Effective Brand Launch Strategies for Startups

If I was launching a brand on social media from scratch, here's my exact 90-day plan: Days 0-30: Foundation Building 1. I'd choose max TWO platforms to start - Instagram as my visual home base + community feature build and either TikTok (for faster growth potential) or LinkedIn (for B2B connections if relevant to my brand). Honestly, you could go hard on 1 and thrive! 2. Before posting anything, I'd create a content bible with: • visual themes that define aesthetic • 3-5 content pillars (behind-the-scenes, founder journey, educational content, customer spotlights, cultural commentary, etc. roll up to final offering) • Voice guidelines (how we talk about products, response style, storytelling approach) 3. I'd batch create 2 weeks of content upfront so I'm not bogged down, can maintain consistency, and stay ahead. 4. I'd identify 50 micro-influencers in my niche and engage with their content daily. Not just "cute!" comments but thoughtful responses that show I actually consumed their content. 5. I'd set up platform-specific lead captures: • Instagram + TikTok: Create a custom link tree with email signup (use in stories as well)  • LinkedIn: Create a PDF resource that solves a specific problem and reference it in posts (connect to dm) 6. I'd create a broadcast channel with updates, promos + bts content, even with just 10-20 people initially! Days 31-60: Community Building 1. I'd introduce a weekly Instagram Live series featuring founder talks, product highlights, and Q&A sessions. Daily Drills is a blueprint for this! 2. I'd launch a UGC campaign (if relevant) and repost everyone who participates. If UGC is challenging at this stage, I'd consider gifting products to nano-influencers to generate initial content. 3. I'd start a simple Substack newsletter that goes deeper than social posts, featuring: founder content, industry content, product content, community benefits I'd analyze which content performed best from the first 30 days and double down on those formats. When something works, keep it going. As Ernest Lupinacci says: "Simplify, then exaggerate." Days 61-90: Conversion Focus 1. I'd start incorporating more direct calls to action in content 2. I'd create a series highlighting real customers using the product to build social proof. 3. I'd host a virtual event (webinar, live tutorial, or industry discussion) specifically for email subscribers, driving social followers to join the list. Utilize lives on platforms (Substack, LinkedIn, wherever your audience is!) 4. I'd reach out to 5 publications + newsletters in my niche for potential features 5. I'd analyze the entire 90 days of data to create a refined strategy for the next quarter The goal by day 90 isn't massive follower counts - it's building the right foundation with the right people who will actually convert and champion your brand. Building on social takes consistency over flash. I'd rather have 1,000 highly engaged potential customers than 10,000 passive scrollers.

If I were launching a CPG brand today, here's exactly how I'd do it... the scrappy way: Most founders start with an idea. I'd start at the store. Here's my step-by-step playbook 👇 1. Find the white space BEFORE the product idea. I'm doing full shelf audits to spot categories ripe for disruption, then I’m conducting category and competitor audits for that category. 2. Build the brand world first. I’d be able to answer: Who desperately needs this? Why NOW? This becomes your north star for every decision—from recipe to packaging to pricing. 3. Sample, sample, sample. I'd rather iterate 5 times based on real data than launch something that flops because I fell in love with my own idea. A great way to do this? Product & Prosper® Sampling Program, which reaches 400+ industry vets. 4. Amazon first (not retail). It’s the fastest path to real customer feedback and reviews. Plus, you can test ad spend without a broker breathing down your neck. 5. Prove DTC works with actual data. With real reviews, proven conversion rates, and understanding of CAC from Amazon, you’re prepped to launch DTC. 6. Independent retail via Faire. This builds what we call The Retail Resume®—Credibility, Capability, Cash—before you pitch the big guys. 7. Build industry street cred in parallel. Pitch to industry media, join founder communities like Startup CPG and Naturally Network, post on LinkedIn and engage with other CPG folks on the platform. Buyers notice brands that other people are talking about. Notice what's NOT in this playbook: ❌ Immediately hiring a broker ❌ Cold-emailing buyers ❌ Rushing to trade shows without validation The brands that succeed today build proof of concept before distribution. They validate with real customers before buyers. Each step becomes the foundation for the next—not a sprint to the finish line. I dive deeper into each of these steps in today's Product & Prosper Newsletter. Link in the comments 👇

