How to stop sabotaging your own tech product launch by fixing broken internal comms
Strong internal communications is the most important piece of a consumer-product launch. They have a direct impact on PR outcomes, overall buzz and sales.
A great product means nothing if you botch the rollout. This checklist aims to prevent mistakes by mapping out the correct processes to deploy for a launch
The myth of the “soft launch” (and why it’s killing your media coverage)
Many consumer tech companies convince themselves that they can launch quietly, test the waters, and build momentum later. Wrong.
This is a bad idea. Media need time to prepare stories. Editors often plan coverage weeks, sometimes months, in advance. Embargos are the scaffolding that keeps launch-day chaos coordinated.
Your PR team needs final information well before your launch date. Because running a best-in-class PR process takes time. PR needs lead time to target the right journalists, gather product info so it’s digestible for media, conduct outreach, and to give media the space to prepare their story. None of this can happen overnight.
What’s an embargo?
An embargo is an understanding between journalists and a company. It is not bound by a formal written contract.
The idea is that journalists get early access to your news but agree not to publish until a set date and time. Usually, that’s your launch day. It’s how we try to control timing, ensure fair coverage, and enable more in-depth storytelling.
Without one, you get fragmented coverage, and you lose out on top-tier placements, and confused messaging. The second point about missed coverage is the important part. It goes to the crux of media relations – an already-launched product is far less enticing to cover than one that’s about to be released.
Novel and newsworthy
Media like novelty and newness. Once something is public, it’s no longer “news,” it’s just “information.”
As Sean Hollister who is a Co-Founder of The Verge once explained to us, “When you’ve got a big, cool, new item like nothing we’ve ever seen before, please tell us about it before you announce it so we can see if it’s worth special coverage, calling in an item for testing, interviews, etc. News is less valuable to us when it’s no longer news.”
That’s the heart of it. If you wait until your product is live before talking to press, you’ve already missed your shot. Media outlets want to be aware of new innovations before the public, not after. That’s how they spot breakout stories, identify trends, and prep for gift guides or feature placements.
In other words: journalists don’t want your leftovers. They want your next big thing, while it’s still fresh.
Don’t let your internal comms sabotage your PR
Working in Silos = Launch Suicide
When teams operate in isolation, disaster follows. The eComm lead might make a product live before logistics confirms stock. The PR agency might find out about the launch after it’s already happened, when it’s too late to brief the media. Marketing and eCommerce teams might be working off different messaging or conflicting pricing structures.
Another common trap: the eComm team refuses to commit to a launch date until the product is physically in the warehouse. Then, as soon as it arrives, they go live instantly, eliminating any window for pre-launch PR.
These aren’t just communication issues. They’re business issues in disguise. They cost you credibility, coordination, and ultimately, top-tier media coverage.
The Internal Launch Checklist – Your PR-Ready Playbook
Whether you’re a consumer tech company launching one hero product or dozens each season, this is your timeline. Print it. Tape it to your mirror.
T-8 Weeks: Discuss the Launch
☐ Bring together product, sales, operations, logistics, and marketing to define what’s launching and when.
☐ Assign a go-to-market lead or project owner to manage the process and track accountability.
☐ Share the concept and tentative timing with your external PR agency for early input.
☐ Align on external factors that could affect coverage (major tech events, holidays, competitor launches).
T-7 Weeks: Prep for Media
☐ Approve the PR agency’s first draft of media materials (press release, key messages, pitch outline).
☐ Confirm creative timelines so campaign visuals are ready by T-5 weeks.
T-6 Weeks: Lock in the Date
☐ Set a single, non-negotiable launch date and circulate it to all internal and external teams.
☐ Identify and document potential risks or blockers, with clear owners and follow-up actions.
☐ Confirm that the PR agency has the final date and can begin pre-launch planning.
T-5 Weeks: Finalize Messaging + Assets
☐ Approve final product details, visuals, sales channels, and pricing (regular and sale).
☐ Confirm affiliate commission rates, marketing budget, and sample unit availability for media.
☐ Lock all messaging; prohibit further changes to maintain media accuracy and consistency.
T-4 Weeks: Outreach Begins
☐ PR Team launches embargoed outreach to key journalists and reviewers.
☐ Negotiate affiliate deals and confirm tracking links.
☐ Ship media samples and prep spokespersons for interviews.
T-2 Weeks: Cross-Team Simulation
☐ Run a full internal test of logistics, web, customer service, and PR workflows.
☐ Review all public-facing assets, including website, visuals, and press materials.
Launch Week: Coordination Over Chaos
☐ Keep all communication channels open between PR, marketing, and eCommerce teams.
☐ Notify PR immediately of any product, pricing, or availability changes.
☐ Monitor coverage, social response, and site performance in real time.
Respect the Process, Reap the Coverage
When brands cut corners, the fallout is predictable:
- Lost Coverage: Journalists don’t wait for your product to be “ready.”
- Broken Trust: Editors remember brands that flake on embargoes.
- Mixed Messaging: Inconsistent info kills credibility.
- Team Burnout: Last-minute chaos destroys morale.
- Lost Revenue: Early coverage drives traffic, boosts conversions, and multiplies visibility. Add clear pricing, affiliate incentives, and consistent messaging, and you’ve got the foundation for exponential coverage and sales momentum.
Our most successful clients treat PR as a discipline. They plan backwards, over-communicate, and understand that timing is everything.
Don’t fly blind on launch day. Be prepared. Build your systems now and stick to them.