What is product marketing?
When I started creating the Bredemarket “information” pages several years ago (I’m writing this in 2026), I had to scan my memory for what I needed to say. Now I use AI to cheat, and when I asked Google Gemini what Bredemarket thinks of product marketing, it mentioned the following points.
- A bridge. As I said in 2021, “Businesses need bridges to connect with their customers. When the bridges are erected, the customers understand what the businesses can do for them.” Or as Google Gemini rephrased it, “Product marketing acts as the vital connection between a business and its customers, ensuring the business speaks a language the customer understands.”
- A storyteller. Prospects like stories. “Because if you select your [case study] subjects carefully, your prospects will say, ‘That subject is just like me. And the company’s solution solved the subject’s problem. Perhaps the solution will solve my problem also.'”
- An adopter of customer-focused benefits. I treat customer focus and benefits elsewhere, but for now I’ll just says that prospects care about themselves, not about you. And if you don’t speak to prospect needs they’ll tune you out.
Professional product marketers are throwing up their hands right now about how terrible my definition of product marketing is.
“What about the three P’s?” they ask. (People, process, and product.) “What about positioning and messaging? Personas? Strategies? Launches? THAT’S what product marketing is.”
Ah, but strip all that away, and you’re telling stories to bridge the gap between your product and your hungry prospect. And those are the only two P’s that matter.
But if you insist on a description of product marketing that would make your college professor happy, read Ramona Sukhraj’s eight-chapter piece on HubSpot. This very comprehensive piece will allow you to use cool acronyms that confuse your prospects, because isn’t that the goal?
Or look at my four essential elements of product marketing (whittled down from 10):
- Product marketing strategy.
- Product marketing environment.
- Product marketing content.
- Product marketing performance.
Additional information on product marketing
Here is a sampling of what John E. Bredehoft of Bredemarket has written on the topic of product marketing.
(12/17/2025) Stefan Gladbach’s “A PMM Christmas”
I enjoyed contributing to Stefan Gladbach’s Christmas video “A PMM Christmas” as the only biometric product marketing expert in the cast.
And if you heard me mutter in the last few weeks that attribution is a myth, now you know why.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/12/17/stefan-gladbachs-a-pmm-christmas/
(12/3/2025) What B2B Product Marketing CANNOT Do
For many B2B salespeople, this isn’t the holiday season. It’s the last month of Q4, and some are sweating.
Product marketing can’t help here. Maybe 17 months ago, but even the best conversion content can’t help in the next three weeks or less.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/12/03/what-b2b-product-marketing-cannot-do/
(11/21/2025) Bredemarket’s new eBook on Positioning and Differentiation
So I’ve written a new eBook: “Three Steps to Position and Differentiate Your Technology Product.”
If you don’t have time to read it, the three steps are the following:
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/11/21/bredemarkets-new-ebook-on-positioning-and-differentiation/
(10/30/2025) Why You Need a Go-to-Market Process
Technology product marketers know that you don’t just throw together a go-to-market plan in three days. You need to plan all the external content—and all the internal content—that you use for your go-to-market effort.
Usually you create a checklist of what you need. Or better still, a go-to-market processs that defines the internal and external collateral you need for different tiers of releases. For example, a Tier 1 go-to-market effort may warrant a press release, but a Tier 3 effort may not.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/10/30/why-gtm-process/
(10/25/2026) End of Life: It Marketed From The Dead
Gene [Volfe] is publishing insightful demand generation posts on LinkedIn, each accompanied by a Halloween themed short reel. You can see the latest installment on content syndication here; the others are on his LinkedIn profile.
As I saw his posts, I thought to myself that I could steal his idea.
No, not with a sexy product marketer costume.
I decided to make a short reel about a product’s “end of life.”
End of life is something that vendors love and their customers hate. Go ask a current Windows 10 user about end of life mandates.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/10/25/end-of-life-it-marketed-from-the-dead/
(10/7/2025) Your Product Your Product is “AI-Powered”? There Are Two Problems With That Marketing Message.
Despite its undeniable impact on all of us, artificial intelligence is just a feature. Like the Pentium, or Corinthian leather.
And it’s a feature that everyone has. Not a differentiator at all.
