Product Collective - 💪 Product Management vs. Marketing

Is there a difference between Product Management and Product Marketing?

The distinction between Product Marketing and Product Management is gaining prominence in business discussions, highlighted by Airbnb's shift in roles. A 280 Group survey underscores the increasing relevance of the Product Marketing Manager in driving sales, while Product Managers focus on development. Resources from Acquia, Hotjar, and Productboard elucidate the unique responsibilities of these roles and the importance of their collaboration for optimal business outcomes.

Airbnb’s product management shift: the view from product leaders. The discussion on Airbnb's decision to morph its product management function into a product marketing manager role has thrown up an interesting debate. Becky Yelland canvasses the views of several well-known product leaders to explain the debate clearly and concisely. (via Mind the Product)

7 Ways Product Marketers can collaborate with Product Managers to move more product. According to a recent 280 Group poll, only 32% of organizations currently have a defined Product Marketing Manager role. This position has gained traction in enterprise organizations over the past few years, and for good reason: Product Marketing is essential for getting the word out about a product and driving sales. The Product Manager puts products on the shelf, and Product Marketing Managers help them fly off the shelves–and into the hands of customers. While they overlap, these two roles have distinct responsibilities and must collaborate effectively to ensure Product success. Bill Haines looks at both roles, their shared responsibilities, and why early collaboration is essential. (via 280 Group)

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The Day After...
If you attended INDUSTRY: The Product Conference this past week, you probably have that heady mix of exhaustion and exhilaration familiar to any Product Manager the day after a significant product launch. You've presented, pitched, networked, and now... you breathe. At least, as the Organizers of the conference, I can promise you that we’re all feeling that right now at Product Collective!

But as the saying goes, "In calmness, prepare for action."

In many ways… I look at our conferences as “the launch” of a product. We’ve prepared for months… but this past week, running our conference was akin to actually “shipping it” and launching our product. 

The day after launch, there's a temptation to retreat, to take a long-deserved break. But as seasoned Product Leaders know, this is the prime time to lean in. It's here, in the quiet aftermath of the launch, that you can most clearly hear the whispers of innovation.

The day after the launch isn't the end of anything, really; it's the beginning. The euphoria of the release may feel like you’ve accomplished something. And you have! But it’s just one phase. As that phase ends, the next begins… along with the influx of feedback, reviews, and analytics that pour in. At Product Collective, now is the time to start preparing for the next conference even when we’re not completely finished letting the dust settle on this one. Just like that – we are back in the trenches, gearing up for the next iteration.

So, for those of you who “shipped it” this week as well – kudos to you! Definitely enjoy a celebratory drink… get those rounds of high fives with the teams in. You deserve all of that. But it’s time to dig right in and start that next phase, too. 

So now… it’s onto the next! And hey, if you want to join us for our next conference… INDUSTRY Virtual is around the corner on October 26th! ;-) 

Product Marketing vs. Product Management guide. A lot of hard work goes into launching profitable products. Many teams and stakeholders are involved — including product marketing and product management. This may appear to be different ways of saying the same thing, like Gershwin's "to-may-to" and to-mah-to, but they’re actually more like apples and oranges. They’re separate disciplines with distinct and equally important responsibilities. The two roles need to work together to create harmonious interactions between people and products, so naturally there’s some overlap. The team at Acquia explains the differences and similarities between the two roles and how they work together. (via Acquia)

Product marketing vs product management: differences and similarities. 'Product marketing' and 'product management' sound really similar. Product managers and product marketers even share the same initials and exist at the same companies, which makes it more confusing to describe what you do at family gatherings. And yet, they’re different jobs with their own set of responsibilities and priorities. If you’re trying to define roles in your growing company, want to increase cross-team collaboration, or need to explain your job to your family once and for all, look no further. The team at HotJar covers the differences between product managers and product marketers, how they work together, and where they find common ground. (via Hotjar)

Product Marketing vs Product Management. Product marketing and product management are two critical and distinct roles in a business, each with unique goals and approaches. Understanding the differences between these two functions is crucial for optimizing product strategies. The team at Product Board explores those differences. (via Productboard)