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Introducing Product Marketing
In recent years, product marketing has undergone a significant transformation, and has become a vital trend and top role, especially in the field of tech companies operating in a crowded and rapidly changing market. In the past, product marketing was primarily concerned with executing tactical activities such as creating sales and marketing materials, gaining an in-depth understanding of buyer personas, and crafting messaging that resonated with customers. As competition in many industries intensifies, customer journeys become more complex. In addition, with the dynamic nature of customer behavior, which places great emphasis on enhancing customer experience, the product marketing role has evolved into a more strategic function. The modern product marketer must possess strategic thinking abilities to navigate the changing market conditions and leverage new technologies to achieve business objectives. Moreover, product marketers must be skilled in problem-solving, creative communication, and collaboration to lead cross-functional teams and work with stakeholders across the organization, ensuring successful product launches that achieve the business objectives outlined.
In this chapter, we aim to provide an in-depth exploration of the product marketing role, examining the various factors that influence the shape and functions of product marketers. We will gain a comprehensive understanding of the difference between inbound and outbound product marketing, highlighting the benefits they offer to businesses. We will explore the impact of company size and structure on the product marketing role, including how larger or smaller organizations may have different requirements and expectations for product marketers. In this chapter, we will address several important questions related to the product marketing role:
- What were the primary factors that led to the transformation of the product marketing role?
- How do a company's size and structure affect the key functions of product marketers?
- What distinguishes inbound product marketing from outbound product marketing?