Company: Ugobe
Agency: Shift Communications, LLC
Timeframe: February 2006, ongoing
Build a better launch event, and the world will beat a path to your door. It would be nice if creating a great product launch were as simple as that. In fact, it is a taxing
challenge for many PR pros, and one that comes with pitfalls and opportunities.
When Ugobe engineers designed Pleo, a robotic "pet" modeled after a one-week-old dinosaur, they introduced elements to make the toy seem lifelike and respond to its
owners. The challenge was how to make the media respond to Pleo.
Shift Communications aspired to a launch event that would be the talk of the DEMO 2006 technology conference (in February), as well as both tech-oriented and mainstream
audiences. Because the product would not be ready for purchase until early 2007 (an extension from the original target date of the 2006 holiday season), Ugobe was adamant about
the need to build strong relationships with top-tier media at the show that would sustain the buzz for a year - or more.
When planning a launch event, it's important to "be original, do your homework and find out what competitors have done," says long-time PR practitioner Pamela Johnston,
president of PJ, Inc. "Consider the timing carefully, don't be cheap, and encourage clients to take calculated risks. Allow the event to have a personality, and use intrigue to
your advantage. Food and alcohol usually help."
Ugobe and Shift hit all those markers. The strategy for their launch was to pursue key writers in intimate settings that would get Ugobe and Shift close to the right people and
pique their interest, setting the stage for immediate, positive coverage in the targeted media. A pre-show dinner resulted in high-profile stories in Network World,
Newsweek and other publications.
For this launch, the media outreach targeted a couple of bull's eyes. That raised new challenges of its own.
"When reaching out to a journalist in a specialized group," says Julie Crabill, Senior Account Manager and Manager of Industry Relations at Shift, "it is imperative to know
what [the reporter] writes and the history behind the publication. Knowing the ins and outs of the industry also allows a PR practitioner to generate trust with the journalist and
lead to a lasting relationship."
Johnston agrees. She advises, "Read the [target] publication historically, follow a specific reporter's history, style, types of coverage, likes and dislikes, and find events
where you can run into them in person. Write individual communications to them that do not contain product pitches over a period of time, find out what they read and what
influences them - perhaps target a blog they follow, or their home town media. To catch their eye, try scheduling an in-person meeting over lunch or coffee, and ask a lot of
questions."
Crabill notes, "Every journalist wants to feel special and be part of the process. Ugobe worked closely with the journalistic community from more than a year before the product
launch to bring them into the fold and get their feedback about the product as it was being developed. In this way, the journalists got to have a voice in what the final Pleo
product would do and how it could truly seem to come to life for the consumer community." She continues, "Treating journalists like you would want to be treated ... helps
establish a relationship and a good rapport that will lead to mutually beneficial conversations."
Shift laid plans to build bridges between Ugobe and Keith Shaw, who writes Network World's "Cool Tools" column. Technophiles turn to his column to get the nitty-gritty on
the latest gadgets, making it the best vehicle for a product like Pleo. Shift knew that Shaw was a big fan of the Star Wars films, so they arranged to seat him next to Gordon
Radley - a Ugobe board member and former president of Lucasfilms - during the launch dinner.
Another technophile journalist attending the dinner was Brad Stone, Newsweek's Silicon Valley correspondent. Knowing Stone's affinity for robotics, Shift seated him next to
Ugobe CEO Bob Christopher so the two could address in-depth questions for an exclusive report on the baby dino. This developed a personal relationship between Ugobe and Stone,
while giving Stone all he needed for some useful coverage.
During the demonstration of Pleo after the dinner, Christopher began his speech with an explanation of the company's vision and mission, then introduced Pleo in action. He took
a risk in trying to get the tired DEMO audience to sing "Happy Birthday" to Pleo, to underscore that the electronic pet was a true life form entering the world for the first time.
The risk paid off, as hundreds of technologists, investors and media sang to the toy dinosaur.
The word got out. A top competitor with another robotic product was garnering 9,300 hits on Google after being in the market for more than a year, but Pleo pulled in 14,000
hits in the first week after his "birthday" launch, despite the fact that the product was still months from the retail shelves.
