Years ago, my son had a differentiation problem. In elementary school, he stood out because he had something few kids did, globe-trotting stories. Show-and-tell was easy.
Then we moved.
New middle school, new context, and overnight his old “edge” disappeared because everyone had travel tales. He adapted, less talk about trips and started showing what classmates actually valued day-to-day, his goofy humor, kindness and quick wit. That’s what made him memorable again.
Product launches in the life science tools sector follow the same pattern. What set you apart in one context becomes table stakes in another. Competitors “catch-up”. If you want to win and keep winning, you need two things working together:
Differentiation: |
Distinctiveness: |
|---|---|
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The practical value buyers feel in their workflow (not just your spec sheet), their future customer experience |
The consistent memory cues (assets, codes) that make you easy to notice, recall and re-choose across channels and over time |
Before we get too far, there are 3 terms that often get confused: positioning, differentiation and distinctiveness. Here's how to think about this...
Here are my experiences on how to design both differentiation and distinctiveness in pre-launch, prove both during launch and compound both after launch.
This is one of the areas where voice of customer (VOC) is underutilized. Most tools companies do the homework on performance claims, but many under-invest in the story and the experience that make those claims land with a scientist, core-facility manager, and procurement, three success pictures. Earning the buyer's trust comes with understanding their jobs-to-be-done and connecting the dots to the data and the experience of using the product.
Two tips to include in your pre-launch strategy and tactics:
Positioning the soon-to-be-launched product against alternatives, not just the head-to-head competitors, can be a clear way to show differentiation and that you understand the real-world pain points. The alternatives include: living with the problem (do nothing), outsourcing to a service provider or using the existing technology for one more year.
Create a short teaser video series with the proof on these topics:
Think screen-share demos!
Drop those visuals into an infographics template. You're not telling a story, you're showing one.
Remembering that the goal of pre-launch messaging is to drive awareness and sow some FOMO, this content should be field tested (yes, your Sales and Field Application teams should be involved) and then included on your website, and social media channels.
You've designed perceived value and built the first set of proof points. Now, put them in front of decision makers.
Launch windows can be noisy. The teams that break through aren't louder; they're clearer and faster at showing proof to the specific people who say yes. It's all about the right content at the right time in the right place.
Two tips to include in your launch strategy and tactics:
Remember that the first month buzz can fade quickly. Leveraging "word of mouth marketing" should be included in all plans from the beta-site stage onward.
This is where many launches miss their numbers: the launch team is disbanded but the market is still deciding. The mitigation is a simple, repeatable cadence built on three flywheels:
Shifting from "feature superiority" to positioned value showing proof points + designed experience + branded memory assets is the change that more life science companies need to make.
Differentiation is the value buyers actually experience in their workflow. Distinctiveness is how they spot you when it counts.
Design both before launch, prove both during launch and keep compounding both after launch.
As for my son, he's grown, still traveling and still known for the same things that matter in any room: humor, kindness and quick wit. Last year a gelato maker in Florence nicknamed him "Moustache" (he has a Super Mario style moustache and hair) after a spectacular gelato making class. That stuck because it was a real moment, not a tagline.
Your market is the same.
Give them real moments to remember.