By leveraging guerilla marketing tactics and direct marketing approaches in their launch of new product/service innovations, companies gain another critically important benefit. The immediate feedback that these approaches provide allow a company to hone and perfect both their product and their message prior to major ramp up and spending.
Even large companies like P&G are learning to innovate, adapt and evolve during their product launches. In launching Mr. Clean AutoDry Car Wash, Dryel and other innovations, they are leveraging a web presence and DRTV to create initial awareness and confirm their marketing messages prior to mass retail rollout and national advertising support.
So if you’re trying to get innovation launched successfully, rethink your approach and leverage the tactics used by entrepreneurs and start-ups: launch fast, fail early, adapt/evolve, win big.
Quixtar is a great example of completely missing the boat. Quixtar launched fast in 1999, failed, and was perhaps on the road to winning big, had they learned to adapt and evolve.
When Quixtar launched, the affiliated Amway Kingpins told their people that it was never more important to plug into the system of books, tapes, and meetings at the launch of Quixtar’s web based business. Yet, there is nothing web based about cassette tapes and meetings.
Some speculate that the launch of Quixtar was an effort by the corporation to put the clamps in the Kingpins tools business. Well, that didn’t work. So what did Amway/Quixtar do? Did they evolve and adapt? You be the judge.
Ty – don't you think it's a bit preposterous to use a link to a six year old article claiming a company has failed? C'mon Ty – you can do better, much better. You seem to be on a particularly bitter binge against big bad Q lately.
Quixtar sales in '04 were around $1.5B. What were Passport's? Fairly straight-forward question – how about a straight forward answer 😉
By anyone's admission, Quixtar has introduced some pretty cutting edge products over the past 2-3 years. Their XS energy drink line, ESpring, and a new air purification system coming out soon.
What innovative new products has Passport introduced? And, please, a me-too 10x over doesn't count.
I can see this company doing $2-3B in sales in the next decade – how about Passport – project it's sales out over 2 years – where will they be?
Kent F.
Perhaps an even better question would be, How much of the 1.5 Billion in sales was actual sales vs. sales of products to IBO's that are being scammed?
I would guess that Passport's sales to real customers is similar to Quixtar's.