Michael Heavener

1
Product LaunchCTIA 2005

• Michael Heavener

2
Overview - UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Deliverables
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Execution and exhibition
• Challenges/obstacles
• Post-show wrap up

3
UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Execution and exhibition
• Challenges/obstacles
• Post-show wrap up

4
Objective of product launch

• Announce launch of new product
• Re-introduce company to marketplace
• Re-establish image with existing customers
• Position company as large player
• Demonstrate products and development processes
• Develop business with new customers

5
Launch new SDK v.1.5

• Postcard with download URL
• Redesigned website with added functionality for
  new SDK
• Demonstration applet (weather/NOAA feed)

6
Company emerging

• Focused on future
• Buy-out behind and accomplished
• New vision of future
• New products and services

7
Existing customers

• Re-establish partnerships
• Make sure were known
• Remind that more is available

8
UIE is well-positioned

• Wholly-owned by large Japanese firm
• Solid financial backing
• Independent operating status
• Competitive products
• Already used by large content producers
• Disney
• ESPN
• GoComics, Starwave, Mobile Lingo Hip Hoptionary

9
Plenty to talk about

• Variety of new products
• Strong development process
• Available and willing to experiment
• Ready to help in any possible way
• Flexible business models

10
Embrace new business

• Expanding customer base
• Open to variety of revenue models
• License developer environment
• Build custom applications
• Split/share content publishing returns

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UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Deliverables
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Execution and exhibition
• Challenges/obstacles
• Post-show wrap up

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Deliverables

• Booth and signage
• Printed collateral
• Info sheets
• Postcard with download URL
• Website
• Incentive/promotional items
• Booth uniforms
• PR/publicity
• Press kit

13
Trade show booth

• UIEvolution staff meets CTIA visitors to discuss
  a range of business opportunities
• See photo images/inbooth.jpg
• Booth design centers around Development, with
  additional topic areas for
• Consumer applications
• Consumer games and media
• Framework
• Cross-platform
• See photo images/pods.jpg

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Branding for UIEvolution

• Signage in booth
• Sizable and visible
• See photos images/development.jpg and
  images/framework.jpg
• Corporate logo - big, and everywhere
• Nothing competes with placement
• See photos images/boothtower.jpg and
  images/boothview.jpg

15
Product launch support

• Postcard with download URL
• See photo images/postcard.jpg
• Demonstration applet (weather/NOAA feed)
• See photo images/uieweather.jpg
• Test weather applet demo - wx.exe

16
Collateral/Internet

• Redesigned website with added functionality for
  new SDK
• See photo images/website.jpg
• Or http//www.uievolution.com/
• Supportive print collateral
• Consistent messages and graphics
• See photo images\techoverview.jpg

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Other support

• USB 256K memory swiveldrive
• See photo images\swiveldrive.jpg
• Matching booth shirts
• Two polo style and one long-sleeve button collar
• See photos images\poloshirt.jpg and
  images\longsleeve.jpg

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UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Deliverables
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Execution and exhibition
• Challenges/obstacles
• Post-show wrap up

19
Strategy/development plan

• Determine corporate message strategy
• Determine message vehicles
• Determine consistency patterns
• Develop scope and need
• Build time lines
• Determine budget

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Corporate message strategy

• Determine real message
• Determine audience(s)
• Determine depth of messages

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Message vehicles

• Booth (obvious)
• Collateral
• Website
• Word-of-mouth (informal/buzz)
• Customers point to us
• Publicity (formal)

22
Consistency patterns

• Keep it simple
• Say the same thing
• Similar graphic look-and-feel

23
Scope and need

• Who will manage project segments
• Who will do what tasks
• Who will follow up/take responsibility
• Who will address failure to achieve
• Who will determine and enforce cut-offs
• Who will say Were done

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Time lines

• Fixed end date
• Shows doors open at 3 p.m. Sept. 27
• Work backwards to segment start dates
• Develop interim milestones/handoffs

