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What is a good way to create product positioning and messaging when launching a platform of multiple products? In this case, launching product #2 jointly + integrations to create a true platform.

Also looking for reference materials to help guide this process
Sarah Lambert
Sarah Lambert
Symphony Talent Head of Product MarketingOctober 20

This is a tough one but I would suggest doing a messaging framework for each product and then the platform as whole. This will help to determine what the true value of the platform might be - is it purely that you have the products together in one place or are you mitigating risk by integrating them in a single platform? Are these products talking to each other? Or is it the integrations that make it special? Why should customers care? What about your platform is making their lives easier? If you've already done the messaging framework for each product and then complete the same process for the platform, you'll see where there are gaps as well as where you are strong which makes the messaging and positioning easier for a customer to see.

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Ajit Ghuman
Ajit Ghuman
Twilio Director of Product Management - Pricing & Packaging, CXP | Formerly Narvar, Medallia, Helpshift, Feedzai, Reputation.comNovember 12

One of the most effective tactics here is to build a product marketecture. Building a marketecture will help you keep the integrity of the two products intact while being able to create a framework for the entire platform.

I've written a detailed blog on this topic, here: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2020/09/15/polish-up-your-product-how-to-win-with-marketecture.html

In addition, the way to utilize the marketecture is to come up with the following levels of positioning and messaging. 

Top-level: Platform positioning (marketecture is in service of this) - Here you describe how your platform will unlock value across multiple use cases for your target buyers in a single unified platform. Then follow up with why you can solve their problems uniquely better than other platforms. 

Product 1 and Product 2 level: At this level, you can maintain somewhat independent positioning and messaging for your discrete products as long as the larger message still trickles down into the positioning for these products. 

For some enterprise buyers, you may find starting with the platform story helps to set the stage in first call situations. For other smaller companies, the specific products may seem more attractive for an initial sales discussion - and a platform discussion may be counter-productive. As a PMM you will need to provide guidance to your sales team on when to leverage which positioning, platform vs product. 

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Julia Szatar
Julia Szatar
Tavus Head of MarketingDecember 2

Since you will have a lot of different messages with potentially different audiences building some sort of matrix can help you make sure everything is cohesive. I personally love using tables for this kind of thing (a spreadsheet works, or building out tables in a doc, you can even make the page landscape to digest it more easily). 

You would start with what is the overall narrative for the platform? 

  • Who is it for?
  • What is the problem statement?
  • What is the value prop?
  • What are the key benefits?

Then below that break it out into the various products and ask the same questions:

  • Who is it for?
  • What is the problem statement?
  • What is the value prop?
  • What are the key benefits?

You can find templates online, but I usually end up making a custom matrix because each launch is so different, especially if it's a platform. 

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Albert Qian
Albert Qian
SAS Product Marketing ManagerAugust 17

This is always a tough one, because multiple products means multiple use cases and multiple lines of positioning. If anything, I think of creating positioning and messaging that wraps around the entire product so you can go to market in a unified manner, and then look at messaging and positioning for individual modules to fit the use cases that your product team has identified as most useful.

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