The launch of your new start-up or product generates the excitement and feeling of a signature new passionate beginning that is priceless and can’t even be measured.

The question however is can one really be ready when counting down to the big launch?

What is required and is there any guarantee that this will work? So many so-called brand evangelists or big time investors have so many opinions and do’s or don’ts that one can easily be robbed from that excitement and fire that light the launch of your passionate idea or product.

Let us get inspired and count down the TOP 5 principles in launching your next big idea.

5        JUMP THE CURVES and offer the NEXT LEVEL

Ask yourself. Does your product or start-up offer sameness or does it jump the curve altering the future? If not, rethink the strategy behind your business model or product to take the market to the next level, jumping that curve!

Create depth in your product or service offering through features your customer maybe won’t realise from the start but will get attached to as they experience the value of your service.

Be complete in your service delivery, giving that after service and satisfying customer experience to retain business and grow loyalty.

Cut through the noise being elegant in empowering your client through their experience of your product or service, being more productive. Again, keep it simple as the power of elegance lies in simplicity.

4         IT IS ALL IN THE NAME

In theatre, they refer to “Killing your babies” when the director needs to make choices that do not favor his personal preference. This means that you must think about a name that will capture the attention of the market rather than the personal resemblance or reasoning only you would understand for your brand.

Tick the following boxes when you pick your brand name:

·     Check DOMAIN AVAILABILITY.

It is a quick way to discover the current usage of your chosen name. Tip: Visit domains.co.za and type in your name to see availability. If it is already been taken – it is not that signature!

·     Give it VERB POTENTIAL

The name must move your customer. It must translate into action or need to experience.

·     Pick a name that begins EARLY IN THE ALPHABET.

Trust me, you do not want to be listed last on exhibition catalogs or any kind of listings that are usually listed in alphabetical order.

·     Choose a name that CREATE CONVERSATION.

If it creates organic conversation, you know your name is different and interesting. Our brand name (Forever Friday) is a good example of a brand name that creates excitement and ensures a smile on each one’s face when they phone in and get the following answer in a friendly tone: “Forever Friday! How can we inspire you?”

3        FOCUS ON VALUE

It is now more important than ever to focus on the value of your product or service. Be clear on this in your brand messaging so that your customer exactly knows what value he or she will get experiencing your brand.

Quit the jargon and show them why they can’t live without your service offering.

2         ADOPTION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SCALING

Watching the new reality series “Shark Tank SA”, I get so frustrated in the investors emphasizing on the scalability of the start up as a key measuring tool before the consider investing in the pitched business. Holding yourself to a mass-scaling test is a mistake! I have never seen a start-up die because it couldn’t scale fast enough.

Scaling is nothing but putting processes in place that are fast, cheap and repeatable because there will soon be millions of customers generating billions of revenue.

Your focus must be on reputable business that feeds sustainability in order to scale on a day.

Your only focus when launching is to prove that the customer will use your product or service at all. When they do, you will figure out a way to scale.

I have seen however start-ups die due to them have misplaced their focus on scaling rather than focusing on the embracement of their brand.

1         CREATE ONE MESSAGE

While this can be difficult I have seen many start-ups fail to communicate to many messages trying to win in the whole market being afraid of being classified in a niche market.

The key is to create that message in such a way that differentiates you from your competition.

Stick to that one message for at least six months and re-evaluate the performance of your brand messaging, rather than create multiple and complicated messaging that only will confuse the consumer on what difference you are to make to the world.

Forever Friday is an inspired brand that grows any brand from that passionate seed to a forest of success. Enquire about our inspired services visiting www.foreverfriday.co.za.

Forever Friday!

Forever inspired!