25
Budget/cost centers

• Booth/show biggest expense
• Development/applications high
• But assigned to other containers
• Airfare and hotel/lodging
• Publicity/PR
• Ongoing but show specific
• Collateral/incentives lowest

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UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Deliverables
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Execution and exhibition
• Challenges/obstacles
• Post-show wrap up

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Teams/collaborations

• Development team
• Applications team
• Marketing/copywriters
• Graphics team
• Vendors
• Booth
• Promotions
• Printer
• PR/publicity agency

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Development

• Core team/Tools team
• Finalize new product (SDK v.1.5)
• Bring new servers online
• Create additional scripts to support demos
• Create Quick Start Guide
• Finish documentation

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Applications

• Create demonstration applets
• Weather applet showing NOAA feed
• Media viewer/player accepting any http feed
• Sports player for larger customer (ESPN) to
  announce during show
• Large application for release with December
  launch of big-budget animated film (Disney)

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Messaging team

• Marketing manager (president)
• Copywriters
• Dev teams documentation writers
• Product manager

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Graphic designers

• Gaming graphics developer
• Web designer
• Product manager (graphics supervisor)
• Booth vendor (signage)
• Print graphics designer (collateral)

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Vendors - 1

• Booth
• Design/construction
• Turnkey show management
• Incentives
• Shirts (booth uniform)
• USB swiveldrive
• PSP

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Vendors - 2

• Printers
• Collateral
• Postcard
• Info sheets
• Publicity
• Press releases/Press kit
• Media and analyst pre-briefings
• Schedule media briefings at show

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UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Deliverables
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Execution and exhibition
• Challenges/obstacles
• Post-show wrap up

35
Workflow/production

• Create schedule matrix
• Assign team tasks
• Assign task due dates
• Assign accountability trails

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Schedule matrix

• Weeks - horizontal
• Tasks - vertical
• Showing
• Owner
• Due date
• Gantt tick for on/off schedule
• See photo images/devplan.jpg

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Team tasks

• Determine overall team tasks
• Assign completion to team leader
• Assign follow-up responsibility
• Determine review process

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Due dates

• Determine task due dates
• Assign adherence to team leaders
• Assign follow-up responsibility
• Determine review process
• See photo images/devsched.jpg

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Accountability

• Determine who will take responsibility
• Assign accountability review
• Assign alternate/backup responsibility for high
  impact items
• Assign reporting/supervisory trails

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UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Deliverables
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Execution and exhibition
• Challenges/obstacles
• Post-show wrap up

41
Execution and exhibition

• Weekly task manager meetings
• Task leaders invited/encouraged to attend
• Publish time line/dev plan to all teams
• Telephone and email coordination
• Teams support each other
• Stage web content to new server farm
• Onsite pre-staging of booth
• Scope modifications

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Task manager meetings

• Review milestones/deliverables
• Update task assignments
• Provide support for other teams
• Modify scope as needed

43
Publish time line/dev plan

• Send updated dev plan to all team leaders
• Present time line at all task manager meetings
• Post time line
• Intranet
• On centrally located wall/white board

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Coordination/Communication

• Mostly done through email
• Weekly (and semi-weekly) conference calls with
  PR agency
• Weekly high-level coordination meetings
• Weekly summary report to president
• Highlight slipped milestones
• Budget summary

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Teams support each other

• Shuffle personnel between core, tools, and apps
  teams
• Marketing assist documentation team for Quick
  Start Guide
• Docs team provide editor for collateral
• Design team shuffle duties to free up time for
  head designer

46
Website staged in increments

• New server farm
• Main application push servers
• Download site
• Main website content
• Helpdesk (in progress)
• New graphics
• Most content pulled from old site

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Booth pre-stage assembly

• Booth assembled for client review
• Graphics placed
• Hardware locations identified for use at show
• Hardware (monitors, plasma screens, etc.)
  provided by show vendor not available at
  pre-stage
• No potential problems uncovered
• Booth staff utilization pre-visualized

