Playbook
The 8-week product launch content plan
Launches fail quietly when the content is made in launch week. Work backwards from the date, shoot everything in two blocks, and spend launch week publishing rather than producing.
Week by week
- 1
Week 1 — decide the story
Agree the single message, the audience and the proof you need. Write the brief. Book the shoot dates now; good crews are booked weeks ahead.
- 2
Week 2 — plan production
Shot list, casting if needed, props and samples ordered. Confirm the product will physically exist in final packaging by the shoot date.
- 3
Week 3 — hero shoot day
Launch film, product demo, packshots, listing images. The assets everything else depends on.
- 4
Week 4 — volume shoot day
UGC concepts, short-form batch, founder pieces, teaser fragments. Usually a lighter, faster day.
- 5
Week 5 — edit and approve
All cuts finished and approved, including ad variations and every ratio. Leave a buffer for one round of surprises.
- 6
Week 6 — tease
Start publishing fragments: a macro detail, a silhouette, a problem statement. Build the waitlist. Brief your creators and partners.
- 7
Week 7 — launch
Launch film, product pages live, ads switched on, email sequence out, creators posting. Spend the week responding, not producing.
- 8
Week 8 — sustain
Publish reviews, UGC, FAQ answers and objection-handling content. Retarget everyone who watched but did not buy.
The asset checklist
- Launch film, 60–90 seconds, plus 30s and 15s cut-downs
- Product demo showing the thing actually working
- Packshots on white for marketplaces and retail partners
- Lifestyle stills for ads, email and the product page
- Eight to twelve short vertical videos for the launch month
- Three to five UGC ad concepts with hook variations
- Founder announcement video for organic and email
- Teaser fragments cut from hero footage
- FAQ and objection-handling clips, ready before launch
- Assets pack for creators and retail partners
What to publish when
| Phase | Channel focus | Content | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 6–7, tease | Organic social, email | Fragments, problem-led posts, waitlist | Build anticipation and a warm list |
| Launch day | All channels | Launch film, founder post, email, ads live | Concentrated attention |
| Week 1 after | Ads, retargeting | Demo, UGC, reviews, objection answers | Convert the people who hesitated |
| Weeks 2–4 after | Organic, ads, email | Customer content, use cases, comparisons | Sustain momentum and reduce returns |
Frequently asked questions
What if we only have four weeks?
Compress to one shoot day in week one and cut scope hard: one demo video, one founder announcement, packshots and six short videos. Drop the launch film rather than dropping the short-form volume — the volume is what sustains the month.
How much content do we need for launch day itself?
Less than you think for the day, more than you think for the fortnight after. Launch day needs a film, a founder post and an email. The following two weeks need twenty-plus assets, and that is where most brands run dry.
Should we work with creators for a launch?
Yes, and brief them in week six so their posts land in launch week. Send product early, give them a shot list rather than a script, and get usage rights so you can run the best pieces as ads.
When should ads start?
Warm-audience ads in the teaser phase to build a retargeting pool, and cold-traffic ads from launch day once the product page can convert. Starting cold spend before the page and reviews exist wastes budget.
Have something worth filming?
Tell us what you are launching and we will come back with ideas, a plan and a quote within two working days.