Launch
Launch Overview
Why create a Launch Plan?
Creating a Launch Plan with your Customer Success Team is vital to optimize the engagement and usage of your building app right from the start. For a standard project during the implementation stage, your Customer Success Team will begin the discussion around launch planning roughly 6 weeks after kick-off.
You should begin thinking about how you would like to roll the app out to your tenants' key points of contact, followed by the rest of the tenants that will utilize the app. This will include planning an App Champion Demo and then a digital, physical, or hybrid launch. The cost of launch will be placed on your team.
App Champion Demo
An App Champion Demo is a meeting which you coordinate with all of the key points of contact for each tenant at your asset(s). In this meeting, which should last up to 30 minutes, a member of your HqO Team will walk through all of the functionality within the app, including utility buttons and programming. The attendees will also have the opportunity to ask any questions and provide feedback.
The purpose of the App Champion Demo is not only to show off the capabilities of the app so that these specific users will make the most of the technology once it’s live, but it will also encourage these “App Champions” to get excited about what is to come and to share that excitement with their tenants.
It is recommended that your App Champion Demo is scheduled to take place within one week prior to the launch of the app. That way, the material provided at the meeting remains top of mind by the time the app is live.
Types of Launch
Once the App Champion Demo happens, you should be good to go for your launch event(s). These will be planned in the weeks prior to the app launch with your Customer Success Team, who will provide you with a Launch Calendar once specific details are discussed.
There are 3 types of launch that have proven to be successful: digital launches, physical launches, and hybrid launches.
Digital Launches:
This would strictly be launch-related programming in the app to encourage initial saturation and engagement virtually. For example, any building tenants who download the app the first week of launch will automatically receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card. In this scenario, we have seen between 10-15% saturation rates after a typical launch with digital programming and incentives only.
Physical Launches:
This would be onsite activation to encourage initial saturation and engagement in person. For example, any tenants who show that they’ve downloaded the app are able to claim a free coffee. In this scenario, we have seen between 40-50% saturation rates after a typical physical launch event without launch-specific digital programming and incentives.
Hybrid Launches:
This would be when onsite activations and launch-related programming are combined to encourage initial saturation and engagement both physically and virtually. For example, any tenants who download the app during the first week of launch will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card, and an onsite coffee event will require tenants to show the downloaded app in order to receive their free coffee. This would allow tenants to have the option of participating only virtually, physically, or both. In this scenario, we have seen between 25-35% saturation rates after a typical hybrid launch event, combining onsite activation with launch-specific digital programming and incentives.
Best Practices
In order to optimize the launch phase to set your app up for success, please take into account the following recommendations:
Launch events, programmings, and incentives tend to be most effective when they take place over a 3-week period (whether the launch happenings are digital, physical, or both).
It is recommended that you utilize the customized marketing materials provided by HqO. To find out more about these materials, click here. Note that this collateral will include a QR code to the app, so it would be best practice to circulate the marketing the evening before launch in order to avoid any early sign ups.
Allocating budget towards launch plans tends to maximize the results of the initial release of the app. For example, tenants tend to respond well to complimentary food and beverages, as well as giveaways. This budget can range depending on your requirements, so please reach out to your Customer Success Team for any specific guidance.