The role of a Product Marketing Leader holds an increasingly pivotal position, bridging the gap between product strategy and market execution. As companies navigate competitive markets and evolving customer needs, these leaders are essential in ensuring products resonate, deliver value, and achieve commercial success.
To delve deeper into the importance of this role, we spoke with Amit Kumar, Head of Product Marketing for Gooten. With over 15 years of product marketing and product management experience, Amit has successfully led teams, scaled products from 0-1, and has domain expertise spanning IoT, AI/ML, and B2B SaaS products.
His strategic insights and hands-on approach have made him a trusted voice in the field, shaping the trajectory of high-growth products and teams alike.
The role of a VP of Product Marketing (VPPM) is to help tech organizations better understand:
One could argue that VPPMs quarterback the entire commercial function, orchestrating various functions within the organization to create maximum impact on revenue.
Amit thinks this may be an unpopular opinion, but that product marketing should always be the foundation of other marketing functions (i.e., demand gen and content creation) because product marketing is responsible for defining the product’s what and why, while other marketing functions are responsible for the how.
For example, how can demand generation succeed if an organization doesn’t understand its customers’ pain points or how they consume information? How would they know what channels should be used to generate interest and what benefits should be highlighted in messaging?
Unless a company is content to sell the same product to the same target customers and grow at a rate of 2%, a dedicated VP of Product Marketing or product marketing as a sub-function of generalized marketing should be in place on day one.
The VPPM is the eyes and ears on the ground, taking a more focused approach and strategic market view versus fixation on meeting next month’s quota.
They are an excellent resource for the VP Product and VP Engineering as they try to understand what features to build and how the customer will adopt and use them.
Qualities to look for should be VPPMs who are able to:
Look for leaders with sharp business acumen and the demonstrated ability to immerse themselves in a market to understand its intricacies and nuances. Someone who has shown they can develop deep relationships with customers. These characteristics are crucial because whoever is hired will need to either have those relationships or be able to build them to understand why anyone should buy their product.
The role of a VP of Product Marketing is far more than a tactical necessity; it’s a strategic linchpin for growth. As Amit Kumar highlights, this leader doesn’t just shape messaging but also guides critical business decisions that align products, markets, and customers for maximum impact. Hiring the right VPPM means investing in a leader who bridges strategy and execution, empowering your organization to thrive in a competitive market.
