Product Launch Lessons Learned with CMO at Miro, Paul D’Arcy

Paul D’Arcy is an accomplished marketing leader with a solid track record of building strong brands and delivering on customer promises at companies like Apple, Dell, Indeed and Miro.

I had the pleasure of catching up with D’Arcy to learn about his in-depth product launch experience and uncover what he loves and likes about product launches and would recommend other marketers leave out of them. Let’s dive into D’Arcy’s best practices and unveil how they can be applied to your next successful product launch.

Love It: Make the Moment Memorable

D’Arcy’s most memorable product launch came during the time he worked at Apple. He recalled it was a huge moment because Steve Jobs had just come back to Apple, and the company was announcing a partnership with Microsoft, which was a massive turning point for the business and was global news.

With announcing a powerful partnership like this, the launch had to be a spectacle. D’Arcy mentioned that companies like Apple and Microsoft have a hype surrounding them and this specific partnership instance was no different. D’Arcy noted while the two big companies were making a big announcement, the launch had simple elements and those that generated hype around it. Marketing efforts and communications were kept simple; they discussed the partnership and nothing else. This approach of focusing solely on the launch event taking place, without being muddled by other company happenings, made it so much more memorable to team members of both companies and to the media, customers and other audiences.

Another memorable component D’Arcy pointed out was how streamlined the launch event operations were. Everything followed a strict schedule and clear processes. It ensured there was minimal room for error, and everything happened on time and as planned. D’Arcy’s insights make it apparent that when the moment is there, make it memorable. A product announcement is exciting so put some hype behind it to get people eager to learn more.

Like it: Ensure Clarity in the Product Narrative and Product Experience

With D’Arcy’s strong background in customer experience, it was no surprise his “Like It” stresses the importance of the product narrative and product experience. Before creating the product narrative, D’Arcy clarified that it is critical to first have the product working right. Once that is checked off the list, you can dive into the product narrative which helps people contextualize the product and understand what makes it revolutionary. This gives instrumental information to the people who need to know the most about it – your customers and prospects – and most importantly understand exactly what it does and the value delivered.

At Miro, D’Arcy’s team incorporates continuous internal product testing, designed to validate the product and product experiences. A key to success is getting the product right through the data they collect. “We are in a world where data and understanding customer needs is a powerful advantage,” D’Arcy said. “It is important to create an approach to product development and continually be thinking of customer’s experiences.” Using surveys and research they collect, the data serves as the basis for continuous product validation and product experience evolution before it is launch-ready. D’Arcy highlighted that “Product evolution should come from experimentation and continuous understanding of customer needs and data.” Through testing and evolution, the product narrative gets clarity, and the product experience becomes exceptional.

Leave It: Standardize Launch Processes and Criteria for Accurate Communications

To successfully share the product story, it is important to define the launch process. He shared the three-pronged, fool-proof process they follow at Miro to standardize the launch process:

1. Develop the user experience to a point where it is intuitive, simple, easy to learn and most of all, brings joy and value to what people are trying to accomplish. “Experiences should be fun and magical and help people do things they need to do,” D’Arcy emphasized.
2. Get a depth of understanding of the way people use those features and capabilities and make sure they are optimized for the work they are going to do.
3. Consider the degrees of enterprise readiness and ensure the product is truly ready for implementation. For example, if you are implementing AI features, in addition to ensuring product readiness, you need to also consider compliance and regulations, security checks and communication processes.

Once a product is ready, D’Arcy shared that breakthrough communications and marketing are at the heart of a successful launch. It is crucial to grab the attention of audiences and share the product story with them in an authentic and meaningful way. “People who use your products have little attention and people who do not use your products have even less attention for your brand,” D’Arcy commented.

These breakthrough communication strategies were highlighted in an interview I conducted with another Miro team member, the Head of Communications, Tiffany Nels. Her “Triple D Framework” for campaign messaging encourages her team to cut through the market noise to forge new connections, push forward key conversations and provoke innovative ways of thinking to disrupt the status quo.

Product Launch Lessons Learned: Insights to Takeaway

D’Arcy’s insights encapsulate the importance of the product and its overall experience. Before the product launch, ensure your product is ready to go. From there, you can build the product narrative and round out the product experience. With the launch on the horizon, standardize the processes and what product features can be discussed to avoid miscommunication, especially with customers and prospects. Lastly, don’t forget to hype up your product launch! Make the moment memorable for everyone.

If you’re seeking a trusted partner to elevate your product launch experience, your search ends here with Launch Marketing. We have honed our expertise in fostering seamless strategy and messaging and branding and design for B2B brands on a global scale. Take the first step towards crafting your launch strategy by scheduling a consultation with our experienced team. Together, we’ll ensure your product or company launch is a resounding success.