8000 words of dry goods

Most companies put a lot of effort into brand launches, but why do some brands do well and others are criticized? If you want to do a good job of conference innovation, what can you do? Let's take a look at the sharing of this article.

In 2024, various press conferences and continuous hot spots of new energy vehicles will be in full swing.

First of all, Tesla's bulletproof "warrior monk" made a shining debut, and his debut was the peak; This was followed by the "rollover" incident of Ideal MAGA, which was eye-catching; Then, Lei Jun single-handedly turned the release of Xiaomi SU7 into a spring firework, which is hot; Last month, there was the debut of the BYD Formula Leopard family and the brilliant listing of ZEEKR, and then Lei Jun, who "pushed the back feeling" at the Beijing Auto Show, and Zhou Hongyi, who rubbed traffic, became popular out of the circle.

However, despite the huge investment and hard work of various manufacturers, why do some win and some do not wave? Some are praised, and some are criticized?

This article does not judge the merits of the product, nor does it discuss the quality of public relations, let alone those "reception" press conferences, but starts from the trend of brand conferences, finds some basic principles, and gives certain methods!

The 8,000-word article will bring you new inspiration from three aspects and 6 keywords.

1. The past and present of the brand "press conference" and the three types.
2. Rethinking Brand Launches: Ranks, New Perceptions and Classifications.
3. 6 checkpoints to create your own brand launch – emotional value, connection, superiority, engagement, ritual and story.

1. The past and present life and three types of brand "press conferences".

Speaking of press conferences, we must talk about Steve Jobs and his six world-changing press conferences:

• In 1984, Steve Jobs released the Mac, the world's first graphics visualization computer. smashing IBM and "introducing yourself";
• In 1998, Jobs returned to the company for the iMac G3 launch event. All-in-one colorful design (Chic. Not Geek is a hipster, not a geek);
• In 2001, Jobs pulled his iPod out of his pocket. The first generation iPod that fits in your pocket and stores all of your music library.
• In 2007, Steve Jobs reinvented the mobile phone – the world-changing IPhone was born.
• In 2008, Jobs pulled the first MacBook Air out of an envelope, and it was the thinnest notebook of its time.
• In 2010, Steve Jobs released the iPad – "Between the smartphone and the laptop that everyone uses, is there room for a third type of device?" ”

These milestone launches aren't just because of the products and technologies that shaped the consumer tech industry as we know it today; Because of Jobs' unique style, attention to detail, and ability to create a strong emotional connection with the audience, it is still regarded as a classic case of press conferences.

However, there is only one Jobs in the world, so there is a second type of brand launch - a "brand launch" with co-creators as the core.

In 2008, Google hosted its first developer conference, Google I/O. "I/O" stands for "Innovation in the Open" and has been held every year in May for 20 years.

The I/O Developer Conference started as just a year of Google showcasing the latest, cutting-edge, and cutting-edge innovations of the past year. Today, it has become the most important event for Google's ecosystem partners. At the conference, many developers jointly demonstrated the continuous innovation and co-construction and empowerment of the past year.

Similar examples include Airbnb's AirbnbOpen Host Conference (inaugural 2015), NIO's NIO Day (inaugural 2017), LEGO's LEGO CON Conference (inaugural 2021), and lululemon's anniversary. It should be noted that the core participants of these conferences are not fans, but super users and ecological partners, that is, co-creators, who participate in the construction of brands or communities.

At the same time, we can also see the third type of launches, such as the technology-leading CES, MWC and IFA shows, as well as the four major fashion weeks in Paris and London.

These conferences brought together the world's top opinion leaders, contemporaries and power users, and each one was a guide and foresight of future trends.

In the above three types of press conferences, some people focus on the product, some love the brand, some like the community, and some are obsessed with personal charm. So, in such a flowery and aesthetically tired "press conference universe", how can we hold a conference that is truly valuable, influential, and even phenomenal?

Let's start at the beginning, it's time to revisit the brand launch.

2. Re-understanding the brand conference: rank, new cognition and classification

1. The third level of the brand launch

To understand a brand launch, we first need to understand its purpose or objectives. Generally speaking, there are three levels of brand launches.

Beginner Rank: Show yourself and attract attention. Brands seek to stand out from their competitors by showcasing new products, technologies, or presenting new images and strategies that attract the attention of the media, investors, and the general public. The ideal situation is "the top amount of debut", such as the 2020 "Tear to Fame" hometown chicken and the local flavor press conference that only costs 200 yuan.

