AMA: Product Marketing Leader, Jennifer Kay on Consumer Product Marketing

The ability to effectively build cross-functional relationships is really important in product marketing and understanding the role that each functional area plays in making a product successful. I'd put into this bucket knowing how each team measures their contribution (KPI's), what their processes and pain points are, as well as who and what their stakeholders care most about. I'd also include investing the time to learn their communication style. Just as a pmm spends time getting to understan ...Read More

Here are some tips on how to prepare for a Product Marketing Manager (PMM) interview: Research the company: Before going to the interview, make sure you have a good understanding of the company, its products or services, and its target customers. Visit the company website, read its mission statement, and review its recent press releases, and pricing pages to understand its operating model.  Understand the role of a PMM and product stage: Make sure you understand the responsibilities of a PMM suc ...Read More

The short answer is this is going to be highly dependent and will be different given your company, product or service, stage, and marketing organization. Every company is different and the role of product marketing is never the same. That said, B2C product marketers focus on metrics that measure customer acquisition, retention, and engagement, as well as revenue and profitability. Depending on your company, you could have KPI's tied to all or you could be placed on projects that are narrowly foc ...Read More

Moving from B2B product marketing to B2C/consumer product marketing (or vice versa) can at times be a challenging transition, but it's definitely doable with the right strategy and approach. Here are some of my recommendations Gain knowledge of the B2C market: Start by researching and studying the B2C market. Understand the consumer demographics, buying behaviors, and preferences- and invest time learning about how the different channels and touchpoints influnce audiences. I'd invest time in bra ...Read More

If the product marketing team is placed within the marketing department, they may be more focused on the promotion and positioning of products rather than on the development of the product itself. In this case, their ability to influence the product roadmap may be limited as they may not have a direct line of communication with the product development team.  When the product marketing team is placed within the product department, they may have a more direct influence on the product roadmap as th ...Read More

The specific skills and criteria may vary depending on the company and industry. If you are unsure what these are in your specific role, it's a conversation to have with your manager to understand the leveling rubric in your org. With that here are a few key skills or focus areas that grow in importance as you grow in your pmm career,  - Leadership and Management: A director is often overseeing their own initiatives and the work of direct reports. Experience managing a team and providing mentors ...Read More

B2C product marketing is a critical aspect of many companies' business strategies, particularly those in the consumer goods, retail, and e-commerce industries. Often in these organizations, the marketing team is going to be comprised of bigger teams of functional specialists or channel experts such as email or performance marketing. It can be more expensive to acquire new customers in the B2C market in a very short sales cycle, which means that marketers need to be more targeted in their adverti ...Read More

The fundamental goal of building a strong position in the market remains the same between B2C and B2B: to understand the needs of your target audience and position your products or services as the best solution to meet those needs. And to move your customer to next action. In terms of tools and data, both B2C and B2B companies use similar market research techniques such as surveys, focus groups, and data analytics to gain insights into their target audience. However, B2B companies also rely on i ...Read More