AMA: MyFitnessPal Vice President Product Marketing, Katie Levinson on Product Marketing vs Product Management

I’ve mostly seen in-app copy live under Design within the Product org, and that’s also the case in my current company. This setup makes sense because in-app copy is part of user experience design, and it requires the expertise of and close collaboration with product designers and UX researchers to ensure that the copy aligns with both product flow and functionality. But, it’s important that the copywriters on the design/product side communicate with copywriters on the marketing creative side, especially for major launches and feature rollouts; PMMs often act as a bridge here to help connect the dots between in-app copy and broader marketing messaging. For example, PMM can help ensure that the tone, language, and value propositions in-app are consistent with the overarching marketing messaging connected to the feature/product launch, so that it’s a seamless experience for users across touch points.

Ownership of customer feedback varies depending on the stage of development, organizational structure, and quite frankly just bandwidth of various team members at any given time. In smaller organizations or startups, where product marketing and research teams might not be fully staffed, gathering feedback is often a shared responsibility across multiple teams. Specific feedback on designs is usually owned by the UX Research team. However, in some organizations, especially smaller ones, Product or Design teams may take on this responsibility for smaller-scale tests, especially if there’s already been research done on the problem space and teams have a good idea of who they’re building for and why. When it comes to broader, more generative feedback—such as market category insights or exploratory research not tied to a specific feature or launch—this is often owned by a central Research team, Brand, or Product Marketing, depending on the focus of the research. Product Marketing often plays a role in helping to synthesize customer feedback from multiple sources, which informs go-to-market strategies, messaging, and positioning. No matter what stage, the key here is cross-functional collaboration to ensure insights are shared across teams.

I’ve generally seen product marketing own pricing in an organization. They partner with research or even an outside firm to understand the competitive landscape, run surveys like the Van Westendorp and shopping cart exercise to get at psychological thresholds and optimal pricing, and do qualitative interviews to understand how the price plus suite of features/offerings actually land with both users and prospects. That said, pricing is rarely straightforward or in the purview of just one team. It’s a highly cross-functional effort that also involves Product Management and Finance. Product Management typically contributes by making sure that the pricing aligns with the product’s roadmap and competitive differentiation, while finance ensures that the pricing model supports the company’s revenue and profitability goals (i.e., you’re not leaving money on the table).

In order for Product Marketing to be successful, it’s helpful to project briefs to include: * Feature description: A clear and concise explanation of the feature, including what it does and how it works. This serves as the foundation for PMM to develop messaging and positioning. * Insights/research: Any relevant data, research, or insights that influenced the decision to build the feature. This helps PMM understand the “why” behind the feature, enabling them to craft compelling narratives that align with user pain points and market demand. * Problem statement: what it sounds like - the problem this feature solves for the user. This helps PMM articulate the value proposition effectively. * Target audience: Who the feature is for, any segmentation, which geographies will have access (for example, is it only for US users or global). * Dependencies or other launch considerations: will this be a phased rollout? Any technical requirements? This will help align GTM timing and help PMM anticipate any roadblocks. * Success metrics: KPIs such as adoption rates, engagement rates. 

For product marketing to be most helpful, the more “upstream” you can get involved the better. This means partnering with product from the earliest stages—when whitespace opportunities are being identified and market opportunities (not just marketing opportunities) are being explored. PMM can offer a lot: * Strategic guidance on what to build by bringing in market insights, competitive analysis, and customer feedback. PMM can also lead or partner on research initiatives to uncover customer pain points and identify the areas where the company can differentiate itself. * Prioritization: Once there’s an idea of what to build, PMM can influence the roadmap by providing insights into how the feature should be designed to meet customer needs. For example: * What specific use cases should the feature address? * Which audiences or segments will benefit most? * What feature set will deliver the most value at launch? While it’s best to get involved upstream, PMM is also influencing “downstream.” This is where naming, branding and positioning come in.