The term "360° launch" has become so overused that it has lost its meaning. In most brand launch presentations, it refers to a media plan with a digital component bolted on. The actual 360 — the trade, the in-store, the field force, the sampling — is either underfunded, under-planned, or launched three weeks late.
The Anatomy of a Launch That Fails
A typical failed launch looks like this: strong PR and digital in week one, good awareness metrics by week three, and then a flat sales curve that never inflects. The autopsy usually reveals the same cause of death: the product was not available where the awareness was driving people to look for it, and when it was on shelf, there was no activation to convert the curious shopper into a buyer.
The 90-Day Window
The first 90 days post-launch set the trajectory for the first three years. Brands that achieve distribution velocity, trial velocity, and repeat purchase velocity in this window tend to compound. Brands that miss it spend the next 18 months trying to recover momentum they never built.
What a Real 360° Launch Requires
Trade sell-in must be complete before the ATL breaks. The field force must be trained before the product is on shelf. The sampling mechanic must be live in week one, not week five. The reporting loop must be daily, not monthly.
This is not complicated. It is disciplined.