AMA: hims & Hers Director of Product Marketing & Development, Hege Thorbjornsen Starling on Consumer Product Marketing

In general I think there is a lot of overlap in the fundamental skill set needed between the two roles even though they operate differently. In consumer product marketing you’re targeting the end-user with your offering/product. In B2B you’re targeting other companies with your offering/product which then helps them solve a problem for the end-user. I love the consumer landscape and most of my roles have been with brands that target the end-consumer so take my answer with that caveat, but I’ll highlight two areas that can impact how you think about market behavior and product launches differently. The purchasing cycle is shorter Imagine you need a new computer, as a consumer and end-user you could go online or in store and buy one in a few minutes. However if you were buying a new computer that your friend group of four was going to use. You would have to make sure the selected computer had all the right bells and whistles for every user, have everyone agree and figure out how to split the cost before you make a purchase. Understanding this difference in how a purchase is evaluated and made as a product marketer can impact how, where and at which frequency you communicate benefits of the product to your target audience Marketing channels & targeting are likely to be different There is more and more overlap here as our work life and home life merge, but still worth noting. Imagine you’re the product marketer for a new type of yogurt. You’re more likely to use channels such as TikTok or in-store promotional fliers or free samples vs. if you’re the product marketer for an accounting software, you’re more likely to buy ads on Linkedin or in industry publications to reach decision makers within the accounting field.

This varies across every organization, but if you’re looking to move up from your current role, I’d recommend bringing it up with your direct manager in your 1:1 even if you think the leveling up is a ways away. Starting the conversation will allow you both to focus on the skills you need to work on in order to get there. In most medium or larger sized organizations there is a competency framework that is used for calibrating levels which has requirements for each role. More broadly speaking, the more senior you get the more broad the scope becomes. That can mean a bigger area of responsibility such as managing larger projects that span across teams and longer timeframes, being responsible for multiple products/categories, managing larger teams or having to plan for longer horizons. 

There are multiple factors you could use to determine where to build a deeper focus but I don’t necessarily think that you have to make such a firm pick. There are definitely nuances between the two roles, but skills are also transferable. Crafting messaging/positioning, translating user insights into strategy, influencing product/technical roadmaps, and understanding market behaviors are all skills which at the core are the same across both B2B and B2C. It might be harder to cross over between the two if you have only been in one or the other for an extended period of time. Not impossible, but it could be harder to make the switch after say 15+ years only in B2B compared to if you have an understanding of both after having done 2-3 years in B2C, then 2-3 in B2B and then back to B2C. If you do want to deepen your expertise in one or the other and are trying to decide, I would recommend getting some insight into the day-to-day problems to solve and then follow the path that interests you the most. A great way to learn more about each role is to do a few informational interviews with people who have been in both roles, browse job postings for responsibilities, or actually try it out for yourself for a few years and see what you like. When I look at candidates, I am less focused on what industries or companies they have been at and more focused on the actual work they have done and how that can translate to the role I am hiring for.

It all depends on the role I am hiring for and what stage a company is at, but on a general note, I would look for transferable experience and skills that could work well for the role. Crafting messaging/positioning, identifying user insights and translating them into strategy, influencing product/technical roadmaps, understanding market behaviors and trends, project managing projects from start to finish, Go-to-market campaigns (integrated or channel based), product development & packaging is all experience that is super valuable for consumer product marketing For example if you have been a writer in a past role, it’s not exactly the same, but the skillset transfers nicely to putting together messaging/positioning and you’ll potentially have a better understanding of what resonates best across different touchpoints. Or if you’ve been deeper in growth marketing, you might have a better understanding of the inner workings of each channel, how to push/pull levers, when to deploy which channel and how to best drive adoption for a brand, product or service. Being a generalist where you have worked across multiple aspects of marketing vs. gone deep into one area can definitely be an asset as well in planning go-to-market campaigns and product launches. Use your resume to highlight projects and results that tell the story of how your background and skills transfer nicely to a PMM role. A few examples might be, * What’s a consumer insight that led to X strategy/tactic/initiative and what was the impact * What’s a project you led from start to finish, what teams were involved and what was the impact * Have you worked on or influenced any campaigns? Have you done anything that led to roadmap changes?

There is definitely overlap between brand strategy/account management and product marketing especially because the two roles operate slightly differently at every organization. Brand strategy can translate really well to product positioning, messaging and storytelling while account management can translate well to go-to-market planning and roadmaps. I answered another question above on how to break into the PMM field including a helpful storytelling exercise to build out your PMM oriented resume.

Having identified what type of role you want next and why, already puts you ahead of the game and lets you hone your experience more and more towards the field. I would first explore to see how you can get (or maybe already have) actual working experience even if it’s project based. * If you’re in a non-product marketing role currently, try to identify if you’re working on projects or doing anything that are core PMM skills and see if you could take on more of that type of work to build up your resume with examples. * Explore if there are cross functional projects in your org that you can raise your hand to be a part of that would give you more experience. Sometimes it can be easier to get access to projects/roles you don’t have experience in within your existing company because you’ve already proven that you’re a valuable team member and you know the organization well. * Look for opportunities to take on consulting projects on the side that touch on product marketing (Go to market campaigns/planning, positioning) * Doing informational interviews with people in the field not only helps you get a deeper understanding of the day to day work of a PMM and what you should add to your resume to be a better fit but it also builds up your network * Join product marketing groups and networks (Like Sharebird!) on slack, linkedin or other social platforms. * Courses are great as well and maybe look for some that come with a networking opportunity as an added bonus. * In terms of books, there are a lot of great ones. Two of my recent favorites are “Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It” by April Dunford and “Hello, My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick” by Alexandra Watkins

Great question! This highly depends on the role, what stage the company is at and what the requirements are in the job description - Product marketing can be so different at different companies With that said my recommendation is to think about your resume as an opportunity to product market yourself and your experience! Think of it less as a list of everything you’ve done, and instead use it as an opportunity to tell the story of how your experience makes you an excellent candidate to take on the role you’re applying for. Identify what matters to your customer, the hiring manager (look at the job description & market landscape), then identify and focus on your best attributes (see below) to convince them that you’re the best candidate for the role. A great way to do this is to: * Write a list of all the past project you have worked on (your calendar can be a helpful reminder) * Seek feedback from your past/current co-workers on what they think your superpowers are to help you see skills that come so natural to you that you don’t even consider them valuable (they are!) * Identify what projects, tactics or skills are the most relevant to the job description * Quantify how each one drove impact on what you set out to do is possible * Consider adding a section to highlight soft skills, tools, or interests that are relevant and help highlight why you would be a good PMM candidate Crafting messaging/positioning, identifying user insights and translating them into strategy, influencing product/technical roadmaps, understanding market behaviors and trends, project managing projects from start to finish, Go-to-market campaigns (integrated or channel based), product development & packaging is all experience that is super valuable for consumer product marketing. If your past roles and titles are pretty far away from product marketing, you can add a very brief about/objective section at the top where you help make the connection of why you would be great for the role.