• Intermediate rank: Shape the image and stimulate desire. In this segment, the brand demonstrates its leadership and innovative spirit to the public, creating a striking brand image that stimulates interest and desire to buy products. It's like the launch of various luxury brands.
• Advanced Rank: Incarnate IP and form a belonging. At this point, the launch event is usually a strategic move by the brand. The integration of specific cultural expressions enhances the cultural influence and leading position of a certain circle; Strengthen the user's sense of belonging through the expression of emotions that can be circulated and remembered; With the expected "check-in" mechanism and the scarcity at a specific point in time, the pride ...... of the participants was successfully cultivated. Just like Apple's new product launch conference over the years, the Google Developer Conference and the four major fashion weeks, etc., all have the characteristics of advanced ranks.

Either way, a brand launch event is no longer a marketing campaign to simply launch a product or announce an official attitude, but a "stage" for brands to showcase themselves.

Think of the brand launch as a "stage" and everything will become transparent!

2. A new perception of the brand launch - "Actually, I am an actor"?

On this "stage", you can fully show yourself, rejuvenate your personality, and make people willing to spread for you; It can also stimulate curiosity and anticipation, so that more people will not forget and actively buy; It can also create memorable interactive experiences that build emotional resonance with the target demographic; More importantly, it's your chance to interact with the world and dance with the times.

If you agree with this view, then the following conclusion is obvious: on this stage, the brand is no longer just an independent existence, but like the actor on the stage, the host in the banquet, a real and interesting character.

You and I will play the role of director and design the whole show into an amazing dance show. From the ups and downs of the plot, the conflicts between the characters, to the reversal of the story, imagination will be injected into every detail.

The brand, in fact, is just an actor! On this stage, it is necessary to perform, perform and express yourself well.

3. Reclassify brand launches – who is the "protagonist"?

If you're really customer-centric, you're like the host of a banquet, you're hosting a banquet for your guests. And sometimes, the host of the banquet is holding a banquet for himself.

- Bezos, founder of Amazon

A more radical corollary is that there are only two types of launches in the world:

• One is that the brand is the protagonist/owner. For example, Steve Jobs' Apple, Yu Chengdong's Huawei, and OpenAI's press conference.
• One is that the user is the protagonist/master. For example, Google's developer conference, Airbnb's host conference, LEGO player conference, NIO's NIO Day, etc.

Of course, there is no clear boundary between the two, they can merge and penetrate each other. Among them, the king is Xiaomi's Lei Jun, who combines product launches, fan celebrations, personal insights and various chicken soups!

For most brands, there may not be figures like Steve Jobs, Lei Jun or Yu Chengdong, but that doesn't stop them from finding their own way of launching a conference.

To demonstrate how this process works, Brand Ape introduces a way to ask questions to examine the characteristics of its own launch, following these principles may not make the launch go out of the loop right away, but the process should help you see the leap from principle to practice.

3. 6 checkpoints - create your own brand launch!

Let's examine ourselves in turn from the six key words of emotional value, connection, superiority, participation, ritual, and storytelling.

Checkpoint 1: What kind of "value" do you bring to your guests?

The ultimate purpose of an enterprise is also the ultimate purpose of economic activities, that is, to create customers and create value for customers.

– Peter Drucker

The first step to a successful brand launch is to look at the unique "value" you can bring to your guests.

The following three points need to be emphasized:

First, there must be "emotional value"!

The unique "value" here is not only product innovation or leading technology, nor is it a rational value in use, but more refers to various "emotional values".

Just like a wonderful stage play, excellent content not only creates wealth, but also helps the audience get a unique emotional experience: these emotional values can be "witnesses" and bring a unique experience; Such as "surprise", bringing a little dopamine; It can also be "showing off" and gathering personal glory; Or "belonging", gaining some kind of recognition and resonance.....

Just like the rational value of "scientific and technological innovation", Apple brings "surprise", Huawei brings "pride and confidence", and Xiaomi has more "beautiful yearning and belonging".

Second, the "value" you care about has no value, only the "value" that users and the media pay attention to.

The so-called super performance, cost-effectiveness, cool design, celebrity participation, etc. have long been out of novelty, they are only valuable to geeks or actual buyers. If you really want to get noticed, you need to bring "value" to the public and the media that they are interested in.

For example, the technology of "far ahead" may not be cared about by anyone, but the word "far ahead" has made Huawei an "Internet celebrity" again and again; Similarly, the Xiaomi SU7 is out of the circle not because of so many data, but because it pays homage to (imitates) Porsche's design.