The Pleo launch challenge reads almost like a cautionary tale to frighten PR practitioners off ever trying a similar stunt, but daring ploys can have the best results if you do
it right.
Just what kinds of challenges does a PR professional face when trying to create a launch for a new product that has serious competition? "The new product must have
differentiators, and the PR should focus on those differentiators," says Johnston. "The biggest challenges include not being first to market, launching a product where others
already have many similar capabilities, and over-saturation of the media in a specific area with much competition." She continues, "Journalists lack the time to understand the
nuances and product differenatiators, so the challenge is to get people to care at all. You have to present information that adds value - not just product puffery."
Earlier robotic dinosaur toys had entered the market, such as Sony's AIBO and WowWee's Roboraptor, which meant Pleo needed unique hooks. Crabill notes, "It's always a
challenge to launch a new product, especially when the product originates from a previously unknown, private start-up. Not only does a PR professional have to launch the product
to the public, but she has to ignite interest in the company as a whole."
As a newcomer in the space, Ugobe and its PR team had to relay the key messages of the product and ensure that messages were reaching the target audience. "The PR professional
has to brand the product in a way that is appealing and attractive to the consumer," says Crabill. "The challenge arises in getting the attention of the public and relaying the
passion the company has behind the product to the consumers. While Ugobe was joining a space filled with established players ... the PR challenge (and opportunity) came in
relaying that Pleo would offer the market something new and different."
The PR team spread the company's passion to consumers using the media who had seen Pleo's magic up close and personal throughout the process in a deep enough way to suspend
their disbelief and make them product evangelists.
But a further challenge Ugobe and Shift have faced is the delay of the product's arrival in the marketplace. Pleo was slated to be available for sale by the holiday season this
year, but because Ugobe wants to get it perfect, the "dino-bot" won't hit the shelves until March of 2007.
Another DEMO show will have come and gone by the time Pleo is ready for sale, and "it raises certain challenges in keeping the press community interested," Crabill says. "But
we have found that complete transparency with the media about what is happening with Ugobe and Pleo has been the best bet. By letting the press in, we have built allies who ...
are still behind what we are doing."
CONTACT:
Julie Crabill, 415.591.8411,
[email protected]; Pamela Johnston, 212 629-8445,
Tips & Traps: Building A Better Launch
"It's important to create an event that is going to have a universal appeal among journalists and consumers (since journalists are, after all, writing for a consumer base),"
says Julie Crabill, Senior Account Manager and Manager of Industry Relations at Shift. "It's also important to understand the needs of the people you are inviting to the event and
keep their interests in mind."
Beyond that, the event should be both personal and compelling.
Be Personal: In terms of being personal, the company executives should be sure to have face time with all of the attendees, since this is what will help the company and product
be remembered months and years later.
Keep It Compelling: In terms of being compelling, it is key that the event be prepared with the goals of being interesting and fun in mind so that it will be remembered. For
example, when coordinating a dinner with top-tier media and Ugobe at DEMO 2006, Shift kept in mind that Keith Shaw from Network World is a huge Star Wars fan. Knowing his
interest, SHIFT sat Shaw next to Gordon Radley, a member of Ugobe 's board who was previously the president of LucasFilms. Shaw will undoubtedly remember Ugobe when Pleo is ready
to launch. It is this type of creative thinking that leaves a lasting impression.
Don't Use Filler: One of the pitfalls of launching a product that won't go to market right away is avoiding the temptation to "fill in the blanks." You know those pauses that
develop in a conversation, and which someone is inevitably going to jump on and fill with meaningless conversation? Ugobe and Shift faced a similar challenge when they were
unveiling Pleo.
Crabill says, "With such a long lead between product announcement and actual availability (we announced at DEMO in Feb 2006 and the product will hit the market in March 2007)
it is critical to not 'fill the space' between the major news events with fluff news just for the sake of making noise.
"We found it more worthwhile (for Ugobe and for the media) to keep ongoing relationships warm by working with press on articles they needed help with and proactively providing
information about the product development, without putting out press releases on every little thing that happened."