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Modify scope

• Decrease info sheets from five to three
• Reduce amount of copy on booth signage
• Change DVD loops from working apps to screen
  shots
• Eliminate drawing/giveaway of PSPs
• Add second media player to booth demonstrations

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UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Deliverables
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Execution and exhibition
• Challenges/obstacles
• Post-show wrap up

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Challenges/Obstacles

• Distance
• Lack of prior knowledge of industry and company
• Source of information bottleneck
• Time
• Contractor status
• Legal

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Distance

• Booth vendor in Poulsbo
• Show venue in San Francisco
• Parent company in Tokyo
• PR agency in Atlanta
• Sony Entertainment in New York

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Industry knowledge

• Steep learning curve
• Not enough time
• Two months from time of hiring to opening of show
• No common focus to industry
• Restraints from clients on shared information

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Information bottleneck

• President repeatedly and adamantly promised to
  write messaging
• And didnt
• And went on vacation
• PR agency drove toward wrong message
• Final collateral copy approved two weeks before
  show
• Final press releases received at hotel

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Not enough time

• To learn industry and company
• To write messaging
• To relieve president of copywriting
• To fully populate website with all pages
• To review PR and press releases
• To assemble materials at corporate office

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Status as contractor

• Had to build level of trust
• Initial lack of resources and knowledge
• Fragmented approval process, including payroll
• No business cards to hand out at booth

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Legal issues

• Booth contract signed at last possible minute
• Protective language rewritten
• Beneficial to both parties
• Had to remove screen shots of applications from
  booth signage
• Not licensed to display except on devices
• See photo images/multimediawithscreens.jpg and
  images/appswithscreens.jpg
• Had to forego drawing/promotional giveaway
• Sony Entertainment is major customer of
  UIEvolutions parent, Square Enix

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UIEvolution at CTIA

• Objective of product launch
• Deliverables
• Strategy/development plan
• Teams/collaborations
• Workflow/production
• Challenges/obstacles
• Execution and exhibition
• Post-show wrap up

58
Post-show wrap up

• Determine how to follow up on leads
• Determine what could be better
• Determine what worked well
• Message from president to all staff sharing
  successes
• Place photos on corporate intranet
• Write summary report to leave with staff for
  future trade show exhibitions

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Leads follow-up

• Identify top 30 prospective clients
• Establish which staff will follow-up immediately
• Make follow-up calls immediately
• Place additional 150 leads into contact list
• Break contact list down into categories
• Send follow-up letter of thanks
• Assign categories to staff for further follow-up

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Post-mortem planned

• Post-show review session requested by booth
  vendor
• Scheduled for Oct. 13 with all team leads
• Preliminary list of next times emailed to booth
  vendor
• Things to change or do better next time
• Comments from booth staff

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Things to change next time

• We need to push the corner pods in about two feet
  and registration/cross-platform desks in about a
  foot. When our staff engaged visitors at the
  corners, they had to stand on the Moscone carpet,
  not the double padded. Getting people into the
  booth would have been more comfortable.
• We should add power to the registration desk.
  There were several times I lamented not having it
  -- notable for the ecard reader -- and when I
  wanted to plug my own laptop and the digital
  camera in.
• Speaking of the ecard reader, we need to push
  Freeman to "do it right" next time. The wireless
  unit never worked, which is why we ended up with
  the plug-in model. I know the problem was not
  Steelhead's and I appreciate the extra mile Troy
  went to resolve it.
• Midway through the second day the carpet between
  the door and the cross-platform desk started to
  come off the backing at the joint and I worried
  about it the rest of the show. Fortunately, our
  people made sure not to traffic through that area
  much.
• The tower door got stuck open several times and
  required considerable torquing to close. Perhaps
  it could be shortened at the bottom to allow
  freer swing.
• The little rubber feet on the armature platforms
  all came off. The adhesive wasn't strong enough
  for the weight and when UIE's staff moved the
  armatures to lock them inside the cabinets, the
  feet popped right off.
• We need to lower the monitors on the
  cross-platform desk about a foot. While the
  current configuration worked, UIE staff had to
  crane their necks to see the screens and visitors
  behind them were far enough out that lower
  screens would still have been viewable. Our
  benchmark should be the monitor on the
  development pod, which was the right height.
• Could the holes in the aluminum posts on the
  cross-platform desk be made larger -- perhaps
  oval shape -- without breaching post integrity?
  We had some sticky moments trying to push/pull
  plugs and cables through.

