Services / Pre-Launch & Waitlist

Pre-Launch Funnels That Prove Demand.

Shopify waitlist stores, VIP pre-order funnels, paid acquisition for qualified email sign-ups. Audiences built before launch day. 300+ pre-launches behind $120M+ raised.

Trusted by the world's best partners

40,000+

Pre-launch leads (Pillo Health)

5 min

Fastest funded (NAYA Create)

$5.1M

In 30 days (Filippo Loreti)

300+

Pre-launches built

Pre-Launch & Waitlist

How we build pre-launch demand.

The best-funded launches almost all share one thing: a warm audience of thousands of qualified, engaged people ready to convert on launch day. That audience does not exist by accident. It is engineered in the 12 to 24 weeks before the product ships.

Blazon's pre-launch playbook: Shopify waitlist store live with a clear reservation mechanism, paid acquisition against the right audience for qualified sign-ups, email nurture sequence warming the list, social and PR building awareness. By launch day, a list of thousands already briefed, engaged and primed to convert.

What's Included

Full-service pre-launch capability

01

Shopify Pre-Launch Store

Custom-designed pre-launch Shopify with reservation mechanics, VIP tiers and email capture optimised for conversion.

02

Waitlist Funnel Design

Multi-step funnel from first visit to VIP sign-up with specific conversion rate benchmarks.

03

Paid Acquisition

Meta, Google and TikTok for qualified email sign-ups. Creative testing for lowest cost-per-lead.

04

Email Capture Optimisation

Landing page variants, exit intent, progressive profiling, referral mechanics.

05

VIP Tier Design

VIP messaging, exclusive offers, priority access, referral incentives.

06

Reservation System

$1 reservations, paid deposits, Kickstarter notifications, Shopify pre-order integration.

07

Email Nurture Sequences

Welcome, education, FAQ, social proof and launch countdown emails.

08

Launch Day Activation

Timed email sends, SMS activation, social broadcast, paid retargeting.

09

Pre-Launch Analytics

Cost-per-lead, qualified sign-up rate, list segmentation, launch-day conversion modelling.

Pre-Launch Mechanics

The reservation and VIP structures that turn cold traffic into launch-day buyers.

Email Waitlist

$1 Reservation

VIP Deposit

Beta Access

Drop Waitlist

Kickstarter Notify

Pre-Order

Referral Tier

Work

Pre-launches that delivered.

View all work

Trusted by the world's biggest brands

How We Work

Problem Solution Outcome

Why cold launches fail and how pre-launch funnels front-load the curve.

01

Launching cold is the fastest way to fail

Hardware, crowdfunding, SaaS, fashion drops, healthtech, XR, AI products: all share the same failure mode. Launch day arrives with no pre-built audience. The founder emails 200 friends and hopes. The first 48 hours set the funding curve, the ranking, the algorithmic push. Without a warm list the launch never catches momentum.

No AudienceCold TrafficMissed Algorithm

02

We build a qualified audience before the campaign opens

Blazon's playbook starts 12 to 24 weeks before launch. Shopify waitlist store live with a reservation mechanism (email capture, $1 reservation, paid deposit, VIP tier). Paid acquisition against the right audience. Email nurture warming the list. Social, community and PR building awareness.

Waitlist StorePaid AcquisitionEmail Nurture

03

Launches that fund in the first 48 hours

Pillo Health (40,000+ qualified leads pre-launch, $2.5M Kickstarter funded in first day). NAYA Create (funded in under 5 minutes on a 12,000-strong waitlist). Filippo Loreti (pre-launch list of 25,000+ before the Kickstarter that raised $5.1M in 30 days). A strong pre-launch converts into a fast launch, which earns algorithmic amplification.

Front-Loaded CurveStaff PicksFunded Fast

Our Process

Four phases from funnel build to launch day

A playbook refined across 300+ pre-launches.

01

Strategy

Audience research, tier design, cost-per-lead modelling, list-size target. 1 to 2 weeks to lock the funnel structure.

AudienceTier DesignCPL Model

02

Build

Shopify waitlist store, reservation system, email capture, nurture sequence and tracking infrastructure.

ShopifyReservationNurture

03

Acquire

Paid acquisition on Meta, Google and TikTok. Creative testing for the lowest qualified CPL. Ongoing list building through launch week.

MetaGoogleTikTok

04

Activate

Timed email, SMS, social broadcast and paid retargeting on launch day. Front-load the curve to earn algorithmic amplification.

EmailSMSRetargeting

What our clients say

Waitlists that converted.

“Blazon's forward-thinking approach was instrumental in the successful launch of our innovation campaign. Their expertise, dedication and innovative approach have propelled our strategic outlook. Amazing work.”

Marcus Lado

Marcus Lado

Absolut/Pernod Ricard

“Blazon did a stellar job with Pillo Health, guiding us through a crucial stage of our growth and positioning us for our eventual acquisition. They have consistently exceeded our expectations.”

Emmanuelle Musini

Emmanuelle Musini

Stanley Black & Decker

“Working with Blazon was transformative. Their innovative approach and diligent execution gave us the exposure we needed to succeed with our launch and drive sustained growth.”

Luca Placi

Luca Placi

Tera Motors

Industry we serve

Deep expertise acrosshigh-growth sectors

Eight sectors where a launch makes or breaks the company. We work across all of them.

SaaS

FinTech

Ai + Robotics

Gaming

DTC & E-Commerce

Health + Wellness

Hardware

Consumer Tech

Founded in London, 2016

Michael Raven, founder of Blazon

Michael Raven

Built by Michael Raven. Two startup exits. Horizon Europe advisor (the EU’s €95.5 billion research and innovation program). A decade of launching products for brands that refuse to stay small.

Meet the team

Launching cold?

Let's warm the audience first.

Tell us what you're launching and when. We'll tell you the list size to target and what it takes to build. From $15,000. Full launches typically $25,000 to $150,000.

Book a Strategy Call

Insights

Pre-launch, waitlist, crowdfunding and demand-validation insights

View all insights →

Get in Touch

Start a conversation

New product, new launch, new market. Tell us when you're shipping and we'll map the pre-launch runway.

Let’s Work

New project, new product, new market. Whatever you’re planning, we’d like to hear about it.

Department
Budget

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Minimum 8 weeks. Optimal 12 to 24 weeks. Hardware and consumer tech launches benefit from longer pre-launch windows because audience quality compounds with time.
Depends on campaign goal. Kickstarter target of $500K: pre-launch list of 5,000 to 10,000 qualified leads. Target of $2M+: 20,000 to 50,000. DTC launches: 10,000 to 30,000 for strong launch conversion.
Typically 3 tiers: free email sign-up, $1 reservation (refundable), paid VIP deposit with exclusive perks. Each tier progressively qualifies the lead and creates launch-day priority access.
$2 to $15 per qualified email depending on category, audience and creative. Hardware and consumer tech: $5 to $12. Fashion and DTC: $2 to $6. Deep tech and B2B: $10 to $25+.
Pre-launch list receives launch-day notification first. They convert at higher rates than cold traffic, which front-loads the funding curve. Kickstarter's algorithm rewards early funding velocity with staff picks and newsletter inclusion.
Yes. SaaS pre-launch often uses beta waitlists, free trial promise and founder access. Fashion uses drop waitlists with exclusive first access. Healthtech uses pre-order mechanics. The core pattern, qualified audience before launch day, applies across categories.
Pre-launch funnel builds: $10,000 to $40,000 depending on scope and Shopify complexity. Ongoing pre-launch management (paid media, email nurture, list building): $8,000 to $25,000 per month plus ad spend. From $15,000. Full launches typically $25,000 to $150,000. Talk to us about your pre-launch.
Let’s talk