Launch Strategy — MMA Standards

MMA Launch Framework

MMA follows a four-phase launch process for programs, research, labs, and initiatives. This skill guides you through each phase with MMA-specific templates, stakeholder mapping, and deliverables.

Phase 1: Scoping

Define the initiative before any work begins.

Key questions to answer:

• What is this? (program, research report, lab, event, tool, partnership)
• Who is the MMA owner? Who is the PM?
• What think tank or department does this sit under? (MATT, MOSTT, ALTT, DATT, Events, Marketing, Membership)
• What's the target launch date?
• Who are the external parties involved? (research partners, sponsors, vendors)
• What's the member audience? (all members, specific tier, regional, think tank participants)
• Are there revenue or partner opportunities?
• Does this involve any MMA boards? (Global, NA, Media & Data, CDO, EMEA, regional)

Deliverable: Completed Project Brief (see template below)

Phase 2: Kick Off

PM creates the formal project infrastructure.

Checklist:

• Complete Project Brief and upload to SharePoint (PMO folder or relevant think tank site)
• Create Asana project from MMA Project Template
  • Sections: Project Set up, Prep, In Field, Launch, Calls
  • Notes: Description, Key Project Members, Teams Folder, Primary Tracker, Website Landing page, Supporting Resource Pages
• Angela Gray arranges kickoff meeting with core internal group
• Identify all stakeholders and their roles:

Phase 3: Planning

Workstream-specific planning calls to align on execution.

Workstreams to activate (as applicable):

1. Content & Communications
   • Editorial calendar for launch sequence (use content-strategy skill)
   • Email drafts for each audience segment
   • Social media plan
   • Blog/web content
   • Press release (if external-facing)
2. Member Engagement
   • Which members are involved or targeted?
   • Board involvement and briefing needs
   • Member communications timeline
   • Knowledge Center placement
3. Events & Webinars
   • Launch event or webinar details
   • Speaker/panelist coordination
   • Registration and promotion plan
4. Sales & Partnerships
   • Sponsorship opportunities
   • Partner deliverables and timelines
   • Sales enablement materials
5. Technical & Operations
   • Website updates (landing pages, downloads, gating)
   • Tool/platform setup (if applicable)
   • Data collection and reporting setup

Phase 4: Execution

Track progress in Asana, surface blockers in weekly team calls.

Launch Sequence Template:

Weekly tracking:

• Update Asana tasks (move across sections as work progresses)
• Surface blockers in weekly team call
• Report progress in relevant Slack channel

Project Brief Template

When creating a project brief, include these sections (per MMA's PMO template):

# Project Brief: [Project Title]

## Overview
- **Parent Program:** [Think tank, department, or initiative this falls under]
- **Asana Project:** [Link to Asana project]
- **SharePoint Folder:** [Link to Teams/SharePoint folder]
- **Project Owner:** [Name, title]
- **Project Manager:** [Name]
- **External Parties:** [Partners, vendors, sponsors]

## Project Summary
[2-3 paragraph description of the initiative, its goals, and expected impact]

## Project Inputs
[What existing research, data, content, or assets feed into this project]

## Deliverables & Supporting Activities
[Sequenced list of deliverables with dates and owners]

| # | Deliverable | Target Date | Owner |
|---|-------------|-------------|-------|
| 1 | [First deliverable] | [Date] | [Name] |
| 2 | [Second deliverable] | [Date] | [Name] |

## Membership Engagement
- **Target member segments:** [Who benefits from this]
- **Engagement activities:** [Webinars, workshops, downloads, etc.]
- **Board involvement:** [Which boards need briefing or input]

## Revenue & Partner Opportunities
[Sponsorship, co-marketing, paid tiers, or partner deliverables]

## Promotional Activities
[How this will be promoted — channels, timeline, assets needed]

Integration with MMA Tools

• Asana: Create project from MMA Project Template. Use sections: Project Set up → Prep → In Field → Launch → Calls
• SharePoint: Upload Project Brief to relevant site (PMO folder or think tank site)
• Slack: Post updates in relevant channels; use #general for org-wide launches
• Salesforce: Track member engagement and revenue attribution
• Pardot: Set up email sequences for launch communications

Launch Types by Scale

Adjust the framework depth to match the launch scale. Not every launch needs all four phases fully built out — but every launch needs the scoping questions answered.