Building Product Marketing Functions That Drive Commercial Success
Product marketing has evolved from a relatively new discipline into an essential business function. Yet many organisations still struggle to implement product marketing effectively, often cycling through multiple attempts before achieving success. The challenge isn't just about hiring the right people—it's about creating the foundations for sustained commercial impact.
The Reality of Product Marketing Implementation
Building a successful product marketing function requires more than simply recruiting experienced professionals. As Chris Wade, Chief Marketing and Product Officer at Gamma Communications, recently shared on an episode of Spotlight on B2B Marketing, "I think businesses are still seeking to understand the value they get from the function."
This uncertainty stems from product marketing's unique position within organisations. Unlike other marketing disciplines with clearer outputs, product marketing sits at the intersection of strategy, technology, and commercial execution. Wade explains: "Product marketing is is one of the few roles where inside of business you're worried about today's performance. You're worried about tomorrow's performance, but you've also got an eye on where you're being two to five years."
The breadth of this responsibility creates both opportunity and complexity. Product marketing professionals must simultaneously drive immediate sales enablement whilst shaping long-term strategic direction—a combination that requires careful implementation to succeed.
Essential Foundations for Success
Successful product marketing implementation follows three critical pillars that distinguish thriving functions from those that struggle to demonstrate value.
The first pillar focuses on establishing clear foundations and processes. This means documenting not just what the product marketing team will deliver, but how they'll work with other departments and what success looks like at each stage. Without this structural clarity, product marketing risks being seen as duplicating existing efforts rather than adding unique value.
The second pillar emphasises stakeholder engagement and problem identification. Host Karen Lloyd notes the importance of understanding existing challenges before proposing solutions. Product marketing teams must invest time in discovering what problems the business actually faces, rather than assuming they know what's needed. This collaborative approach builds buy-in whilst ensuring efforts focus on genuine commercial priorities.
The third pillar involves creating evolutionary roadmaps that manage expectations whilst demonstrating progress. Rather than promising immediate transformation, successful product marketing functions show clear progression from current state to desired outcomes. This approach helps stakeholders understand their position in the journey whilst building confidence in the function's strategic value.
Beyond Traditional Boundaries
One of product marketing's most powerful advantages lies in its ability to solve business challenges that extend beyond traditional marketing boundaries. This versatility comes from product marketing's fundamental focus on changing minds and influencing perceptions.
Wade describes how his team addressed a developer recruitment challenge in Poland by applying product marketing principles to employer branding. Rather than relying solely on HR tactics, they created a compelling identity for their innovation centre, developed battle cards for career fairs, and positioned the organisation as a destination for cutting-edge technology work.
This example illustrates product marketing's core strength: the systematic approach to understanding audiences, crafting compelling narratives, and delivering consistent messaging across multiple touchpoints. These skills translate effectively to challenges like employee retention, partner recruitment, and stakeholder alignment—problems that organisations don't typically consider marketing challenges.
What can business and marketing leaders implement to build high-performing product marketing teams?
Start with stakeholder discovery before recruitment - Conduct thorough interviews with sales, product management, and senior leadership to understand specific challenges and expectations, shaping role definition and success metrics.
Develop structured onboarding processes that demonstrate early value - Create 90-day plans including quick wins alongside longer-term strategic initiatives, building credibility while new hires understand organizational dynamics and establish stakeholder relationships.
Build collaborative frameworks with adjacent functions - Establish clear protocols for working with product management, sales enablement, and commercial teams. Recruit professionals who navigate complex stakeholder environments while maintaining strategic focus.
Invest in data capabilities and analytical skills - Ensure product marketing has access to customer behavior insights, market dynamics, and commercial performance data that drive decision-making and validate strategic assumptions.
Karen Lloyd, January 2026
About Karen Lloyd
As the founder and director behind our recruitment approach, I bring almost 30 years of unique expertise spanning both recruitment and marketing. Having placed my first candidate in 1996, I've since built 5 start-ups, served as a Board Director for 25 years, and developed recruitment strategies that work in competitive talent markets.
I'm also the host of "Spotlight on B2B Marketing", where I explore B2B marketing trends with industry leaders. My passion lies in helping global businesses grow their revenue-generating teams through strategic hiring and fractional CMO services.
About Armstrong Lloyd
Armstrong Lloyd goes above and beyond being a pure search firm - we partner with your business because we have all stood in your shoes as experienced hiring managers, marketing, and operational business leaders. We have a hidden network that goes beyond LinkedIn searches, adverts, or referrals from ex-colleagues to ensure you're getting the top 1% of talent.
Whether you need interim leadership, marketing team building, or executive search across the UK and beyond, the team at Armstrong Lloyd are here to ensure you reach your commercial business goals by building the best marketing team and strategy to give you a competitive advantage.
Ready to transform your marketing team? Let's talk about how we can help you hire the right talent at the right time.
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