Most companies suck at launching products. They’re like Alice in Wonderland — chasing shiny objects and getting lost along the way. Here’s the 11-step process we perfected after 25 years of product launches (in a collaboration with Jason Oakley): 1. Competitive Research The key to great strategy is to look externally. Take notes on competitor's features and how they grow. Build a database so you can counter-position appropriately. 2. Segmentation A launch aimed at “everyone” will miss everyone. Instead, build a laser-focused Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Follow this chain of thought: What are they craving? → What frustrates them daily? → What job are they trying to accomplish? 3. Pricing & Packaging Even the smallest feature can have a ripple effect on your pricing and packaging. Don’t wait until launch week to figure this out. Before launching, assess things like: Will this be a paid feature or free? Who will get access? What’s the plan for feature gating? 4. Positioning Now it’s time to craft a message that resonates. Speak to their deeper desires, not just their immediate problems. Communicate the outcome your product delivers and why you’re different from the rest. 5. Assemble Your Launch Team You can’t do it alone, and you shouldn’t. A successful launch involves stakeholders across the company. Use the RACI framework to assign clear roles. 6. Clear Objectives Too many teams dive into a launch without defined goals. And that’s why they miss the mark. Set clear objectives and key results. 7. Distribution Channels Many teams fall into the trap of trying to be everywhere; LinkedIn, email, ads, you name it. Reality check: Most startups only have 1-2 effective distribution channels. Find yours and double down on it. 8. Launch Milestones Planning your entire launch around individual tasks will overwhelm you. Instead, focus on major milestones and build a work-back plan. Some key milestones to include: Early access launch → Customer launch → Kickoff meeting. 9. Bill of Materials Your Bill of Materials is the content engine of your launch. Focus on: → Writing the message they want to hear → Designing visuals that captivate and appeal to them → Creating email sequences tailored to every user flow 10. Sales & Customer Success Teams Too many launches fail because these teams are looped in at the last minute. Enable them early with a messaging deck, internal FAQs, and demo materials... And they’ll become powerful advocates for your product. 11. Launch Day Make sure everything is launched smoothly and on time. If you achieve early wins, be the first to celebrate them and rally the team. And don’t forget to keep pushing the momentum forward. There's much more in the deep dive: https://lnkd.in/eB7s6umA If you don't plan your launches, even the best products will fail.

If I were starting a DTC brand from scratch today, here’s what I wouldn’t do: I wouldn’t start with a logo. I wouldn’t start with a paid ads plan. I wouldn’t start with a 50-page pitch deck. I’d start with a problem. A real one. Because the brands that break through today aren’t just selling products. They’re solving urgent, emotional pain points customers already feel. You don’t create demand. You uncover it. Here’s where I’d focus first: Fall in love with the customer’s tension. Get closer to the pain point than feels natural. Great brands don't invent needs—they listen deeply and meet them better than anyone else. And then, pressure-test the demand. So, let's explore these. Before you design a product, study the problem: - Use Google Trends (multi-year view) to spot macro trends and seasonality. Explore Exploding Topics for emerging demand you might not know to search for yet. - Use Pinterest Trends for visual, lifestyle, and seasonal insights. - Use Amazon reviews (especially negative ones) to uncover what existing products miss—and where your white space lives. - Check tools like Buzzsumo or BuzzAbout to see if there’s real conversation and social energy in the category. Build the math before you build the brand: - If the unit economics don’t work small, they’ll only get harder at scale. (I look for delivered DTC margins above 65%, ideally closer to 67%. Profit isn't optional. It's your oxygen.) Go narrow, not broad: - One hero product. One channel. One customer you deeply understand. Complexity taxes speed—and speed compounds early wins. Launch before you feel ready: - If you wait until everything is perfect, you’ve already waited too long. Launch at 80–85%, get real feedback, and sharpen from there. Perfect is where momentum goes to die. Think about LTV from day one: - Retention isn't a later-stage problem. It's a launch-stage opportunity. Build your email, SMS, and customer data capture systems cleanly early—and your future self will thank you. If you’re exploring ideas right now, start simple: - Where is there real tension? - How do you know it’s not just imagined? - Can you solve it better than anyone else? Because real businesses aren’t built on clever messaging.They’re built on real solutions to real problems. Find the pain. Sharpen the value. Then build something worth believing in.

If I had to launch a new brand on social in 6 weeks, here’s how I’d do it: WEEK 1: Build the foundation → Pick 1–2 platforms (usually TikTok and Instagram) → Define your brand voice, content pillars, and visual style → Create and schedule two weeks of content → Start building relationships — engage with 50 micro-creators in a genuine way WEEK 2: Quiet launch, loud listening → Begin posting → Reply to every DM and comment → Launch a broadcast channel (even if only 10 people join — it’s about the feeling of access and belonging) WEEK 3: Go live, show up → Start weekly lives — nothing beats real-time connection → Encourage UGC through giveaways or affiliate incentives → Double down on what’s performing WEEK 4: Turn followers into a community → Launch a UGC creator group or challenge → Personally message top fans and early supporters → Scale the formats that work → Simplify what’s working, then do more of it WEEK 5: Start selling, softly → Add clear calls to action in your posts → Start featuring real customers and creators using your product WEEK 6: Look back, then plan ahead → Review what worked (and what didn’t) → Refine your strategy for the next 6 weeks → From here on, you’re building a flywheel The goal isn’t to go viral. It’s to build trust that scales. Consistency beats hacks. Community beats reach. 1,000 engaged people will always outperform 10,000 passive ones.