Kate Hodgins

When it comes to sharing competitive info with your sales team, it’s key to think about where they’re already active and how they get their updates. It’s also smart to chat with sales leadership to figure out the best timing and methods so that the info is useful, not overwhelming. Here are some practical tips that have worked for me: Communication Channels: Keep your team in the loop with a variety of communication methods. Set up regular meetings or briefings, like monthly community calls, lunch-and-learns, or even competitive podcasts—just remember to record them! Send out newsletters that highlight key updates and strategic tips. For major changes or events, email alerts can be really effective. Use tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to create channels for real-time updates and strategy discussions. These platforms are great for crowd-sourcing knowledge and staying connected. Enablement Channels: Regular training sessions on competitive intel can help everyone use the info effectively. Create bite-sized learning materials that your sales team can access on their own time. Add competitive insights to sales playbooks or guides for easy reference during pitches. Quick executive summaries and infographics can also help make complex information more digestible. Tools & Resources: Set up an online portal or intranet site where your team can find the latest reports and analysis. Integrate competitive data into the sales tools they already use so they can access it in real time. Share battle cards with key details about competitors and use comparison charts to show how your product stacks up. Some tools companies I have been have used are Highspot, Klue, Crayon, Seismic. Track Impact: Monitor what’s working and refine your approach based on feedback. Set up systems where your team can share what’s useful, what’s not, and where there might still be gaps. Make sure reps can easily share their experiences and insights. Use this feedback to adjust your strategies—stop what’s not effective and double down on what’s making a difference. Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for sharing information. Think about your organization’s needs, where your team currently gets their info, and don’t be afraid to test and tweak your approach.

This is a great question! I must admit, the recently resurfaced Coke vs. Pepsi ad with the young boy standing on two coke cans to purchase Pepsi is pretty entertaining. However, it was banned. I call this out because it highlights that there is a need to really think through not only how you develop competitive positioning, but how that positioning gets translated into messaging and marketing strategies. While these campaigns may be a bit older; I find they still provide a good north star for competitive messaging. The first example is Appple’s “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” campaign. This campaign cleverly highlighted the simplicity and coolness of Macs without completely putting down PCs (and it was memorable). Similarly, Salesforce showcased its cloud-based CRM as a game-changer for businesses, focusing on its innovation and the need for companies to move to the cloud rather than criticizing traditional systems. A more recent example is Disney+ and Netflix. The subscription-based content market is a fiercely competitive space. However, I think each of these businesses showcase their unique strengths through distinct messaging. Disney+ emphasizes its family-friendly content with a focus on beloved (and nostalgic) franchises while Netflix highlights its library of original shows. Both have binge-worthy content, but I know which service to go to for what is important to me and my family. To strike this balance yourself, I recommend focusing on what makes your product or service unique and valuable. Rather than pointing out competitors' flaws, emphasize how your offering benefits customers and how you’re making their experiences better. Use respectful language, stick to the facts, and when you can use real-world examples or customer stories to demonstrate why you’re the best choice. It's hard to argue against what customers are saying is true! This approach allows you to be bold and stand out without making your brand seem petty.

Incorporating in-product experiences into a launch can boost awareness and adoption, and it's a great way for customers to discover new value. Plus, it gives you the chance to get immediate feedback on what you've just rolled out. But it's important to remember that creating valuable experiences is key—most users aren't fans of being marketed to directly within the product. The best approach I've found for introducing and launching new features within the product UI is through a clear, structured four-step process. 1.Set the Strategy: * Define the Strategy: Start by pinpointing your objectives, like increasing user engagement, improving conversion rates, or enhancing satisfaction. * Segment Users: Dive into your user data to identify who will benefit the most from the new features. Look at their usage patterns and preferences to tailor your messaging and user experience. * Highlight Value: Clearly explain the benefits of the new features. Your buyers and users may be different, be sure your messaging is tailored to the users of the product, showing how the features solve specific problems or improve their experience. 2.Decide on Engagement Methods: When choosing content and methods of engagement, I'll take into account the complexity of the features and the technical aptitude of the audience. * Low complexity: Quick tips or FAQs that provide brief instructions can be effectively delivered through in-app notifications to keep users updated on new features. * Moderate complexity: Tutorial videos that demonstrate features step-by-step, along with infographics that clearly explain features, benefits, and usage, can be presented via an in-product overlay modal or through an onboarding experience. * More complex or entirely new user experiences: More detailed educational content, such as in-product guided walkthroughs or comprehensive tutorials, have been effective. Also, consider the user journey and aim to trigger experiences at moments when they make the most sense. 3:Design the launch experience rollout: To ensure effectiveness, it's crucial to target alerts only to the customers who should see them. Communicating messages that are not relevant or contextual can lead to noise, causing users to ignore them or, worse, stop using your service. It's also important to test the effectiveness of your messages and delivery methods. Start with a small group of users or opt for a phased rollout. This approach allows you to monitor engagement, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments before expanding the release to a broader audience. 4.Measure, learn, and iterate: Monitor how users interact with the new features. This data will inform you whether users can find and effectively use the features, enabling continuous improvement based on actual usage insights. It will also give you insights that can inform future launches. This approach ensures that your in-product feature launches are well-planned, user-focused, and flexible, adapting based on real feedback from users.

