Getting the customer interested in your innovation: role of distribution and promotion strategies

Purpose – All innovations launched in the market do not necessarily enjoy the returns they deserve. The purpose of the paper is to explore the role played by distribution and promotion in enhancing the value of an innovation in the customer's perception. The paper concludes with practical implications for managers in planning and controlling new product launches. Design/methodology/approach – The literature surrounding successes and failures of new product launches are reviewed to evaluate the importance of distribution and promotion as capabilities critical for enhancing the value of an innovation from the perspective of the customer. Innovations are conceptualized according to the strength of the distribution and promotion capabilities that support the innovation. Suitable strategies to enhance the promotion and distribution capabilities supporting an innovation are proposed in order to enhance the competitive advantage of an innovation. Findings – The paper has conceptualized the positioning of an innovation's value based on the strength of “market support” and “user mindspace position” capabilities supporting the innovation. Based on the position of an innovation's value, specific strategies to augment the distribution and promotion capabilities are identified for enhancing an innovation's value. Practical implications – Innovations per se do not influence a positive evaluation by the consumer unless adequately supported by marketing efforts. A key implication of this paper is the need to focus attention on marketing efforts to enhance the value of an innovation in the consumer's evaluation process. Originality/value – The paper provides the marketer a unique perspective to analyze an innovation's value from the customer's viewpoint based on the nature of marketing efforts employed.