product marketing – Page 6

Authenticity, Generative Artificial Intelligence, and Product Marketing: Two Versions

When you’re…um…surfing the web, do you say to yourself, “I really hope I encounter something written by ChatGPT”?

Maybe you want to learn about a particular product and you’re hoping to find a page that begins with the words “in the ever-changing landscape of handheld gaming advances…”

Or you’re dying to read text that could be written by anybody…or by nobody.

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.”

In fact, forget that you read any of this.

Because I’m going to have it rewritten with a professional tone.

Because while your readers claim that they want to read authentic text rather than AI-generated text, they don’t know what’s good for them.

So I’m going to rewrite this the way it’s supposed to be done…with one exception. I’m going to use Google Gemini rather than ChatGPT. I know I’ll get in trouble for doing it this way.

But the text below is what readers WANT to read…right?

Navigating AI in Product Marketing: Authenticity vs. Efficiency

The increasing prevalence of generative AI in content creation presents a critical challenge for product marketers: balancing the pursuit of efficiency with the imperative of authenticity. While AI tools offer significant advantages in content generation, their widespread adoption raises questions about brand differentiation and genuine engagement.

A common misconception is that a “professional tone” inherently aligns with the output of generative AI. However, relying solely on AI, particularly popular platforms like ChatGPT, can lead to generic content that lacks unique brand voice and fails to resonate deeply with target audiences. When product marketing teams are tasked with mirroring competitor messaging, using the same AI tools and prompts as competitors can result in indistinguishable content, ultimately eroding a brand’s distinct identity within the industry.

This scenario underscores a fundamental tension: while consumers often express a preference for authentic, human-generated content, the demand for high-volume, rapid content creation pushes marketers towards AI solutions. The challenge lies in strategically integrating AI without compromising the unique elements that define a brand’s communication.

Product marketers are encouraged to consider the following:

Strategic AI Implementation: Instead of viewing AI as a complete content solution, leverage it for specific tasks that enhance efficiency without sacrificing originality. This could include initial research, data synthesis, or generating diverse content formats that human marketers can then refine and personalize.
Prioritizing Distinctive Brand Voice: Invest in developing a clear and consistent brand voice that transcends generic AI output. This involves defining unique terminology, storytelling approaches, and a tone that reflects the brand’s values and personality.
Authenticity and Connection: While AI can streamline content production, fostering genuine connections with audiences still requires human insight and empathy. Focus on creating content that addresses real customer needs, shares authentic brand stories, and encourages meaningful interaction.

The objective for product marketers is not to abandon AI, but to wield it judiciously. By understanding its capabilities and limitations, and by consciously prioritizing authenticity and unique brand expression, marketers can leverage AI as a powerful tool to enhance their efforts without sacrificing the crucial human element that drives true engagement.

Do you believe the future of product marketing lies in a complete embrace of AI, or a more nuanced integration that prioritizes human oversight and authentic brand voice?

For Identity/Biometric Marketing Leaders Only

(This is the old version of this post. See the new version from July 8 with improved algorithmic landing page-ability.)

For identity/biometric marketing leaders only!

Make an impact with the biometric product marketing expert.

Bredemarket’s biometric product marketing expertise: https://bredemarket.com/bpme/

Biometric product marketing expert

Biometric product marketing expert.

Discuss your content-proposal-analysis needs with me before your competitors steal your prospects: https://bredemarket.com/cpa/

CPA

Bredemarket’s “CPA.”

In the Distance

Part of Ubiquity Via Focus is knowing whom to EXCLUDE from your focus.

If my former friends’ focus is elsewhere, my focus won’t impede on theirs.

If you are focused on identity/biometric and technology product marketng, here is What I Do: https://bredemarket.com/what-i-do/

If their focus is elsewhere, my focus won’t impede.

Wanna Know a “Why” Secret About Bredemarket’s TPRM Content?

Third party risk management, illustrated by a locked safe connected to a breached safe.

(The picture is only from Imagen 3. I’ve been using it since January, as you will see.)

Here’s a “why” question: why does Bredemarket write the things it writes about?

Several reasons:

To promote Bredemarket’s services so that you meet with me and buy them.
To educate about Bredemarket’s target industries of identity/biometrics, technology, and Inland Empire business.
To dive into specific topics that interest me, such as deepfakes, HiveLLM, identity assurance levels, IMEI uniqueness, and Leonardo Garcia Venegas (the guy with the REAL ID that was real).
Because I feel like it.

