and content can do later. We can still help closer to launch, but we'll have fewer options to work with.
The decisions a launch plan has to make.
Who it's for first
Most launches can't reach everyone at once. We help you decide which audience comes first and which can wait.
What the message is
People need to understand what it is and why it matters to them. A message that works in one market or language may need more than a translation in another.
Which channels get the budget
We give each channel a job based on where the audience is and what the launch needs at that stage. Some channels build awareness, while others capture people who are ready to act.
What the timing looks like
We plan around the launch date, supply, approvals and outside events that could help or get in the way, such as seasons, holidays and elections.
How you'll know it's working
We agree on the measures before launch, and make sure tracking is in place so the first results can be trusted.
Entering a new market.
A new market can change more than the audience. Language, media habits, competitors, regulation and platform rules may all differ. A product's reputation at home might not carry over at all.
We look at those differences before building the plan. We also decide what can be reused from the home market and what needs to be made again, so the budget goes where it will make a difference.
Launches in regulated categories.
Regulated launches need extra time and a clear review path. Pharmaceutical, health and tobacco products can face limits on who can be targeted and what can be said, and those limits vary by platform and country.
We build those limits and the approval steps into the plan from the start. Legal and regulatory interpretation stays with your qualified reviewers, and we make sure the plan gives them what they need.
How it works.
- 01
Understand the launch
We review the product, the market, your goals, your budget and your constraints. We also talk through what your team has already tried or learned.
- 02
Define the audience and message
We decide who the launch should reach first and what those people need to hear. We check the direction against the market and any category limits.
- 03
Build the plan
We set out the channels, budget, phases and calendar. Each phase has a clear job and a measure attached to it.
- 04
Prepare for launch
We make sure the tracking, content and approvals are ready, and that everyone knows who owns what. We flag anything that could put the launch date at risk.
- 05
Launch and learn
We review early results against the plan, then recommend what to change. If you want us to, we can also run the media and reporting.
How we measure a launch.
Early launch data is thin, so we try not to overreact to the first few days. We usually read awareness and interest first, then look at consideration and sales as more data comes in.
We also write down what would make us change course before launch. That makes it easier to decide calmly when the first numbers arrive.
Proof from the work.
For Black Hole Experience, working with brand partner Dax Dasilva, we led the digital rollout, content creation and media coverage supporting its expansion into the United States.
For Philip Morris International, working with agency partner McCann, we developed content and social campaigns for the Canadian launch of IQOS.
For Takeda, working with agency partner Klick Health, we created digital programs for the dengue vaccine launch, supporting professional education and patient awareness.
How we price it.
We bill hourly and set the scope in hours. Strategy and advisory are CAD $175/h. Media management and execution are CAD $110/h. Content production and advertising budgets are identified separately where relevant.
You can engage one discipline without buying the others. We can build the plan and hand it to your team, or stay on to run the launch with you.
Questions before we start.
What does a go-to-market consultant do?
A go-to-market consultant helps you plan how a product or brand reaches its market. That includes the audience, message, channels, budget, timing and measurement. We focus on marketing and media decisions, and we work alongside your sales, product and legal teams.
How long does a go-to-market plan take?
It depends on how much research exists and how many people have to approve the plan. We scope the timing once we know the launch date and what's already in place.
Do you only make the plan, or can you run it too?
Either one. Many teams want the plan and then run it themselves, while others want us to run the paid media, tracking and reporting as well.
Can you help us enter the United States or Canada?
Yes. We've supported launches and expansions in both countries, and we plan for the differences in language, media and regulation between markets.
How much budget do we need for a launch?
It depends on the market, the audience and what the launch has to achieve. We look at those first and then propose a budget with a clear reason behind it.
Do you work with startups?
We work with agencies and brands of different sizes. What matters most is having a clear product, a defined market and enough budget to test the plan properly.
Related services.
Start a conversation.
Tell us what you are trying to move. We will tell you which disciplines are worth engaging, and which are not.