Not long ago, we supported Tadano America Corporation in launching a new product line. While the specifics of the results remain confidential, the campaign delivered exceptional outcomes—particularly when measured by the only metric that truly matters: product orders.

As part of our retrospective, we identified three principles that shaped the success of this launch. They’re principles any organization can apply the next time it prepares to introduce a product or bring a major initiative to market.

Set a North Star Goal

Every campaign needs a primary goal that anchors all decisions. Secondary and tertiary goals are helpful, but the North Star must remain constant.

For Tadano, the primary goal was simple: product orders. Audience segmentation, creative development, and channel selection were all evaluated through that lens. Awareness and education were also important, but they were framed as separate goals with distinct personas and funnel stages.

Clarify the Core Problem(s)

Early strategy work revealed two challenges: first, customers were unaware of the new cranes; second, once aware, they wouldn’t automatically know why the product mattered.

Reframing these into “How might we…” questions helped us focus the campaign:

• How might we create awareness and anticipation for a soon-to-be-introduced product?

• How might we empower crane buyers to quickly understand the benefits of owning a Tadano truck crane?

Balance Emotion and Logic

Effective campaigns appeal to both the heart and the head. For this launch, we defined two complementary purposes:

• Use excitement, emotion, and anticipation to spark a reaction that would be remembered.

• Use logic to demonstrate how the product would improve work and deliver tangible benefits.

This dual approach guided creative development, ensuring the work wasn’t just attention-grabbing but also tied directly to the sales objective.

The Takeaway

Every product launch carries risk. But by setting a clear North Star, identifying the true problems to solve, and deliberately blending emotion with logic, organizations can increase their odds of success.

Anchoring campaigns in strategy doesn’t guarantee the “most successful launch ever,” but it does create the conditions for stronger, more consistent results.