The Ultimate Guide to Product Marketing in 2019
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The Ultimate Guide to Product Marketing in 2019
During the 1950s, Volkswagen sold a bus. Although now considered a classic vehicle, the bus remains an icon for the car company decades later. The cool part? Volkswagen just introduced their new VW Bus this year — it’s electric and features modern and sleek styling. Volkswagen’s marketing for the vehicle is eye-catching, unique, and fun, and it fits the original “hippie” vibe the company was once known for.
Volkswagen also released a TV commercial for the bus that’s clever, minimalist, and on-brand. It introduces the new vehicle with the song The Sound of Silence playing in the background (hint: electric cars are silent) and ends with a short message on the screen for viewers to read: “Introducing a new era of electric driving.” This sentiment touches on the fact Volkswagen is contributing to society’s interest in electric, eco-friendly vehicles, and it also relates back to this being a new era for the bus.
So who works on this type of marketing? Who helps create content that excites consumers about new and/or updated products, like the Volkswagen bus, to the point they want to buy them?
What is product marketing?
Product marketing is the process of bringing a product to market, promoting it, and selling it to a customer. Product marketing involves understanding the product’s target audience and using strategic positioning and messaging to boost revenue and demand for the product.
So, what makes product marketing unique? How is it different from conventional marketing?
Product Marketing vs. Conventional Marketing
Product marketing is more strategic whereas conventional marketing is more all-encompassing. Product marketing is actually part of conventional marketing. In fact, if you look at the seven Ps of marketing, you’ll see product marketing is one of the most important aspects of a business’s marketing efforts.
Product marketing is focused on driving demand for and adoption of a product among existing customers. It’s focused on the steps people take to purchase your product so product marketers can build campaigns to support this work.
Product marketing is about understanding a specific product’s audience on a deep level and developing that product’s positioning and messaging to appeal to that audience. It covers the launch and execution side of a product in addition to the marketing strategy for the product — which is why the work of a product marketer lies at the center of a business’s marketing, sales, and product teams.
what-is-product-marketing
Conventional marketing is focused on broader topics under the umbrella of marketing such as lead generation, SEO, and anything related to acquiring and converting new leads and customers. It’s about promoting the company and brand as a whole, including the products that are sold. These marketers make sure there’s a consistent, on-brand message behind all of the company’s content.
Why is product marketing important?
Product marketing is a critical part of any business’s marketing strategy. Without product marketing, your product won’t achieve its maximum potential in the market. Let’s look at why.
Product marketing …
Helps you understand your customers
Allows you to target your buyer personas
Teaches you about your competitors (products and marketing tactics)
Ensures your company’s marketing, product, and sales teams are all on the same page
Helps you position the product in the market
Boosts revenue and improves sales
There are also questions you, as a product marketer, will have to ask yourself and reflect on in regards to your product. Asking yourself these questions will help you ensure your product is a success among customers.
Here are some examples of questions to ask yourself:
Is this product suitable for today’s market?
Is this product appropriate for our customers today?
How is this product unique from similar products of our competitor’s?
Is there a way to further differentiate this product from those of our competitor’s?
Are there any products we’ve sold in the past that we wouldn’t market or sell ever again now that we look back? Is so, why not?
As you can see, product marketing requires you to look at your products from a strategic perspective to ensure they’re successful among customers in your current market. Now, let’s take a look at the specific responsibilities you have as a product marketer (or product marketing manager).
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