Market Launch, with the gates built in.
Launch a finished product into a new market or channel — strategy, sell-in, supply, and the first 90 days. Every phase ends at a gate with criteria a real gatekeeper signs off — copy it into cadence. and start with discipline instead of a blank page.
Pure launch execution for a product that already exists: entering a new country, region, or channel. Launch strategy and targets, trade sell-in and listings, supply readiness, campaign execution, and a post-launch review that decides the next investment.
Geographic expansion of a proven product into a new country or region
Channel expansion: taking a retail product into convenience, foodservice, or online
Relaunching an existing product into a market it previously exited
5 phases, and a gate after each one.
- 01
Launch Strategy & Targets
Decide how to win in this market before spending against it: positioning, pricing, route to market, and the numbers the launch will be judged on.
5 tasks
Gate criteria
- Market assessment complete: category size, competition, pricing, route to market
- Product verified compliant for sale: labelling, claims, and import requirements
- Launch targets signed off: distribution, rate of sale, and trial by day 90
- Launch budget approved across trade investment and consumer marketing
- 02
Trade Sell-In & Listings
Turn strategy into shelf space: distributor agreements, listing presentations, and confirmed launch commitments from the accounts that matter.
5 tasks
Gate criteria
- Distribution agreements signed where a distributor route is used
- Priority accounts committed: listings, store counts, and launch windows agreed
- Trade terms and promotional plan agreed within the approved budget
- Confirmed listings support the day-90 distribution target
- 03
Supply & Operations Readiness
Make sure the product can physically arrive: compliant stock, working logistics, listed master data, and an order-to-cash path that has been tested.
5 tasks
Gate criteria
- Launch stock produced or allocated, compliant for the market, and quality released
- Logistics chain proven: first shipment path tested end to end
- Product master data live with retailers and distributors, orders flowing
- Demand plan loaded into S&OP with agreed replenishment lead times
- 04
Campaign & Launch Execution
Launch week: stock lands, campaign goes live, field teams check shelves, and a rapid-response loop fixes what launch plans always get wrong.
5 tasks
Gate criteria
- Product on shelf in committed accounts within the launch window
- Consumer campaign live across the planned channels on schedule
- In-store execution audited: availability, placement, price, and promotion
- Daily launch tracking running with a rapid-response loop for issues
- 05
Post-Launch Review
Ninety days in, judge the launch against the targets set at gate one and make the investment call: scale, fix, or exit.
5 tasks
Gate criteria
- Day-90 actuals reported against the launch targets set at the first gate
- Distribution, rate of sale, and trial gaps diagnosed with root causes
- Scale / fix / exit decision made with an owner and funded plan
- Launch playbook updated with lessons for the next market
The questions teams actually ask
How is this different from the New Product Launch template?
This template assumes the product is finished — formulation, pack, and shelf-life are done. All six phases of development collapse into a compliance check, and the weight shifts to market strategy, trade sell-in, supply logistics, and campaign execution. If the product itself still needs developing, start from the FMCG New Product Launch template instead.
Does it cover regulatory work for the new market?
It includes a market compliance check — labelling, claims, import requirements — as a gate before sell-in. If the check finds you need a formal registration or dossier, run the Regulatory Compliance Submission template alongside this one.
What decides success at the 90-day review?
The targets you set at the first gate: distribution build, rate of sale, and trial. The review compares actuals to those targets and produces one of three decisions — scale investment, fix specific gaps, or exit. Writing the targets down before launch is what makes the review honest.
More templates
Start from discipline, not a blank page.
Sign up free, open Templates → Gallery, and copy Market Launch into your team in one click.