Launch PR is a planned campaign, not a press release: it locks one story, trains the spokespeople, gives one outlet an exclusive, lines up named customers and sets a crisis provision before any pitch goes out. Most launches fail in the weeks before and after launch day, not on it. This page is the hub for my launch guides, and it shows which one to read for your situation.
Updated on Oct 21, 2026
Where Should You Start With Launch PR?
Start with the plan, then the story, then the channels. The product rollout PR planning guide lays out the twelve-week timeline, owners and deadlines, and it includes a launch checklist you can copy. Read it first, because every other launch decision depends on the story and dates it fixes.
Software teams face a different problem: the announcement is rarely news by itself. My guide to software launch PR without a press release covers customer proof, original data and expert commentary as the substitutes that earn coverage.
Which Launch Guide Fits Your Situation?
| Your situation | Read this | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Planning any product launch | Product rollout PR planning | Twelve-week timeline, exclusive strategy, checklist table |
| Launching software or an app | Software launch PR | What to do instead of a release |
| Live product with customers to keep | SaaS PR beyond the launch | Plan for outages, security failures, product changes and retirements |
| Choosing an agency for the launch | Eight questions for a tech PR agency | Interview checklist with good answers and warning signs |
| Deciding agency or in-house | When to hire an agency vs build in-house | Six-factor matrix and cost table |
| A launch that went wrong | Crisis communication plan | Template for the first 48 hours |
What Documents Does a Launch Need?
A launch needs a release or announcement, a press kit, a pitch and a clear rule for when to use an advisory instead of a release. Each has its own guide:
- The press release guide covers format and the facts a release must carry.
- Media advisory vs press release explains which to send for an event or a briefing.
- Press kit examples gives templates for the boilerplate, bios and fact sheet.
- The media pitch guide covers the email that carries the story to a reporter.
Treat these four as one set. A release with no press kit sends reporters hunting for a logo, and a pitch with no named customer gives them nothing to verify. The wider program that holds them together is covered in the media relations pillar.
Is There a Launch Worth Studying?
Yes. Dunkin' mobile ordering in 2016 is a clear example of a national app launch, and the guide includes an app launch checklist and what the company risked. For a view of how a brand builds launches around social, see Nike's digital PR launches.
How Do You Measure a Launch?
Measure named tier-one coverage, how often the CEO's exact positioning language appears, how many stories quote named customers, attributable demand and thirty-day sentiment. Raw clip counts hide whether the story landed. The rollout planning guide defines each measure and the tagging you need in your CRM.
Set the targets before launch, not after. Write down the outlets that count, the customers who should be quoted and the demand you expect to attribute, then review the numbers at week one, week four and week six. A launch that is reviewed only once, at the end, cannot be corrected while it still matters.
What Should You Do When a Launch Goes Wrong?
Name a crisis lead before launch day, keep drafted statements for the three likeliest problems and run a monitoring rotation for the first 48 hours. The crisis communication plan template shows how to build the full document, and the crisis communications case study library shows how real companies handled the same moments.
When Does a Launch Need an Agency?
A launch needs an agency when you need tier-one relationships across several outlet categories, crisis capacity outside business hours or a team that has launched products in your category before. Companies that want that support can review 5W's technology PR practice, my firm's practice, and should still interview two or three other firms using the questions above.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should launch PR start?
Six weeks before launch day at the minimum, and twelve for a major launch. The weeks before launch are where the story, spokespeople, customers and exclusive get fixed.
Do you still need a press release for a launch?
Yes, as a short factual record, but it rarely earns coverage alone. Customer proof, original data and a named exclusive do the work.
Should a launch have an exclusive?
For most launches, yes. Give one outlet whose audience matters most to this launch the exclusive under a real embargo, then brief the rest.
What is the biggest launch PR mistake?
Treating launch day as the finish line. The six weeks after the announcement are where adoption and coverage compound.
What should be ready before launch day?
A locked one-sentence story, a trained spokesperson, named customers who agreed in writing, a press kit and a named crisis lead with drafted statements.
Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications, the AI Communications Firm. He is the author of two best-selling editions of For Immediate Release.