The Future of Product Marketing Management. It's Time We Started Acting Like It
Product Marketing is not just "marketing." It is process management. Let’s break down some common misconceptions.
1. PMM is Not Marketing 101
We’ve all heard it. If you’re in product marketing, you must be doing the kind of marketing we associate with copywriting, social media posts, maintaining brand guidelines, screenshots, and demo videos. However, if product marketing were that simple, then most product marketing managers would not have backgrounds rooted in data, insights, relationship management, and product strategy. That’s because product marketing management encompasses product strategy, user needs, market dynamics, customer segmentation, competitive intelligence, and more, and it requires a mix of hard and soft skills. It’s similar to how a project manager isn’t just shipping projects; a product manager isn’t just building features. So, why do people treat product marketing as though it’s just marketing?
2. Empowering PMMs. The Challenge of Finding Our Voice
The actual work isn’t what’s holding PMMs back, it’s how the role is described. When PMMs describe themselves (or are described by others), they often use words like “collaborator” or “bridge builder.” While these are fine attributes, they undermine the value of the role when used in isolation. Would you describe a doctor as a “patient collaborator”? Of course not, because they’re known for their expertise and strategic contributions. The challenge isn’t simply in managing product marketing tasks, it’s conveying that product marketing is a strategic function, not just a support function. Let’s consider the widespread assumption that product marketing is a comparatively easy job. In many organizations, people believe it’s doable with minimal effort. The work of a product marketer involves complex decision-making, understanding customer behavior, and seeing trends that no one else sees. In reality, developing a product marketing strategy is arguably one of the hardest things you can do in business.
3. The Real Issue. A Problem of Perception
We believe what we hear. Hiring managers and users operate under the framing of product marketing being less strategic than other roles. The problem? PMMs often fall into the trap of accepting this framing and describing themselves accordingly. We quote some common narratives from interviews. "I’m a PMM who doesn’t like to do strategy." Or "I’m a bridge builder" or "I’m just good with customers." PMMs might worry that listing their real skills (deep customer insights, positioning, messaging, competitive intelligence, user research, sales enablement) may sound unrelatable or self-promoting. But failing to stand up for the value of our work, and in particular the value of the business, is a recipe for being ignored or sidelined. The challenge is, when we accept this framing, we may be reinforcing a stereotype. The problem isn’t in the work, it’s in the perception of that work.
4. The Solution. Define Your Narrative
If you want product marketing to be viewed as a strategic function, you need to define your own narrative, you craft it, frame it, and control it. Position yourself as the owner of customer insights, the architect of positioning and messaging, and a key partner in go-to-market strategy. Then, use it across scenarios. How to handle pushback in internal presentations. Communicate from a place of strength. “I know the customer, I know the message, and I know the strategy, and I’m not afraid to say so.” How to speak confidently in cross-functional meetings. PMMs often play a passive role in these meetings. Reframe it as “This is my expertise, and I know how to use it to make the product win.”