Loud Launches vs. Quiet Launches – Gauging User Reactions

In an increasingly complex IT environment, it is sometimes difficult to know how to present a new system, such as an intranet to a group of world-weary users. Usually the managers, developers and content producers involved in the project are excited about it, imagining the possibilities with the new technology and the new options for users.

But, most of us are not innocent enough to believe that the same enthusiasm spreads to users. Understandibly, they are often tired of new releases. They just want to do their jobs, and have a (perhaps completely justifiable) fear that the new system will hamper their efforts to get things done rather than help it.

The Intranet Journal writes that sometimes a “Quiet Launch” under the wire is more suitable than a “Loud Launch” with much fanfare:

You
should never assume that all users will see the introduction of a new
system as a good thing. The practice of quiet launches came about as a
direct response to users’ growing frustration with all things IT.
Perhaps, having gotten weary of negative experiences with past systems
— perpetually overdue systems, missing features advertised in the
marketing campaign, systems that don’t live up to its hype — they have
become cynical of IT and their empty promises. Attempting to win them
over with yet another loud launched system will do more harm than good.
There are only so many times users will fall for the old “this time
things will be different” routine.

Here are some guidelines on when to use each method:

Although as marketers, we naturally want to trumpet achievements with as much fanfare as possible, but sometimes it is wiser to ask “is having this fanfare helpful”?