Product Launches Offer Oppty To Pitch

When properties see new product launches at big companies, they should be licking their chops right? Afterall, you have to spend money to make money (and build a new brand!). The trouble for sponsorship sales, is not necessarily in convincing companies to spend around product launches, but finding out about them and pitching to their goals, in the first place. When a product gets introduced to the public, launch marketing plans have in many cases already been laid (and budgeted for). If you're waiting until you see a new product on aisle 10, you're too late.

For instance did you know this about General Mills from last week:

We’ll work to keep our sales and volume momentum going with a variety of marketing events coming in the back half. Once again, General Mills is teamed up with The Biggest Loser on our Pound For Pound Challenge. For every pound consumers pledge to lose, we’ll donate enough money to deliver a pound of food to feeding America food banks. Totino’s a sponsor of the Winter Dew Tour of Action Sports. This April marks the 44th Pillsbury Back-Off, America’s longest running recipe contest. Shrek is back this spring in another movie and will tie in with a variety of products from cereals to snacks.

We also have a good lineup of new product introductions planned [for 2010]. Wheaties Fuel will hit store shelves in January and so will Chocolate Cheerios, our latest addition to our best selling Cheerios franchise. Yoplait will be introducing a line of Greek Style Yogurt, and Nature Valley will be bringing chocolate to the line for the first time here in the US with a new Dark Chocolate Granola Bar.

With that in mind, here's a few places to find more on info on product launches: