Great products don’t launch themselves. This guide shows how to manage manufacturing lead time and run pre-launch marketing in parallel—so your first day of sales starts with demand already in motion.

1) Typical production timeline

• Container production: ~45 days (tooling/printing/assembly)
• Filling & assembly: ~15 days after containers deliver to the filler
• Unit cartons: ~15 days (printing + finishing)

Plan for a 2–3 month end-to-end lead time, and add buffers for approvals, transit, and quality checks. Lock purchase orders and artwork early to avoid cascading delays.

2) What to run in parallel

Don’t wait for finished goods. While production runs, move forward with:

• eCommerce setup: PDP copy, SEO, pricing, bundles, shipping rules
• Retail/Marketplace onboarding: listings, compliance docs, brand store assets
• Regulatory/claims review: align clinical results and packaging copy
• Sales enablement: line sheets, sell-in deck, wholesale terms

3) Build assets with samples

Use pre-production samples for:

• Photography: hero images, lifestyle, textures, and ingredient shots
• Video: 10–30s reels/shorts, how-to, behind-the-scenes
• Content: blog posts, email teasers, PR briefing notes

Pro tip: Shoot multiple aspect ratios (1:1, 4:5, 9:16, 16:9) in one session to reduce costs.

4) Pre-launch campaign ideas

• Launch countdown (T-14 → T-1): benefits, ingredients, and social proof drip
• Waitlist / pre-order: capture demand and emails before day one
• Creator seeding: micro-influencers aligned with your target skin concerns
• Sampling/Trial: controlled giveaways to collect initial reviews
• Press note: brief editors with claims and key visuals

5) Launch readiness checklist

• Final QA passed (fill weight, sealing, label accuracy)
• Inventory & ship date confirmed; safety stock defined
• Paid media plan live (search/social/marketplace ads)
• Tracking in place: GA4, pixel, server-side events (where applicable)
• Customer support macros ready (how-to, returns, troubleshooting)

Quick FAQ