A token launch is one shot at attention. We build the community before there is anything to buy, coordinate creators to peak on launch day, and keep momentum alive through the weeks afterwards, when most launches quietly die.
Token launch marketing is everything that happens in the eight to twelve weeks around a TGE: building an audience before there is anything to buy, concentrating attention on launch day, and holding it afterwards.
The asymmetry is brutal. Almost all the value is created before launch, and almost all the spending happens after it. Projects that start marketing at launch are buying attention at the worst possible price, against a chart that is already moving without them.
It is built for:
The format of the sale decides where the buyers come from, so it decides where the marketing goes.
| Format | How the sale works | Where marketing focuses |
|---|---|---|
| Presale | An early sale to the community before the public launch | Trust and a first holder base built from scratch |
| ICO | A direct public sale, often on the project's own site | Credibility, PR and a strong pre launch audience |
| IDO | A sale through a launchpad, followed by a DEX listing | Whitelist demand and the launchpad's community |
| IEO | A sale run and vetted by a centralised exchange | The exchange's users and trading KOLs |
| TGE without a sale | An airdrop or points programme converting into a token | Holder quality and retention after the TGE |
One coordinated calendar rather than five separate campaigns:
A token launch referral programme can fill a whitelist in days. It can also fill it with farmers who sell on the first candle. We design referral and whitelist mechanics that reward what real holders do: joining the community, completing tasks and holding through a period. Entries are screened for bots and multi account farms before allocation.
Every KOL gets their own referral link, so you can see which creators brought whitelist entries that actually bought, not just signed up.
Timing decides more than budget here, so we work backwards from your TGE date.
Weeks 8 to 4. Community foundation, narrative testing, creator shortlisting and PR groundwork. Deliberately quiet, because noise generated this early decays before it matters.
Weeks 4 to 1. Creators begin seeding, whitelist and referral mechanics open, trending and listing applications go in.
Launch week. Maximum creator density, clipping running continuously, community staffed across timezones.
Weeks 1 to 4 after. The phase most projects skip entirely. Sustained content and community keep holders engaged once the chart stops being the story, and that is where retention is actually decided.
Our crypto launch marketing checklist turns that calendar into a task by task list your team can work through.
| Phase | Timing | Main channels | What success looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 8 to 4 weeks before TGE | Community, content, PR groundwork, creator shortlist | An engaged community and a clear narrative |
| Build up | 4 to 1 weeks before | KOL seeding, whitelist and referrals, listing applications | Whitelist quality, not just size |
| Launch week | TGE week | Peak KOL activity, PR, trending, AMAs | Participation, unique buyers and volume |
| After launch | 1 to 4 weeks after | Ongoing content, community and holder campaigns | Holders still there at day 30 |
Launch PR runs through our crypto PR services, and listings through our crypto exchange listing team, so both sit on the same calendar as the creators.
Launch day numbers flatter everyone. We report what still holds a month later.
We have run launch and exchange campaigns for Binance, OKX, MEXC and Step.app, whose token launch produced record community growth.
Where we are not the right fit: if the plan is to manufacture launch day price action and exit, we are not the agency for it. We build toward the thirty day mark.
Book a meeting and we will map a launch calendar against your TGE date. Related: launchpad, IDO and ICO marketing.
What is token launch marketing?
Token launch marketing is how a project builds the awareness, community and trust that fill a token sale, then tailors the playbook to the format, whether that is an ICO, IDO, IEO or presale.
What is a token launch marketing strategy?
A token launch marketing strategy is the plan for building demand before the TGE, concentrating attention on launch day and keeping holders afterwards. It sets the order and timing of community building, KOL campaigns, PR, whitelist or referral mechanics, listings and liquidity.
What is the difference between ICO, IDO and IEO marketing?
An ICO is a direct token sale on your own site, an IDO raises through a launchpad and lists on a DEX, and an IEO is run and vetted by a centralized exchange. ICO leans on trust and a built from scratch audience, IDO on launchpad communities and whitelists, and IEO on the exchange's existing users. We tailor the campaign to your format.
How do you market a token sale?
Start with the format. A presale or ICO depends on trust you build yourself, an IDO on launchpad communities and whitelists, and an IEO on an exchange's users. Then build the community early, book KOLs to peak in the sale window, and use PR so the project looks credible to buyers who check it.
What is TGE marketing?
TGE marketing is the campaign around a Token Generation Event, when a token is created and usually starts trading. It covers the build up, launch day KOL and PR activity, listing announcements and the weeks after, when most holders decide whether to stay.
When should token launch marketing start?
Several weeks to months before the sale. The pre launch window is where demand, community and trust are built, so your launch opens with momentum.
Do you market presales too?
Yes. Presale and early round marketing builds your first community and demand before the main event, and feeds directly into the public launch.
Do token launch referral programmes work?
They can fill a whitelist quickly, but they attract farmers when rewards are easy to game. They work best when rewards depend on actions real holders take and entries are screened for bots and duplicate accounts.
How much does token launch marketing cost?
Token launch marketing cost depends on your scope, channels and goals, so we don't work from fixed packages. After a short call to understand your project and your raise, we build a custom plan and quote, so you only pay for the work that drives demand and participation in your launch.
