Product and service launch strategies are framed by two extremes: blow open the market right away with a big marketing push or build awareness slowly over time. Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader calls these extremes “penetration” and “skim.” In this Viewpoint, Fader explains how marketers can use skim and penetration as guidelines for developing the most appropriate campaigns.

Key Takeaways

• Complex products and services benefit most from a slow and steady approach to marketing.
• B2B marketers need to enlist early adopters to act as word-of-mouth advocates.
• Some strategies from consumer-product launch campaigns can cross over into successful B2B campaigns.
• Marketers need to shift their tactics to “cross the chasm” into broader markets.