7.6 THE COORDINATED LAUNCH

The activities in the launch are highly coordinated as in the operational plan.

Logistic aspects of distribution are of prime importance in the launch. Failure in any part of the market channel will upset everyone from the primary producer to the consumer and can do irreparable damage to the product image. The product must be on the retailers' shelves when it is wanted by the consumer. There is nothing more annoying to the consumer than seeing advertisements and then failing to find the product on the supermarket shelves, or for a food manufacturer to get very excited at a trade fair only to discover that the food ingredient will not be available in their area for 6-12 months.

The time schedules in the operational plan are of prime importance to ensure that distribution takes place at the right time for production, the sales force, the supermarkets and the consumer. The company should have the product in central storage at the plant and in distribution centres at strategic points in or near the markets; the inventory held in each and its transport needs to be recorded and controlled. If the stocks are not in the retailers and the distribution centres when the product is launched, many potential sales and profits may be lost.

Promotion and advertising needs to be coordinated in time and presentation. TV advertising needs to be coordinated with the in-store promotion so that they are reinforcing each other. The packaging and in-store promotions need to be telling the same story. The TV advertising may have a simpler message than the in-store promotions because it may be aimed at awareness and the in-store promotions at education, but the linkage needs to be strong.

Timing of the promotions needs to be well planned and maintained, but there must be readiness to act when unexpected happenings occur in the market.