In addition, you think that most of the "innovative technologies" are worthless, and the technologies that can empower users' lives are valuable. This is also the key to the gradual loss of appeal of the Apple mobile phone conference led by Cook.

Third, "identity" is the trigger for conveying "value" and "emotional value".

From this point of view, the "value" you create not only needs to be noticed by users, but also needs to be recognized; The "emotional value" you convey needs to be not only valuable, but also resonant.

Only when it is recognized, participants will actively participate and share. When they share it in their circle of friends, it is actually not only a catharsis of emotions, but also a transmission of social values.

Therefore, having a clear understanding of the "value", "emotional value" and "identity" you want to create at the beginning of the presentation may make your presentation stand out from the crowd.

Checkpoint 2: What did your launch "connect"?

If you want to build a ship, don't grab a group of people to collect materials, don't command them to do this and that, the first thing you should do is to instill in them "the passion for rowing to the sea". - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Next, you need to clarify what your launch is "connected"?

The "connection" here refers to whether the "value" created by the press conference can be connected with people's higher-level or deeper needs. It can be a connection to the past or the future, to meaning, to a particular community or like-minded people.

That is, what you have to do is not only tell people how great your product is and what problems it solves, but more importantly, tell people how your brand connects with some kind of goodness, meaning, trend, group, or something.

• Jobs' launch event connects users to the "future".
• Lei Jun's press conference connected rice noodles with "beauty".
• The Google I/O Developer Conference connects partners with "co-creators."
• The launch of luxury brands allows users to connect with "trends and status".

It is important to note that the launch event is a connection between the brand and the user, not just between the product and the use. At the same time, connection is not only a marketing tool, but also a way to build a deep connection with users.

Checkpoint 3: What identity or "sense of superiority" can your presentation help participants build?

At major film festivals, stars walked on the red carpet one by one to compete for beauty, sparing no effort to "perform" to attract the attention of the media and people. Why? They're shaping their identity through a red carpet show!

The key to this identity is to gain a sense of superiority and to feel superior to others and enter an exclusive circle, which is also known as "social currency".

In Jonah Poger's best-selling book, Crazy, "superiority" is classified as the first of the six principles of contagion, "social currency".

In the same way that people use currency to buy goods or services, using social currency can lead to more positive reviews and positive impressions from family, friends, and colleagues.

- "Crazy"

It can be a challenge for brands to get a person to be able to build an identity by attending a launch event. However, it is easy to simply and effectively label the participants with some kind of label that gives them a sense of superiority through the launch event.

Here are four tips to help you create a sense of superiority:

1) Labeling

As we all know, the sense of superiority comes from various labels, such as tech geek, fashionista, luxury car bezel, two-dimensional, etc.; "What you said before is wrong, my message is right", this "prophetic message" is also a kind of label.

2) Create or maintain a positive "persona"

Countless labels make up a "persona" that allows participants to have and convey a positive image: qualities such as wisdom, intelligence, kindness, and intellectual curiosity.

3) Provide bragging rights

Give participants the opportunity to showcase their unique experiences, such as witnessing the birth of something, posing for photos with celebrities, etc. They can also show off their insights by complaining about a rollover incident. Even, photographing the red-clothed sect leader Zhou Hongyi sitting on the roof of the car and sharing it with friends is also a way to show off.

4) Manufacturing scarcity

Scarcity is an often overlooked source of superiority. If an event in a press conference is given a scarcity property, it will create another unique sense of superiority. For example, scarce elements like exclusive news, limited-edition products, face-to-face interactions, etc., can make participants feel special.

The most important scarcity is the selection of participants and the number of sessions held. A launch event that anyone, including the media, can attend, and a launch event that takes place several times a year is certainly of little value.

Therefore, it can also be said that the essence of the brand launch is to issue "social currency", a currency that can give participants a sense of superiority.

Checkpoint 4: What can users participate in and co-create with your launch?

The first three checkpoints illustrate some of the basic principles of the launch, and the fourth checkpoint is what new things do you need for your integration in the face of the latest trends? That's the sense of participation and co-creation!

Why? There are three reasons for this:

• First, we live in a digital world of participatory theater, where audiences watch performances and immediately critique performers. At the same time, the audience does not want to be told, but also wants to tell and express.
• Second, the current Generation Z, members gathered in circles and the Internet, any press conference is no longer willing to sit down and listen to the Pope's speech, but wants to stand in the spotlight and become the new bishop and leader, they all want to be the heroes of their own life journey.
• Third, in the past, user participation was not important for an influential press conference, but media communication was the key. Now the situation is completely different, and without the participation and co-creation of users, it is difficult to form a voice.