When preparing for a launch, I start by creating personas because it allows me to effectively represent and advocate for the customer's voice. By understanding who the customers are, their challenges, and what motivates their buying decisions, you'll craft a more impactful product launch, deliver relevant messages, and develop strategies that effectively drive demand and adoption. As I've transitioned between companies and industries, I've had to quickly familiarize myself with different personas. Here's the approach I've found helpful: 1. Do the research: Product marketers should be the SME and know your customers deeply. To do this, begin by collecting both qualitative and quantitative data through market research, surveys, analysis of existing customer data, and direct customer interviews. Allocate enough time to this work - it is the foundation of all your efforts as a product marketer. I can't stress enough two points here. The first is talking to customers - do the interviews, join sales or support calls. Hearing from customers first hand will help you get to them deeply. The second is time allocation. Product marketers are stretched thin. Block the time to focus on customer research - and not just for launches. 2. Categorize and segment: Analyze the data collected from your research. Identify common characteristics and differences across personas. Take note of industry type, company size, role within the company, and business maturity. 3. Create Persona documents: Whether you use slides or documents, create easy-to-consume persona documentation. Include: * Demographics or firmographics such as industry, company size, and location. * Psychographics such as goals, challenges, values, and fears. * Behavioral traits such as buying behaviors, preferred communication channels, and product/service usage. * Role-specific concerns focusing on decision-making authority, influence within the company, and specific outcomes they are accountable for. 4. Validate and Refine: Share the draft personas with stakeholders in sales, marketing, customer service, and product management to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments. Validate persona profiles with real clients when possible, and analyst inquiries can also help confirm accuracy. 5. Educate and enable: Ensure the organization understands the personas. This is crucial for alignment across teams in building, marketing/selling to, and supporting the personas. I make it a point to review personas at least every half year. Typically, they don't require a complete overhaul, but needs, challenges, and opportunities do change as companies grow, market conditions shift, or technical advances (Gen AI, anyone?) disrupt how organizations think about their business.

Several times in my career, I have joined organizations where I had to shift the perception of Product Marketing from being just a launch arm to a strategic player within the company. During this transition, I’ve found that three foundational areas help product marketing teams develop the credibility needed to get a seat at the table: developing deep market, competitive, and customer insights; aligning product marketing strategies with broader business goals; and knowing the business inside and out. First, Product Marketers must become experts on industry trends, competitive landscapes, customer needs, and the product itself. This is a non-negotiable part of being a strategic product marketer. This knowledge allows you to provide valuable strategic insights that can shape the product roadmap and ensure products meet market demands. It also helps influence the creation of more impactful marketing campaigns, boosts the effectiveness of enablement, and shapes sales programs—initiatives that contribute to top-line business goals. Second, aligning product marketing strategies with the company's broader business goals is crucial for demonstrating the team's strategic value. Often, product marketing teams are measured by soft metrics like the number of launches or enablement sessions. Elevating Product Marketing to a strategic role requires setting clear goals that support objectives like market expansion, customer retention, revenue growth, and adoption, and prioritizing activities that align with these objectives. Product marketers are often the team that gets things done, and it can be easy to assume others recognize the impact. Don’t assume this. Report your impact back to the business through weekly or monthly updates, and don’t just tell the news (what you did); highlight metrics that the business cares about. These are also great times to bring data about the business, what’s working and what’s not, to earn credibility and influence the company's direction. Lastly, developing a deep understanding of the business itself is essential. For example, know your competitive win rate, why you win or lose, which markets are growing, and your top industries. This comprehensive understanding allows you to participate in conversations as a business owner, ensuring that Product Marketing is seen as a strategic partner driving the company's growth and success.