To say your software is AI-powered is like an automotive company saying their cars have tires.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/10/07/ai-powered-messaging/
(9/10/2025) Your Product Marketing Must Address as Many Target Audiences as A Las Vegas Buffet
Las Vegas is a destination visited by over 40 million people per year from all over the world. And the casino hotels know that they’re hungry for food, and they hope the hungry people will stay on property.
So do they serve Caesars Burgers?
Um, no. 40 million people don’t eat the same thing.
This becomes very clear if you visit the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, with over 250 items prepared in 10 kitchens.
(9/3/2025) There Are NOT 10 Essential Elements of Product Marketing (Even If I Told Bredebot There Are)
The beautiful thing (and the terrible thing) about generative AI is that it (mostly) does what it tells you to do.
So I, in my “managing editor” role, asked Bredebot to write a LinkedIn post listing “the 10 essential elements of product marketing.”
Never mind if there aren’t 10 essential elements. I told Bredebot to list 10, so it listed 10. Even though (as you will see) I think there are only four.
(8/23/2025) Speak Softly? Is Theodore Roosevelt’s Advice Still Relevant?
So I just created a short reel for no purpose other than to illustrate Theodore Roosevelt’s famous saying “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
But then I began thinking. For product marketers, is “speaking softly” an idea that should be relegated to the early 20th century? The answer to that question partially depends on whether you are marketing in an earlier awareness stage, or a later conversion stage.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/08/23/speak-softly-is-theodore-roosevelts-advice-still-relevant/
(8/12/2025) How Can How Can Your Technology Company Increase Product Benefit Awareness Right Now?
(“Right Now” is a song. Keep tuned for another song reference.)
While Osbourne’s one word breaks the code of silence, the three words that I chose for my post title break the code of indifference. And I chose each of them—product, benefit, and awareness—carefully.
(8/11/2025) Identity Assurance Level 3 (IAL3): When Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) Isn’t Good Enough
But as usually happens, IAL2 is yesterday’s news. Because biometric tech always gets harder better faster stronger.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/08/11/ial3-when-ial2-isnt-good-enough/
(7/9/2025) Populating the Queue When You Can’t Pull the Trigger
I was brought into a particular project, where everyone was readying go-to-market content for an executive meeting on a particular date.
Finally, the date arrived, and all the content was presented to the executive team, mostly ready to go.
The response?
“Not yet.”
Because at the executive level, the fate of one particular product is relatively minor, compared to the overall scope of the business.
So was the effort wasted?
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/07/09/populating-the-queue-when-you-cant-pull-the-trigger/
(7/2/2025) Authenticity, Generative Artificial Intelligence, and Product Marketing: Two Versions
Generative AI text is, after all, the “professional” tone.
When the CEO asks the product marketers to write just like the competitors, it’s possible that you could write exactly like the competitors by using the exact same generative AI tool (ChatGPT, because everybody uses it) and the exact same prompts to get the exact same content. This brands you as a respected member of the industry.
But whatever you do, act professionally.
Don’t randomly blow off steam like I just did.
Don’t loudly proclaim silly antiquated thoughts like “a bot should never write the first draft.”
(3/26/2026) Diluting the Impact
While it’s easy to blame the techie, non-techies can also delay a go-to-market effort. Even product marketers can and do delay a go-to-market effort. Not because of comfort zone issues, but for two other reasons.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/03/26/diluting-the-impact/
(2/20/2025) Nurturing
I spent most of the afternoon drafting the content for an email nurture campaign, and I’m fascinated by the use of the word “nurture” by product marketers and content marketers.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/02/20/nurturing/
(2/3/2025) Ensuring Accurate Product Marketing Messaging
- First, create the correct messaging, both internal and external. If Sales has no material, they’re going to say whatever they want.
- Second, get executive buy in on the messaging. And make sure they’ve bought in. One of my projects was doomed when I received no response, then kinda sorta got an OK, then later got a “why are we doing this?”
- Third, communicate the messaging. That’s why you need the internal part.
- Fourth, enforce the messaging.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2025/02/03/ensuring-accurate-product-marketing-messaging/
(9/3/2024, LinkedIn) A Deeper Dive Into Positioning
But today I’m going to get into positioning and messaging, how complex this can get, and define a start at a solution of how a firm can define its positioning and messaging, even in complex situations.
More at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deeper-dive-positioning-bredemarket-gaphc/
(8/30/2024) Seven Essential Product Marketing Strategy and Process Documents, the August 30, 2024 Iteration
I recently welcomed the opportunity to envision a strategy to achieve a strategy, and in the process defined seven essential strategy documents to kick off a product marketing or general marketing program.