And then there are really specific reasons such as this one.

In late January I first wrote about third-party risk management (TPRM) and have continued to do so since.

Why?

TPRM firm 1

Because at that time, a TPRM firm had a need for content marketing and product marketing services, and Bredemarket started consulting for the firm.

I was very busy for 2 1/2 months, and the firm was happy with my work. And I got to dive into TPRM issues in great detail:

The incredibly large number of third parties that a vendor deals with…possibly numbering into the hundreds. If hundreds of third parties have YOUR data, and just ONE of those third parties is breached, bad things can happen.
The delicate balance between automated and manual work. News flash: if you look at my prior employers, you will see that I’ve dealt with this issue for over 30 years.
Organizational process maturity. News flash: I used to work for Motorola.
All the NIST standards related to TPRM, including NIST’s discussion of FARM (Frame, Assess, Respond, and Monitor). News flash: I’ve known NIST standards for many years.
Other relevant standards such as SOC 2. News flash: identity verification firms deal with SOC 2 also.
Fourth-party, fifth-party, and other risks. News flash: anyone that was around when AIDS emerged already knows about nth-party risk.

But for internal reasons that I can’t disclose (NDA, you know), the firm had to end my contract.

Never mind, I thought. I had amassed an incredible 75 days of TPRM experience—or about the same time that it takes for a BAD TPRM vendor to complete an assessment.

But how could I use this?

TPRM firm 2

Why not put my vast experience to use with another TPRM firm? (Honoring the first firm’s NDA, of course.)

So I applied for a product marketing position with another TPRM firm, highlighting my TPRM consulting experience.

The company decided to move forward with other candidates.

The firm had another product marketing opening, so I applied again.

The company decided to move forward with other candidates.

Even if this company had a third position, I couldn’t apply for it because of its “maximum 2 applications in 60 days” rule.

TPRM firm 3

Luckily for me, another TPRM firm had a product marketing opening. TPRM is active; the identity/biometrics industry isn’t hiring this many product marketers.

So I applied on Monday, June 2 and received an email confirmation:
And received a detailed email on Tuesday, June 3 outlining the firm’s hiring process.
And received a third email on Wednesday, June 4:

“Thank you for your application for the Senior Product Marketing Manager position at REDACTED. We really appreciate your interest in joining our company and we want to thank you for the time and energy you invested in your application to us.

“We received a large number of applications, and after carefully reviewing all of them, unfortunately, we have to inform you that this time we won’t be able to invite you to the next round of our hiring process.

“Due to the high number of applications, we are unfortunately not able to provide individual feedback to your application at this early stage of the process.

“Again, we really appreciated your application and we would welcome you to apply to REDACTED in the future. Be sure to keep up to date with future roles at REDACTED by following us on LinkedIn and our other social channels.

“We wish you all the best in your job search.”

Unfortunately, I apparently did not have “impressive credentials.” Oh well.

TPRM firm 4?

What now?

If nothing else, I will continue to write about TPRM and the issues I listed above.

Well, if any TPRM firm wants to contract with Bredemarket, schedule a meeting: https://bredemarket.com/cpa/

And if any TPRM firm wants to use my technology experience and hire me as a full-time product marketer, contact my personal LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbredehoft

I’m motivated to help your firm succeed, and make your competitors regret passing on me.

Sadly, despite my delusions of grandeur and expositor syndrome (to be addressed in a future Bredemarket blog post), I don’t think any TPRM CMOs are quaking in their boots and fearfully crying, “We missed out on Bredehoft, and now he’s going to work for the enemy and crush us!”

But I could be wrong.

Too Many Trees in the Forrester?

As far as Forrester is concerned:

“[O]nly a quarter of firms employ a launch process even vaguely approaching best-in-class…”

But I take this with a grain of salt, because Forrester has a product it is marketing.

“We began by introducing attendees to our proprietary Product Marketing And Management (PMM) Model (client login required).”

I’m not a client, so I don’t have a login. But Forrester’s PMM Model appears to cover some important topics.

Proposals.
Market requirements.
Dashboards.
Defining your hungry people, although Forrester uses the legacy term target audience. (Hey, I try.)
Sales targets.
Competitive differentiation.

And that was just the beginning, because Forrester is certainly comprehensive.

