At Forrester, we frequently hear from clients struggling with product launches. Common issues include an overwhelming volume of minor launches that fail to make an impact, marketing teams receiving last-minute notifications about launches, or a lack of innovation — often relying on recycled spreadsheets from previous launches.
Recognizing that only a quarter of firms employ a launch process even vaguely approaching best-in-class, we set out to address these challenges through a certification workshop at our recent B2B Summit.
We began by introducing attendees to our proprietary Product Marketing And Management (PMM) Model (client login required). The PMM Model outlines key responsibilities for marketing, product, sales, and customer success teams at every stage of bringing an offering to market. While we typically conduct very comprehensive maturity assessments with clients, the Summit’s packed agenda led us to adopt a lighter approach. Participants used sticky notes to identify areas where they excelled and those needing improvement. One delegate shared, “It was so useful to think about marketing’s role in the product development lifecycle and where we could add value throughout. Usually, we’re an afterthought.”
With marketers making up most of the audience, they identified key areas for improvement, including business opportunity proposals, market requirements, and launch dashboards. Alarmingly, more attendees lacked a clear target audience for their launches than those who did. Sales teams also faced critique for weak target-setting, while product teams were urged to focus more on competitive differentiation to ensure that new offerings stand out.
Next, we tackled the launch process itself, offering guidance on launch tiering and its implications for resource allocation. Participants quickly realized that not all launches warrant equal attention — a bug fix or technical debt resolution doesn’t always justify a tier-one launch. One delegate noted, “I loved the launch tiering. It was so simple yet actionable.”
The workshop concluded with an exercise for attendees to complete the Forrester Launch-Plan-On-A-Page Template. This outlined launch goals, target audiences, metrics, timelines, buyer needs, competitive differentiation, and overall strategy. As one participant remarked, “I love that we left with a template we can take back to the office and use repeatedly.”
In just over an hour, attendees walked away with actionable ideas and the reassurance that they weren’t alone in facing launch challenges. If you’re a Forrester client looking to refine your launch processes, contact your account team to schedule a guidance session.
