Product Marketing: The Missing Link

Why Product Marketing is Essential for Good Product Organizations

Many organizations lack product marketing, often because they don't understand or value it. Is it just about writing launch emails or creating marketing documents for sales? That may be part of it, but product marketing is so much more. It is a strategic function that helps us bridge the gap between product, sales, marketing, and users.

I am not in product marketing, and never have been. A few times in my career, I've had the privilege of working with excellent product marketing teams and product marketing managers (PMM). But it seems like most organizations overlook product marketing—not having any product marketing or not giving it the attention it needs. When this happens, the work that product marketing usually delivers doesn’t disappear. Others fill in the gaps or the work doesn’t get done. Often, it will be product managers or sales engineers who step in.

As a product manager, I can say that we have too much already. And rarely have the expertise that an experienced product marketer brings. So expecting product management (or sales and marketing) to fill the gap in product marketing is a fool’s errand.

Let’s look at why product marketing is essential and why it should be part of every product team.

What is Product Marketing?

Product marketing connects product management, sales, marketing, and customer experience. As Product Marketing Alliance says:

Product marketing sits at the heart, the intersection, and the core of all successful companies. PMMs collaborate with key teams such as the marketing team, sales, customer success, and play a critical role in helping the business achieve its goals.

Product marketing has many key responsibilities, including:

• Product positioning

• Product messaging

• Go-to-market (GTM) strategy

• Sales enablement

• Market analysis

• Competitive intelligence

• Customer research and feedback

• Creating personas