Product Launch Brief

Before you start

Gather the following from the user. Items 1-4 are required before proceeding:

1. What is being launched? Feature, product, major update, or pricing change. Be specific about scope — "launching AI features" is too broad.
2. Who is the target audience? Primary and secondary segments. Include their current behavior and what needs to change.
3. Why should the audience care? The core value proposition in one sentence. If you cannot say it in one sentence, the positioning is not ready.
4. When is the launch date? Fixed or flexible? Are there external dependencies (conference, partner launch, regulatory deadline)?
5. What tier is this launch? Tier 1 (major — press, event, full campaign), Tier 2 (medium — blog, email, in-app), or Tier 3 (minor — changelog, docs update).
6. What teams are involved? Product, engineering, marketing, sales, support, legal — who has a deliverable?

If the user says "we're launching next month, write the brief," push back: "What is the core value proposition, and who specifically is the target audience?"

Launch brief template

1. Launch Summary

• Product/Feature: [Name and one-line description]
• Launch Date: [Date, time, timezone]
• Launch Tier: [1 (major), 2 (medium), or 3 (minor)]
• Launch Owner: [Name and role]
• One-Line Pitch: [If a customer asks "what's new?" — this is the answer]

2. Positioning

Answer these three questions:

• For [target audience] who [current situation or pain point],
• this [product/feature] provides [key benefit],
• unlike [current alternative or competitor], it [key differentiator].

Write three versions: website, sales conversation, and internal alignment — same message at different detail levels.

3. Target Audience

Segment	Description	Current Behavior	Desired Behavior	Key Message
Primary	[Who they are]	[What they do today]	[What you want them to do]	[Why they should switch]
Secondary	[Who they are]	[What they do today]	[What you want them to do]	[Why they should switch]

4. Key Messages

Define 3-5 messages ranked by priority. Each needs:

1. Message: One sentence the audience should remember.
2. Proof point: Evidence (data, customer quote, demo).
3. Objection: Most likely pushback and response.

If everything is a key message, nothing is.

5. Launch Timeline

Work backward from the launch date:

Date	Milestone	Owner
L-30	Positioning and messaging approved	Product Marketing
L-14	Blog post and landing page in review	Content + Design
L-7	Sales enablement + press briefings	Sales Enablement + Comms
L-3	In-app announcements configured	Product + Engineering
L-Day	Launch: press release, blog, email, social, in-app	All
L+7	Post-launch review meeting	Launch Owner

Adjust based on launch tier. Tier 3 launches may need only L-7 to L+1.

6. Channel Plan

Channel	Asset	Owner	Date
Blog	Launch announcement post	Content	L-Day
Email	Product update email	Email Marketing	L-Day
In-app	Feature announcement modal	Product	L-Day
Social	Thread with demo GIF	Social	L-Day
Sales	One-pager + talk track	Sales Enablement	L-21

For each channel, specify the CTA and target audience.

7. Success Metrics

Metric	Target	Method	Timeframe
Feature adoption rate	15% of eligible users	Product analytics	30 days
Blog post views	5,000	Web analytics	7 days
Support ticket volume	< 2% increase	Support tool	14 days

Define what "success" and "underperformance" look like for each metric.

8. Cross-Functional Responsibilities

Team	Deliverable	Due Date	Contact
Product	Feature complete, feature flags ready	L-7	[Name]
Engineering	Performance and scalability sign-off	L-7	[Name]
Marketing	Blog, email, social assets	L-3	[Name]
Sales	Trained on talk track and demo	L-7	[Name]
Support	FAQ and escalation path documented	L-3	[Name]

Every row needs a named person, not a team alias. Accountability requires a single owner.

Quality checklist

Before delivering the launch brief, verify:

• Positioning answers "for whom, what benefit, versus what alternative" in a single statement
• Target audience includes current behavior, desired behavior, and specific channel/CTA
• Key messages are limited to 3-5 with proof points and objection handling
• Timeline works backward from launch date with realistic lead times
• Every channel has an owner, publish date, and defined CTA
• Success metrics have numeric targets, measurement methods, and timeframes
• Every cross-functional deliverable has a single named owner and due date
• The brief fits on 2-3 pages — if it is longer, it will not be read

Common mistakes to avoid

• No positioning statement. Jumping to channels and timelines without aligning on positioning means every team tells a different story. Finalize positioning first.
• Too many messages. Five key messages is the maximum. Beyond that, sales cannot remember them and customers hear noise.
• Features instead of messages. "We added SSO support" is a feature. "Sign in with one click using company credentials" is a message.
• No post-launch plan. Launch day is not the finish line. Define who monitors metrics and handles support spikes.
• Unnamed owners. "Marketing will handle the blog" assigns work to nobody. Every deliverable needs a named owner.