Mini: Launching a Product in Uncertain Times

Launching a new product is never easy. But doing it during economic uncertainty? That’s a whole different challenge.

In this mini episode, we explore how today’s shifting landscape—from tariffs to market instability—requires a smarter, more agile approach.Jason shares three core principles that can help entrepreneurs and innovators not just survive, but thrive during turbulent times. 

Key Takeaways:

• Agility beats the grand reveal
• Focus on value without slashing prices
• Harness power of community and brand trust

Brought to you by Mekanism.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Hello, and welcome to the Soul and Science podcast. This
is a mini episode, and I'm going to talk today
about launching a new product in uncertain times. And I
would say we are yes and no, we're in uncertain
times today. It kind of fluctuates back and forth. But
I think with the recent isolationism tariffs happening, it is

(00:34):
not the clearest market right now to launch products. So
I wanted to talk a little bit about how do
you launch a new product in uncertain times and some
things to think about. I run an advertising agency. I
have never launched a product in my life, but I
have studied products that have launched, the brands that have
been created during uncertain times, so I have a couple

(00:55):
thoughts on it. So for all you innovators entrepreneurs out there,
there's some advice from a guy that's marketed brands for
twenty five years to think about when you're launching a
product in uncertain times. Number One, lean into agility and
incremental launches. So launching one size fits all, launching really

(01:19):
big at once a grand reveal, I don't think that
works anymore. Think about MVP. What's a minimal viable product
that you can get out there and get early adopters
on and get feedback and iterate quickly so you don't
have to wait till it's perfect to launch it. Launch
it first without really thinking about how you're going to
monetize it, but launch it in the real world and

(01:41):
get feedback to improve it, and then set yourself up
for a bigger launch. Think about phase rollouts when you
do launch. Instead of going national and really big all
at once, think regional or target a specific demographic that
allows you to make sure it resonates with that core
or the geographic core that you think will resonate with

(02:02):
your product or service, and then expand it from there
once it catches on. So lean into agility and think
about incremental launches as number one. Number two, embrace value
driven marketing, not just discounting. So when times are tight
and people are tightening their belt, the knee jerk reaction
might be if you're kind of a new product or

(02:23):
new service to run promotions. Get that race to the bottom,
devalue your brand, try to just get sales because people
are holding onto their money and they're spending less. But
instead of doing that, focus on the value of your
product or service. For example, highlighting your ROI. If the
product saves the consumer money or time, try to quantify

(02:45):
that versus slashing your price. Think about bundling and tiered options.
Can you offer different packages for different budget levels, a
premium service, middle service, etc. Etc. And then emphasize quality
and durability of your product. In uncertain times, people want
products that are not going to fall apart. They don't

(03:05):
want fast fashion or close it or you're only going
to be able to wear for a week. If your
product is built to endure, make that a key selling
point that it is an investment versus just a purchase point.
Number three, build community and foster trust. In uncertain times,
people tend to go back to brands that they trust,
So think about how do you build trust through authentic storytelling?

(03:29):
Sharing your brand story. Why is this product created in
the first place, what problem are you solving? Why are
you passionate about this brand? And why does this brand exist?
People connect with brands that have purpose, leverage, UGC, real
people sharing positive experiences. That's more powerful. It can cost
a lot less than doing massive media campaigns, encourage reviews, testimonials, etc.

(03:55):
Strategic partnerships. Are there other trusted brands that you can
level partner with to build your brand, to get in
the same zeitgeist as another brand, align maybe with your
values or your target audience to push off of your brand.
That can be a powerful endorsement for your brand. So
to recap when you're thinking about launching a new product

(04:16):
in dynamic and uncertain times, number one, lean into agility
and incremental launches. Don't try to go all at once.
Number two, embrace value driven marketing. Don't think about discounting,
but think about the value you're bringing to the consumer.
And number three, build community and foster trust with that
community because your brand will be stickier that way. So

(04:38):
launching a new product is always a challenge, and it's
even harder when consumers are holding on to their money
even tighter. But think about this Airbnb, Venmo, WARB Parker.
They all launched right at or near the Great Recession
two thousand and eight two thousand and nine period, and
they're all very strong success stories even though they launched

(05:02):
in really challenging times. So don't let that uncertainty paralyze you.
Let it refine your approach, sharpen your focus, and really
create value for your audience.