Please note that I am speaking of a situation where you know that you are not gonna be able to cope with demand. This is different from another where you face unexpected high demand and run out of stock.

Ghost products are more common than you might think. They are usually brought into existence in industries where your brand image depends on being the first one in launching new products or services, or being able to respond quickly to competition. As you can imagine, this is the case of technological and service industries, where being an innovator and market leader for launching new products impacts directly in your brand image.

Assuming that the latter is your case, should you do it? I dare say that you can do it if you do it occasionally and in careful way. I.e.:

1. If you do not do it occasionally, people will get you and your reputation will be destroyed. You have t be sure that you are launching what you announce in a reasonable time.
2. For handling it in a careful way, your Public Relations Department will be of great use. Its main weapon will be the Press Releases by which you make the announcements of new releases. But again, be sure that you are to launch in short.
3. Something that will also help you will be the trade fairs where you announce new and future products. They let you show a prototype, create brand image and do not make any commitments! So if the end of the day you don´t launch what you´ve shown, noone will complain.
4. ATL is a very risky step that I do not recommend unless you are in case of extreme necessity. Even if you are I am not sure it is the right thing to do for you will create expectations you are not gonna be able to meet, create channel frustration and, in the end of the day, destroy brand value.

So, do you know about any Ghost Product? What´s your opinion about them?

Prof. Ignacio Gafo