In such a new digital era, brand launches, no matter who is the protagonist, have a new principle: let a part of the users participate! Only then can the stage become an event and not just a marketing campaign.

This is also the great thing about Lei Jun's Xiaomi press conference, he took a step forward at the Jobs press conference and integrated his own gene "Sense of Participation".

The ultimate in this is NIO - NIO Day in January every year, which is NIO users' own festival, a co-creation and sensual press conference, and a real "annual event" for users.

Taking NIO Day 2020 as an example, NIO users were deeply involved in all aspects of NIO Day (city selection, process, performance, venue layout, etc.).

10 candidate cities, more than 40,000 people participated in the vote; More than 260 users participated in the co-creation of NIO Day; Nearly 200 Chengdu user volunteers warmly received riders from all over the country; NIO Day was opened by users, with user community singles and user story videos that touched users from the user's perspective.

In fact, the sense of participation can also be understood as "connecting users with users and letting users move users".

Of course, it is best if a sense of participation and co-creation can be achieved at a strategic level; If you can't, at least on a tactical level, feel involved.

At this point, ask yourself - can you open up a participating node for users?

Here are three tips for implementing participating nodes:

• Method 1: Easy to act. The purpose of user engagement and co-creation is to get them to act, not just appreciate, remember, and consume. At its core, it's a call to action, starting with sharing, but going further. Therefore, nodes must first be easy to act, such as liking, commenting, and retweeting, and need to give them clear tools and scenarios.
• Method 2, can be processed. Engage users while making it easy for them to customize, retool, and shape. It doesn't make sense to give the press a press release and the form of material like the media, you need to give a template that can blend personality.
• Method 3: Advantage. As the name suggests, what are the benefits for each participant? Red envelopes, gift certificates, points, experiences, trials, honors, ....... Just think about it, there's always a way.

Through interconnected participation and co-creation actions, it is possible to activate emotional value and form a real network effect, becoming traffic and hot spots.

Checkpoint 5: Does your presentation have a "sense of ceremony"?

Everyone has some beautiful moments, some are beautiful, some are surprised, some are glorious, some are disgusted or even disgusted, and these moments can sometimes accompany you for a lifetime. -- Behavioral Design

Rituals, known in psychology as "positive decisive moments" or "peak moments", are used to strengthen emotions.

Why are the top brands so keen to create formal and informal ceremonies? Because "rituals" can generate hard-to-establish emotions such as belonging, trust, appreciation, and respect, and can also continue to output surprises and beautiful memories. There is no better ritual in the world than the Olympic Torch Relay, which takes place every four years.

For brand launches, a "ceremony" refers to any event that marks the importance of a particular period or event. The act in the ritual has a profound meaning, connecting the present moment with what happened in the past and our hopes for the future.

For example, the launching ceremony, the unveiling ceremony, the countdown, the red carpet, the photo check-in, etc., although these ceremonies have been difficult to arouse people's interest, and these fancy means are difficult to attract people's attention, but planning a horizontal ceremony is still an indispensable job in the press conference, and even the top priority at the tactical level.

Here are three tips for creating a sense of ritual:

Technique 1: Be Meaningful – Any ritual must be given meaning in order to have value.

In fact, people often underestimate the imagination of "ritual". "Ritual" doesn't need to be unconventional or extravagant, but rather connects you with your users and brings the meaning of your brand into their lives.

It should be noted here that "ritual" is not a ritual, but refers to a specific time, event or behavior that is given a meaning far above itself and is recognized and participated in by the audience.

An action, a badge, a photo, and a bracelet can all be a tool for brands to integrate meaning into users' lives.

A typical example has to be said that Lei Jun personally opened the door for the first batch of car owners, which is several floors higher than the sense of superiority and ritual created by turnkey and taking pictures.

Tip 2: Find the "Temple" - Find the sacred space place.

In simple terms, a sacred place is a space that is set aside specifically for a special purpose. When it comes to a special space for you, you may think of something that happened only in that space. In addition to this, some activities will be made even more special because of the special venues.

Holding a press conference in Beijing 798 will give an artistic temperament, Wuzhen because the Internet conference has a technological gene, and the press conference in Dunhuang or on the Great Wall will embrace Chinese romance.

