Organizing a Product Marketing Team for Success

Determining the right team setup is one key to success for product marketing leaders. I wrote this article to share the different ways to structure your product marketing team for maximum impact and team happiness.

⚒ Function-based
Dividing the team based on specific functions enables greater specialization and the development of particular skill sets. Key functional areas are research and analysis, positioning/messaging, and sales enablement. This model is ideal for companies with a broad product portfolio and a large volume of work across various functions.

This structure worked very well at a past company I worked at that was in a highly competitive industry. Team members were able to sharpen their skills due to their ability to focus, which strengthened the overall team. The market research product marketer provided up-to-the-minute competitor intel, which helped the product marketers responsible for content creation and sales enablement.

💻 Product-based
Organizing teams around individual products or product lines leads to deeper product knowledge and better product lifecycle management. This approach is practical for companies with a diverse product portfolio or complex products.

Another benefit of this structure is that it allows the product marketer to form strong relationships with their counterparts in product management. Whether the ratio is 1:1 or 1:many, product marketers have the opportunity to know the product and product roadmap more intimately, which leads to better product launch coordination.

🗣 Customer-based
Teams organized by customer segments or industries allow product marketers to focus on distinct customer needs and market trends, which is great when the company has customer segments with diverse product applications.

I recently worked at an organization where this structure would have been ideal. Customers were in drastically different industries, so the buyer personas, market dynamics, use cases, and other aspects were all unique. While experienced product marketers can effectively switch gears, the ability to become immersed in one particular industry or customer segment can improve productivity and minimize the chance of burnout.

🌍 Cross-functional team-based
When team members are assigned based on organizational functions, there is tighter collaboration across the company. With this model, individuals work closely with stakeholders in product management, marketing, sales, and customer success. Deeper dialogues and information exchange take place, which can be effective for companies prioritizing global strategic alignment and execution.

🌟 Product marketing leaders must understand their company's needs, goals, the nature of their products, and budget for product marketing staff before determining the best team structure. Regardless of your approach, you know you've chosen the proper structure when your team and your company thrive! 💼🚀