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What worked well

• Top-notch placement/location
• Solid booth construction/design
• Excellent/eye catching graphics
• Demonstrations/applets available for showing and
  downloading to attendee phones
• Double-padded carpet
• Warm welcome from booth staff to all visitors
• DVD loops and mobile devices with apps running

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Notes from booth staff

• Encrypted persistent data would be desirable.
• "Can you guys do LBS (Location based services)?"
  Several people.
• A couple of people commented on how they liked
  the ability to run/demo apps on the Mac as well
  as the PC.
• People really liked the app push to a Sprint
  phone trick. "Seeing" wireless in action is
  believing.
• A large of people wanted us to be turnkey. We
  handle everything servers, app dev, maintenance,
  ...
• Some people were upset that they hadn't heard of
  us sooner. "Where have you been?," they would
  say. They were surprised to hear that we have
  been focusing on this fragmentation problem and
  solution for 5 years.
• We almost had a groupie like following. On the
  first day, people were waiting outside the
  barrier an hour before the opening to talk to us
  specifically. When the gates opened we were
  swamped.
• I had a person ask if we support Symbian as well
  as Brew and Java.
• A number of people said, "So your SDK for
  download is some kind of reduced capability
  version right?"
• All the phones that we had at the different
  stations worked well. People were drawn to them
  to try them out. A few app purchases might have
  been made on the BREW phones so we might want to
  check and cancel those dang (I mean lovely)
  monthly recurring charges.
• About 75 of the attendees were company
  executives. About 5 were developers. Managers
  and support staff made up the rest. So it was the
  place for deal making.

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From the President of UIE

• I just wanted to send out a quick thank you to
  everyone who participated in what was a very
  successful first marketing event for
  UIEvolution. The booth was unbelievable and our
  good fortune of getting the best location on the
  second floor helped position UIE as a leader in
  our software and application space. This is the
  first marketing event of this type, but we are
  already beginning to discuss preparation for CTIA
  in March as well as put ourselves in the lottery
  for this same show next September in LA.
• (more)

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• Please talk to one of the 15 different people
  who worked the booth to get their candid
  impression of the event. I can tell you that for
  me it was very motivating to see existing and new
  customers excited about the software and
  applications that have come to define us. For the
  next show, we will try to get the rest of you
  involved so that you can also have experiences in
  the market with our customers. This is a new
  opportunity for UIE to expand our business in the
  market and I look forward to working with all of
  you to make this company bigger and better than
  ever.
• Thanks for your hard work.
• Chris Ruff

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Statistics - 1

• Key CTIA deliverables
• Booth and Signage
• 3 Pieces of Collateral
• SDK Download Postcard
• Advertisement in CTIA Daily Guide
• Booth DVD
• Upgraded Website
• SDK v1.5
• Quick Start Guide
• Weather Application (Downloaded at conference to
  attendees Sprint Phone)
• Cross Platform Demo
• Mobile Devices loaded with our applications
• (more)

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Statistics - 2

• Press and Media
• 3 Press Releases (UIEngine v1.5, Mobile Lingo,
  5th Cell)
• 12 Press Briefings before and during CTIA
• 10 articles written about UIE
• Key Success Metrics
• While it is too early to determine how successful
  the event will end up being, but it has already
  produced the following results. 
• Over 150 new business development leads
• Over 80 SDK Downloads
• 10 news articles
• Chris Ruff

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Questions?
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(No Transcript)