Of course, you can temporarily make a space a sacred place, or you can temporarily set aside any space and give it a sacred meaning. Such as the former home, the material heritage, the title of "first", etc.

For top brands, it doesn't matter where the venue is located, but for innovative brands and launches that focus on users/fans as the protagonists, the choice of venue is crucial – a physical "temple" can become a kind of "spiritual landmark" for a specific group of people

Technique 3: Meaningful people participate, and the ritual becomes more sacred.

The participation of important people is also indispensable for the "sense of ritual", and their arrival will make the sense of ritual more sacred.

The pope who crowned the king, the chief justice who took the oath of the president, the general who honored the soldiers, the guard of honor who welcomed the return of the ashes of the martyrs....... the author of the original book was invited to the reading club, the anniversary celebration invited a certain KOL, and even the partners who grew up together at the coming-of-age ceremony.......

Checkpoint 6: Do you tell "stories"? Tell your own story and the story of your users!

Stories are the most effective way for humans to learn and communicate. The most powerful principle of a perfect launch is storytelling. Unfortunately, most people are more inclined to break this principle than to abide by it.

Of course, storytelling also requires skill, so let's ask the 8 answers to chatGtp's "What did Steve Jobs say about us" to illustrate this:

• Storytelling: Steve Jobs excelled at wrapping product launches with a compelling story, often starting with a grand vision and gradually guiding the audience through the context and importance of the product.
• Concise information: When introducing a new product, Jobs avoided excessive technical jargon and instead expressed it in simple, intuitive language, which made the product understandable and exciting for all, even if they weren't technical experts.
• Focus on the individual user experience: Jobs talked little or no about technical specifications at the launch event, instead focusing on how "one" user will use the product and how the product will improve the user's daily life.
• Show rather than tell: He often shows the features of the product through actual product demonstrations, rather than just talking about them. This hands-on experience can engage the audience more effectively and leave a deeper impression.
• Create suspense and surprise: "One more thing... "has become a signature phrase of Steve Jobs' press conference, used to introduce an unexpected new product or feature at the end of the presentation. This method has effectively increased the attention of public opinion and the media.
• Injecting dreams: In every narrative, Jobs infuses the product with a larger "meaning", such as challenging tradition and changing the world, so that users can be excited about the product and the vision of the Apple brand.
• Meticulous preparation and rehearsals: Each of his presentations is meticulously prepared and practiced to ensure that every detail conveyed is precise. He demanded near-perfection in every aspect of his presentation, from timing to slide design.
• Charisma and passion: Jobs' charisma and his genuine passion for the product infected the audience. His confidence and passion make the product look even more convincing and enticing.

It should be pointed out that although Jobs's "story" is not involved with specific users, it always creates emotional resonance and makes every listener feel like they are part of that story.

Lei Jun's "story" gameplay is different, he tells the story of products and innovation, his own story, the user's story, and the story of his partner, saying that he is a well-deserved "story king".

Once again, Lei Jun's press conference is by no means an "imitation" of Jobs, and has injected his own genes, attitudes and stories from the first session, and has three originalities:

• 1. Let the user become a part of the stage play. For him, the user is the audience, the participant, and the protagonist.
• Originality 2, emotional value is full. Lei Jun's press conference exuded sincerity and candor, full of various emotions and chicken soup!
• 3. Originality and variety. He tells the story of innovation, shares his own story, shows the story of the user, and the story of his partners.

Today, in terms of the "press conference", Lei Jun after Jobs is unmatched in the world!

If you'd like a quick recap, here are six key takeaways from the brand's launch:

1. What kind of "value" and "emotional value" do you bring to users?
2. What higher-dimensional things did your launch connect to? For example, the meaning dream community?
3. What kind of identity or "superiority" can your presentation help participants build?
4. Does your press conference have a "sense of ceremony"?
5. Can you open up a "participatory" node for users?
6. Do you tell a "story" and use a story narrative to open the press conference?

Exploring how to use these 6 principles for launch innovation not only takes time, but also varies from brand to brand. I hope you can find a way to put one or more of the principles of this article into practice and stand out in today's chaotic and complex competitive environment.

In the end, it is still the same sentence, the core of all methodologies - scholars die, those who seem to live, and those who prosper!

Columnist

Brand ape, public account: brand ape (ID: brand-yuan), everyone is a product manager columnist. A snooper of the new business ecology, a brand strategy consultant, focusing on brand innovation and evolution.

This article was originally published by Everyone is a Product Manager and is prohibited from reprinting without permission.

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