95% of newly launched products face failure.

That’s a pretty scary stat if you’re a product marketer. At most companies, it’s literally our job to make sure a launch is successful.

According to Pendo, 80% of features in the average software product are rarely or never used. And at Google and Bing, 80%+ of features actually have a negative or neutral impact on the metrics they were designed to improve.

So, what’s a product marketer to do?

One approach to combatting this is to make sure your product and features are top of mind. Enter, the product showcase.

This week, I want to dig into an increasingly popular trend where companies are packaging their recently launched features into seasonal narratives (à la Shopify Editions).

Let’s explore.

The Product Showcase

Now, you may be wondering, what the heck is a product showcase. I actually really love how Hubspot has defined it: “think of it as your A to Z guide for everything we’ve built to power your reinvention.”

In a nutshell, a product showcase is an opportunity to share recent improvements, enhancements and capabilities in your product. I’ve seen most companies do this either quarterly or bi-annually.

The Power of Packaging Features

Bundling your recent product enhancements and new features into release narratives can help on a couple fronts:

1. Creates a cohesive story: By tying individual features into a larger narrative, you create a compelling story that resonates with your audience. This narrative helps customers see the bigger picture and understand how each feature contributes to the overall value of your product.

2. Enhances marketing efficiency: Packaging features allows your marketing team to focus their efforts on a few major launches rather than numerous smaller ones. This concentration can lead to more impactful campaigns and better resource allocation.

3. Improves customer perception: Customers often find it easier to grasp and get excited about a few big updates rather than a constant trickle of minor changes. Quarterly launch events and showcases can create a sense of anticipation and excitement.

4. Facilitates internal alignment: A well-planned quarterly launch schedule helps align various departments within your organization, ensuring everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals.

This is not to say you can’t launch an individual product when it’s ready. In my opinion, it’s not a substitute for product launch, but rather another moment to continue the rolling thunder (and an opportunity to highlight features that are too small to launch individually).

How to Bundle

Shopify was one of the earliest trendsetters in this space. They launched Shopify Editions in 2022, and have been doing one twice a year ever since.

Here’s a quick look at their most recent one for Winter 2024 which highlights over 100 product updates.

Hubspot announced their showcase series titled Hubspot Spotlight this past spring.

And Workhuman launched Product Innovations with their own Spring 2024 edition.

Feeling inspired to start your own showcase? Here are a few things to consider.

• Identify key themes: Determine the larger narrative that best showcases the value of your features. These themes should resonate with your customers and align with your overall brand message. It’s important that this doesn’t just feel like a laundry list of random features.

• Create a content strategy: What will your showcase look like and feel like? Will there be a virtual launch event that accompanies the landing page? Build a standardized process that you can replicate each season — this will help with consistency for both your customers and your team.

• Align your teams: Ensure that your marketing, product, sales and CS teams are all aligned with the launch schedule. This alignment will help you create a unified message and make sure you’re all working together towards a common goal.

Which showcase is your favorite? Any other examples you’d add to the list? Hit reply and send ‘em my way!

CAMPER ESSENTIALS

🎧 Playlist: I loved this week’s episode of Product Marketing Life featuring Madison Leonard. If you love PLG and segmentation, it’s a must-listen.

🗓️ Events: Canva just hosted their own seasonal launch event, Canva Create. Take a peek at the keynote and product showcase to get even more inspiration for your next launch.

Until next week,