Five red flags that might slow down a launch

So, as you prepare to launch, or advise a client on their launch to market, consider these characteristics. If a product has just one or two of these characteristics, deeper consideration should be given to engagement with external experts; and, potentially, to first year sales forecasts.

1. Advantage
‍Ask yourself how superior is your product to the alternative solution(s) it replaces? If there is little apparent advantage, adoption rates will slow down.

2. Compatibility
Does your innovation fit in with the norms, values and beliefs of your potential customers today? Will physicians, pharmacists, nurses, patients, and their careers, buy into your proposition easily? Those products that deviate from established norms will be harder to get. accepted, and therefore slower to take off.

3. Complexity
‍How complex is your innovation to use in practice? Will it take a lot of behavioural change? Will it involve multiple complex steps? How different is it from existing solutions? The greater the complexity, the slower the rate of adoption.

4. Trialability
‍How easy is if for potential customers (physicians, clinicians, patients, and carers) to trial your innovation? Can it be experimented with easily? For difficult-to-trial products, adoption rates slow down significantly.

5. Observability
‍How easy is it to observe the results of your innovation? How long will it take to observe these benefits? The more difficult it is to observe the advantage, the slower the rate of adoption.

We work with innovation companies bringing complex products to market. They often tick ALL the five boxes above.

Our work helps them find a wide spectrum of specialists, experts, opinion leaders, early adopters and influencers to engage with as they develop, plan, and launch their innovations.