Launch Experts and Authors Joan Schneider, Julie Hall Chronicle Product Launch Failures for April’s Harvard Business Review, Announce Official “Launch” of the Firm’s Launch Public Relations® Consulting Practice

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When you think of global Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola, perhaps the last word that comes to mind is the “F” word – failure. Authors Joan Schneider and Julie Hall, principles of Schneider Associates (SA), explain why even the best of companies experience failure in their article, “Why Most Product Launches Fail,” in the April issue of Harvard Business Review. Schneider and Hall profile product launch failures from five companies, from the infamous to the unknown, and offer a list of 40 common reasons why product launches fail in “40 Ways to Crash a Launch,” available at hbr.org.

“Companies should be always launching new ideas”

After publishing two books on launching new products, including 2010’s “The NEW Launch Plan,” Schneider and Hall believe now is the perfect time to introduce the firm’s new Launch Public Relations^® Consulting Practice. While Schneider Associates will continue to launch, re-launch and sustain visibility for products, services, companies and communities, the SA Launch Practice will be available to corporate and agency launch teams on an hourly basis to evaluate, ideate and reinvigorate launch plans that are either being formulated or about to be executed.

According to Joan Schneider, president of Schneider Associates, while “The NEW Launch Plan” looked at highly successful launches to help marketers improve new product launch results, the harsh reality is that 75-90% of new products fail within the first two years. “In our new consulting practice, we’ll be applying the principles from our Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey research, the ‘what not to do’ lessons from the Harvard Business Review article and decades of consulting with companies on new product launches, to help brand managers and launch teams avoid the pitfalls that hinder new product launch success.”

“Leading companies know that to increase your success rate, you must increase your failure rate,” said Schneider. “But the most successful companies are the ones that conduct After-Action Reviews to decrease the likelihood of failing the same way twice. Often it takes an independent, third-party source to review a company’s plan and objectively suggest ways to improve launch success.”

“Companies should be always launching new ideas,” adds Hall. “If you’re not thinking about launching a new idea – innovating or staying relevant to consumers – you’ll be on the road to losing shelf space.”

About the Article Authors

Joan Schneider is the president and creative director of Schneider Associates, an integrated marketing and public relations firm, and member of Worldcom, specializing in Launch Public Relations^®. Joan is also the author of two books on launching new products, “The NEW Launch Plan: 152 Tips, Tactics and Trends from the Most Memorable New Products,” (April 2010) and “New Product Launch: 10 Proven Strategies” (2004).

Julie Hall, executive vice president and partner at Schneider Associates, leads the launch consulting practice alongside Joan Schneider, and possesses a broad range of expertise in brand and integrated marketing in the consumer product and packaged goods categories.

Joan Schneider and Julie Hall are experienced speakers who have made presentations on the topic of launching new products, services, companies and communities at conferences and before corporate executive groups nationwide, including conferences in Australia and New Zealand, The Top Gun Conference, Harvard Business School Alumni Association, the Ad Club of Boston, Boston University College of Communications, Emerson College, and The Publicity Club of New England; and at corporations such as 3M, Dupont and General Motors.

About Schneider Associates and Launch Public Relations^®

Schneider Associates is a full-service public relations and integrated marketing communications agency that successfully launches and sustains visibility for new products, services, companies and communities. Schneider Associates represents a wide range of clients in professional services, food and retail, consumer technology and health, home products/home improvement, public affairs, and creative services. The agency specializes in Launch Public Relations^®, a proprietary method of launching new products and revitalizing icon products to build and sustain awareness, excitement, and sales. President Joan Schneider has written two books on launching new products. Her second book, published in 2010, is titled “The NEW Launch Plan,” and is available on Kindle, at Amazon.com and at BNPmedia.com. To learn more about Schneider Associates, please visit: www.schneiderpr.com