1.Situation

In MYPRODUCT50 I detailed how between 2012-2015 the portfolio of anti-parasitic products for dogs / cats marketed by Veteco / Rhone-Vet increased from 12 SKUs to 32 SKUs Merial, so launching new products and range management became my priority responsibilities as Commercial Director.

In MYPRODUCT54 I explained how the market for antiparasitic products for dogs and cats evolved and the fact the launch of a product represents a critical inflection point for the entire organization, concluding that markets are alive.

2.Task

But how to develop a marketing strategy to launch a new product on a market? How similar or different are those strategies for launching the same product on different markets?

3.Action

In order to go deeply in this topic, I use the Frontline Tri-Act launch in Romania and Hungary as a case study, further synthesizing some dimensions that influenced the launching strategies.

4.Results

It is easy to note that the contextual matrix in Romania and Hungary is subject to major differences. Consequently, there were major implications in designing launching campaigns.

Here are some examples.

In Romania from brand awareness reasons, we decided to include the TV component in the communication mix.

At the launch campaign in Hungary we did not have a TV campaign, communicating exclusively through informative materials at the points of sale (brochures).

In Romania, we capitalized the image benefit of the Frontline brand, promoting the product as the Frontline Tri-act in sales speech, presentations, product list, associating him directly with the Frontline range.

In Hungary, the product was positioned totally independent of the Frontline range, being promoted as Tri-act (without the Frontline particle) at the level of sales speech, presentations. We wanted to get brand awareness for Tri-act, avoiding the link Frontline and Tri-act.

In Romania, the sales team was the main “push” vector for promotion, sales and achievement of numerical distribution goals.

In Hungary, the sales team focused especially on product promotion, selling being done through sub-distributors.

5.Key Leanings

The lucrative experiences in different markets, different cultures, different industries, different product ranges contribute decisively to the increase of expertise and professionalism.

Do not miss these opportunities because they will open up horizons of understanding that will propel your professional career.

Notification: MYPRODUCT reflects my real professional experience and expertise as well as my subjectivity. I do have a profound respect for all the companies I collaborated to and for all the people I worked with. It is not my intention to approach any sensitive, confidential or offending information related to companies, projects or people. If you the reader deduct or recognise companies, projects or people in my examples, I kindly ask you to respect MYPRODUCT and my professional and ethic approach and to not share any detail, information, situation, name, company.