I'm a big fan of NASA. Growing up I had dreams of floating around in a zero gravity room trying to catch popcorn kernels in my mouth like Pacman scurrying across the board. More recently I'm a fan because of their example of vision and purpose.

In the Kennedy era, NASA had a grand vision, "To put a man on the moon by the end of the sixties". It wasn't about building a better rocket, but actually getting it to the moon, landing it, and bringing it back home safely. The rocket was just the means to the end.

Branding should be the same. The rocket is your brand. Its just a means to the end; a means to your ambitious goal. Sometimes we spend too much time building the rocket and not enough time figuring out how to get it off the ground.

The art of launching a new brand is a crucial, and often over-looked, part to the branding process. Here are two ways to go about a lunch:

1. Mega Launch- An overnight overhaul and grand celebration of the new brand. If its a re-brand project, replacing all signage, communications, and marketing touch-points all at once. If its a new brand, coordinating a large event with fan fare and declaration of meaning. This is a complex, highly managed, and ambitious task, but it avoids brand confusion and ensures clarity.

2. Strategic Rollout- A smooth transition of old to new, phasing in the new touch-points with care and consideration. This process is more practical for smaller organizations, but can also transfer familiarity for an established brand (like the transition from Cingular to AT&T, as seen below)

Some other important points for a launch:

1. The most important audience is the company's employees. The internal launch is imperative.
2. Regardless of scope and budget a comprehensive communications plan is crucial
3. Make a moment. Create a buzz and seize this as a marketing opportunity. Timing is everything.

So what's more important? Building the rocket or launching the rocket?

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