I can think of several common mistakes companies make when trying to differentiate their product. However, I'm going to focus on a few key ones: 1. Overemphasizing features instead of benefits. AI is a great example of this. We hear a lot of buzzwords like "AI-enhanced" and "AI-powered." AI is a feature, not the end goal. Customers aren't really interested in the technology itself per se; they care about how it helps them. If your messaging doesn’t clearly articulate the tangible benefits—how your product solves their problems or meets their needs—you’re missing the mark. The focus should always be on the value your product delivers, not just the flashy features. 2. Neglecting the customer perspective. It is so easy to get caught up focusing on what we believe sets our company or product apart, without truly understanding what customers value most. This can create a dangerous misalignment between what you’re offering and what your customers are actually looking for. Don't just rely on analyst reports, the news, or other third party sources - your competitors are using those sources too. Talk to your customers - and those you want to be your customers. Take the time -it will pay dividends. 3. Look alike messaging: As consumers or business evaluators, we often visit different companies’ websites and find that their messaging all sounds the same. To stand out, it’s crucial to identify and clearly communicate your unique value proposition. Make sure it’s front and center in all your external channels. Ask yourself, "Why us? Why now?" If your answers could apply to your competitors (or vice versa), it’s a sign that more work needs to be done to differentiate your message. 4. Competing on price trap. Sure, being price competitive matters, but if your primary differentiator is being the cheapest option, you risk turning your product into a commodity. This approach can erode your brand’s value and severely impact your long-term profitability. Instead of just focusing on price, it's important to highlight the unique value and benefits your product offer. 5. Failing to adapt over time. Markets shift, and customer needs evolve. If your differentiation strategy remains static, you risk becoming irrelevant. To stay competitive, continuous innovation and adaptation are essential. This also involves staying aware of what your competitors are doing and how they’re responding to your messaging—not to obsess over them (we should obsess over customers!), but to stay informed and be ready to adjust your approach as needed. 6. Underestimating the importance of emotional appeal. Differentiation isn’t just about logic; it’s also about the story and connecting with customers. Strategies that evoke positive emotions and resonate deeply with customers tend to have a much stronger impact. As you move forward and evaluate your current differentiation strategy, it comes down to a few key points: engage with your customers, refine your approach, and ensure you’re setting yourself apart in a way that truly matters. Stay flexible, stay competitor-aware and customer-focused.

Customer-facing teams are important CI efforts because they give real-time, on-the-ground feedback and insights. They’re talking to customers daily, so they have a firsthand look at what’s working, what’s not, and how competitors are stacking up. This kind of direct insight helps us understand market trends and customer needs better. Here’s why this matters: 1. Real-Time Feedback: They give us the latest intel on what customers are saying and what competitors are doing, so we can make better decisions on things like roadmaps, messaging, and campaigns. 2. Understanding Customer Issues: They can point out specific problems or desires customers have that we might not see from other data sources. Fixing these issues can give us a big edge. 3. Validation: Their feedback helps us check if our assumptions are right or if we need to rethink our strategy based on actual customer experiences. To make the most of their insights: 1. Set Up Feedback Channels: Create easy ways for these teams to share their feedback, like regular catch-ups or dedicated communication tools. 2. Include Insights in Reports: Make sure their feedback is part of our competitive intelligence reports and analysis so we get a complete picture. 3. Involve Them in Strategy: Get customer-facing team leaders involved in strategy meetings to see how their insights can shape our approach. 4. Keep Improving: Regularly review their feedback to tweak our strategy and stay aligned with what customers need and expect. By bringing in insights from the folks who interact with customers every day, we can make sure your competitive strategy is relevant to what’s actually happening in the market.

