High Tech Product Launch

Rating:
Summary: Too lightwieght for to be practical
Review: The book does a fine job of introducing the issues one may face in a new product launch, but goes no further. While reading, one keeps looking for practical example, case studies, research, templates, guides, anything... and they never materialize. This introduction also extends to basic orgination functions. "The sales training group will usually have the greatest reponsibility for internal marketing..." (p. 147) OK fine. Now what? Page 146 offers some of the book's most in depth practicality in the form of a matrix of sales collateral types v. recipients. Huh?

A small bun with no burger. Where's the beef?

Rating:
Summary: Product Launch 101 -- without the high tech stuff
Review: The book is supposedly about "High Tech Product Launch" and it indeed lives up to the expectation -- unfortunately, only for the last two words of the book: Product Launch.

While reading the book, I tried to pick out what product launch strategies differentiate a high tech product from a "normal" product. I found none. As I turn each page, in addition, I can't help but murmur to myself, "I already know this, I learned this in my Marketing class five years ago!"

The book presents pretty simple strategies, which makes me wonder if it was written for high-schoolers. For example, "The most critical milestone in any product launch is the launch date (p. 178)." Whoa, as if nobody knows that. That issue is debatable on the one side too, as books like Cooper's Product Leadership places more importance on the Pre-Development process rather than the launch itself.

All in all, this book should be simply titled "Product Launch (for Dummies)" and marketed to students taking "Marketing 101" or "Introduction to Product Launch."

Rating:
Summary: Product Launch 101 -- without the high tech stuff
Review: The book is supposedly about "High Tech Product Launch" and it indeed lives up to the expectation -- unfortunately, only for the last two words of the book: Product Launch.

While reading the book, I tried to pick out what product launch strategies differentiate a high tech product from a "normal" product. I found none. As I turn each page, in addition, I can't help but murmur to myself, "I already know this, I learned this in my Marketing class five years ago!"

The book presents pretty simple strategies, which makes me wonder if it was written for high-schoolers. For example, "The most critical milestone in any product launch is the launch date (p. 178)." Whoa, as if nobody knows that. That issue is debatable on the one side too, as books like Cooper's Product Leadership places more importance on the Pre-Development process rather than the launch itself.

All in all, this book should be simply titled "Product Launch (for Dummies)" and marketed to students taking "Marketing 101" or "Introduction to Product Launch."

Rating:
Summary: Product Launch For Non-Launch Managers
Review: This book was disappointing....

On the positive, the author shares a year 2000 perspective of the product marketing process that has taken hold in the silicon valley. It provides a real-world look at the way business organizations approach marketing verses how marketing was taught in school... it also goes into understanding the politics of marketing high-tech.

So, don't throw away your marketing degree. This book is probably written for non-marketers entering marketing or wanting a glimpse of what it's like on the inside of DotComLand.

But the book really highlights the need for PR, and advertising agencies with a deep understanding for market research, demographics, segmentation strategies and analysis. This book does not go into any practical ways to do any of these.

The style of writing is refreshingly simple... perhaps a little too simple. Because she takes nothing for granted about the reader that it seems obvious what she's saying....

Example:

Brochures: "brochures can be simple, short black-and-white pieces or elaborate productions with lots of artwork and color. They are usually designed in a coordinated fashion so that the graphics or illustrations and the text together convey a specific look and feel." And, I ask, "So?"

The author loses credibility along the way through her writing style, but provides insight by focusing on the important components of marketing that are used today.

For marketing professionals and academics, the author has, in fact, redefined marketing terms and concepts altogether. A product life cycle now has three stages: product idea, product development, product launch! And Porter's competitive model goes out the window.... "Marketing Strategy" is now defined as: positioning, messaging, external marketing programs, public relations and advertising, internal marketing programs, and the marketing plan.

A most ironic part of the book (pp. 165-169) calls for the reader to actually hire a launch manager to do the work for which she professes to provide insight on. I thought you were educating me through this book on how to do that.

What this book IS good for: telling you how the job is done today and what to expect if you want to do the job.... but it doesn't go further in telling you what to actually do.

This is interesting, but impractical.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview of product management
Review: This is an excellent book for someone who wants a good overview of building and implementing a marketing plan. Catherine does not go into to much detail but brings up all of the right questions to answer in order to guide the user through the process.

As someone working for an Internet company and used to short development cycles, she does a very good job of not just explaining the "what" but also the "how-to" (practical) side of building a new product. All in very a very simple to understand manner.

The only reason I gave it a 4 star rating is because she does not go into the budgeting of a new product. I think it is a critical part of the new product development process and she only mentions it.