Depending upon how you define product marketing, one of these seven goes above and beyond the product marketing function. I included it anyway, because if you ask 20 people what “product marketing” is, you will get 21 answers.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2024/08/30/seven-essential-product-marketing-strategy-and-process-documents-the-august-30-2024-iteration/
(6/9/2024) True Stories
As a frequent reader and writer on LinkedIn, I’ve seen all the tips and tricks to drive engagement. One popular trick is to make up a story that will resonate with the LinkedIn audience.
For example, the writer (usually a self-proclaimed career expert who is ex-FAANG) will tell the entirely fictional story of a clueless hiring manager and an infinitely wise recruiter. The clueless hiring manager is shocked that a candidate accepted a competing job offer. “Didn’t she like us?” asks the hiring manager. The wise recruiter reminds the clueless hiring manager that the candidate had endured countless delays in numerous interviews with the company, allowing another company to express interest in and snatch her.
Job seekers have endured countless delays in their own employment searches. When they read the post, they hoot and holler for the candidate and boo the clueless hiring manager. Most importantly, readers like and love the writer’s post until it goes viral, making the author an ex-FAANG top recruiting voice.
Even though no sources are cited and the story is fictional, it is very powerful.
Well…until you’ve read the same story a dozen times from a dozen recruiters. Then it gets tiresome.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2024/06/09/true-stories/
(5/23/2024) Positioning, Messaging, and Your Facial Recognition Product Marketing
When marketing your facial recognition product (or any product), you need to pay attention to your positioning and messaging. This includes developing the answers to why, how, and what questions. But your positioning and your resulting messaging are deeply influenced by the characteristics of your product.
(4/4/2024) The Best Way to Talk About Complex Technology Features? Don’t.
And the prospects focus on their problems, not your technical superiority.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2024/04/04/the-best-way-to-talk-about-complex-technology-features-dont/
(2/2/2024) The Pros and Cons of Discriminating Your Product by Quantifying Your Benefits
GCP stands for Glowing Carbonated Pudding.
I can’t assume that you already knew this acronym, because I just made it up. But I can assure you that the GCP market is a huge market…at least in my brain. All the non-existent kids love the scientifically advanced and maximally cool pudding that glows in the dark and has tiny bubbles in it.
Now if you had studied this non-existent market like I have, you’ll realize from the outset that most of the players don’t really differentiate their offerings. Here are a few examples of firms with poor product marketing:
- Jane Spain GCP: “Trust us to provide good GCP.”
- Betty Brazil GCP: “Trust us to provide really good GCP.”
- Clara Canada GCP: “Trust us to provide great GCP.”
(Approximately 9/8/2023, LinkedIn) I’ve performed product marketing since 2015 (arguably earlier)…
I’ve performed product marketing since 2015 (arguably earlier), and I performed that other similar-sounding role, product management, from 2000 to 2009. The two roles certainly have similarities such as customer focus, but they may be different.
Or may not. There’s no standard job description for a product marketer, and product marketing needs vary between companies.
(8/28/2023) The 22 (or more) Types of Content That Product Marketers Create
So here is a deeper dive into the 22 types of content that product marketers create. (Well, at least 22. I’m probably missing some.)
And by the way, I have created all 22 of these types of content, from blog posts and battlecards to smartphone application content and scientific book chapters. And I can create it for you.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2023/08/28/the-22-or-more-types-of-content-that-product-marketers-create/
(8/28/2023) Quick Thoughts on Product Positioning
There are some complex ways to define product positioning, probably even at the level of Shipley 96-step complexity. But when I can, I gravitate for the simple.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2023/08/28/quick-thoughts-on-product-positioning/
(7/8/2021) On marketing intangible products
These days, more and more of us are marketing products that are intangible. But most of the essentials of marketing intangible products don’t differ much from marketing tangible ones.
When Printrak sold AFIS servers, care was taken to place a Printrak logo prominently on the server, where it would compete with the Digital Equipment Corporation logo from the server manufacturer. The logo even appeared as a component on an extended Bill of Materials. Now, purchasers of cloud solutions from the biometric companies don’t need to worry about placing logos on physical servers.
More at https://bredemarket.com/2021/07/08/on-marketing-intangible-products/
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