When selecting and prioritizing channels for a product launch, my approach takes into consideration topics like launch tier and goals, audience preferences, channel engagement and efficiency, and budget/resource constraints. Below, I've detailed the framework that guides my decision-making process, highlighting the key information I consider to shape my strategy. It's important to remember that more channels aren't always better; focusing on the right ones is crucial. 1. Launch Tier & Goals: Start with the objectives and goals for each tier of your launch. Are you aiming for brand awareness, lead generation, or drive feature adoption? Is your launch a Tier 1 (top tier), then you may want want to invest in more channels, versus a lighter Tier 2. Staying focused on the goals will help guide your channel selection and allocation of resources. 2. Audience: Know your target audience inside out. Which channels are they most active on? Where do they seek information related to your product or industry? This will help you prioritize more effectively. 3. Channel Engagement & Quality: Take the time to thoroughly analyze the engagement and effectiveness of each potential channel, examining factors like reach, interaction rates, and conversion rates. Certain channels might be more effective for building awareness, while others could be better at driving conversions. If you don't have all the answers yet, it's perfectly fine to adopt a test-and-learn approach. Additionally, it's beneficial to review your content strategy to ensure that your existing or planned content is appropriate for the selected channels. 4. Budget & Resources: Evaluate the budget available for your launch and allocate resources accordingly. Identify which channels provide the best return on investment (ROI), considering your goals and target audience. Be aware that some channels might require a higher investment but can yield greater results, whereas others might be more cost-effective. Additionally, ensure you have the necessary personnel and time to effectively manage these channels.

Launching an acquired product isn't just business as usual; it adds several layers of complexity beyond typical product marketing. While the core principles like market analysis and strategic positioning still apply, you also have to navigate challenges like product integration, pricing adjustments, and managing an existing customer base. * Product integration: It’s key to figure out how the new acquisition fits with what you already offer. Does it fill a gap, or does it bring something totally unique to the table? This differs from in-house products, where the team is usually well-versed in the product's history and market fit, making marketing and support strategies more straightforward. * Pricing and packaging: You'll have to align the acquired product’s pricing with your existing portfolio, and potentially, integrate it into current bundles. Since the product has its own established customer base, any price changes need to be communicated thoughtfully to keep their trust and loyalty. As part of pricing and packaging, you'll want to consider existing contracts require adhering to pre-existing agreements, honoring legacy pricing commitments, and ensuring compliance with any sector-specific regulations that were in place prior to the acquisition * Customer management: A clear communication strategy that focuses on the benefits of the acquisition and proactively answer questions can help maintain customer trust and loyalty. * Branding: This is often a hot topic—will the acquired product keep its brand, or will it take on the new company's branding? If it's the latter, you’ll need to rebrand marketing materials, which can be a hefty task. * Enablement and field support: Sales, customer success, partners - all need to speed on what the acquired product offers and how it stands out in the market. * Cultural differences. An acquired product often means blending distinct company cultures and operational styles, which could influence everything from the marketing approach to how product updates are handled. While the list above provides a good starting point for launching an acquired product, there are other important factors that may fall beyond the product marketing team's direct control that can impact the launch. For example, setting up an effective market funnel ensures that the customer journey from awareness to purchase is smooth and effective, helping to convert leads into sales. And creating motivating field incentives and compensation models can encourage sales and support teams to actively promote the product and achieve sales targets, aligning their efforts with the launch's success.

Once a launch happens, it’s tempting to move on to the next big thing. However, the launch is really just the beginning. Post-launch, I focus on tracking whether our strategies are hitting the target goals. I keep an eye on key metrics like conversion rates, customer adoption, and revenue growth. Monitoring product usage metrics, such as active users and feature adoption rates, helps me understand how well the product meets user needs. Sales metrics such as pipeline creation, new opportunities, and cross-sell/up-sell rates show the product's market traction and our sales and customer success teams' effectiveness in articulating the value of the new offering. Staying connected with key teams like marketing, sales, customer success, and product management is essential. After a launch, I conduct a retrospective with various stakeholders to discuss what worked and where we can improve. Around week six, I send an update on launch metrics to the leadership team. Depending on the launch size, I then set up bi-weekly or monthly meetings with the launch team to monitor key metrics, share insights, and adjust strategies as needed. The meetings ensure we remain aligned and can quickly respond to issues or opportunities that arise post-launch.