Although it sounds like the full Forrester PMM Model process may be completely mystifying and overwhelming if you have no model at all. I know.

Better to start off moving from Level 1 to Level 2 in a maturity model rather than trying to jump to Level 5.

(Imagen 3)

Why Does TPRM Fail? Not Because of the TPRM Software Providers.

For years I have maintained that the difficulties in technology are not because of the technology itself.

Technology can do wonderful things.

The difficulties lie with the need for people to agree to use the technology.

And not beg ignorance by saying “I know nothing.”

(Image of actor John Banner as Sgt. Schultz on Hogan’s Heroes is public domain.)

Case in point

I just saw an article with the title “TPRM weaknesses emerge as relationship owners fail to report red flags.”

Unlike some clickbait-like article titles, this one from Communications Today succinctly encapsulates the problem up front.

It’s not that the TPRM software is failing to find the red flags. Oh, it finds them!

But the folks at Gartner discovered something:

“A Gartner survey of approximately 900 third-party relationship owners…revealed that while 95% saw a third-party red flag in the past 12 months, only around half of them escalate it to compliance teams.”

Among other things, the relationship owners worry about “the perceived return on investment (ROI) of sharing information.”

And that’s not a software issue. It’s a process issue.

wildebeests on a stairway, young to old, with the oldest wildebeest possessing a trophy — Wildebeest maturity model via Imagen 3.

No amount of coding or AI can fix that.

And this is not unique to the cybersecurity world. Let’s look at facial recognition.

Another case in point

I’ve said this over and over, but for U.S. criminal purposes, facial recognition results should ONLY be used as investigative leads.

It doesn’t matter whether they’re automated results, or if they have been reviewed by a trained forensic face examiner.

Facial recognition results should only be used as investigative leads.

Sorry for the repetition, but some people aren’t listening.

But it’s not the facial recognition vendors. Bredemarket has worked with numerous facial recognition vendors over the years, and of those who work with law enforcement, ALL of them have emphatically insisted that their software results should only be used as investigative leads.

All of them. Including…that one.

But the vendors have no way to control the actions of customers who feed poor-quality data into their systems, get a result…and immediately run out and get an arrest warrant without collecting corroborating evidence.

And that’s not a software issue. It’s a process issue.

No amount of coding or AI can fix that.

I hope the TPRM folks don’t mind my detour into biometrics, but there’s a good reason for it.

Product marketing for TPRM and facial recognition

Some product marketers, including myself, believe that it’s not enough to educate prospects and customers about your product. You also need to educate them about proper use of the product, including legal and ethical concerns.

If you don’t, your customers will do dumb things in Europe, Illinois, or elsewhere—and blame you when they are caught.

Be a leader in your industry by doing or saying the right thing.

And now here’s a word from our sponsor.

Bredemarket has openings

There’s a reason why this post specifically focused on cybersecurity and facial recognition.

If you need product marketing assistance with your product, Bredemarket has two openings. One for a cybersecurity client, and one for a facial recognition client.

I can offer

compelling content creation
winning proposal development
actionable analysis

If Bredemarket can help your stretched staff, book a free meeting with me: https://bredemarket.com/cpa/

Bredemarket has openings. Imagen 3 again.

Diluting the Impact

Much business time is spent waiting…and sometimes you’re waiting on someone who is procrastinating.

Itamar Shatz, PhD provided several examples of business procrastination. This one caught my eye:

“Delaying marketing your new app, because you’re a developer or a designer and marketing is outside your comfort zone.”

But it’s not just developers or designers who delay product marketing efforts.

Two reasons why product marketers don’t market

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.

Reason One: The good is the enemy of the perfect

The first was cited by Shatz in another context:

“Delaying launching your new product, because you want to make sure that it’s absolutely perfect, even though it’s already good enough for your purposes and it would be better to just launch it already.”

In the same way we want our product to be perfect, we often want our product marketing to be perfect. Thus the A version becomes the B version which becomes the C version until we run out of letters at Z and have to employ the Excel solution and create version AA, AB, and so forth.

Reason Two: Being on the wrong level of the three levels of importance

But there’s another reason for the frustratingly endless revision cycles: you can’t get all the reviewers to look at the first version, or the second.

Why not?

Because the go-to-market project is important.

Not critically important.

We’ve all encountered situations where things that are critically important to us are merely important to others. I still remember the time when a company executive talked about how important a particular project was…and then left the room, conveying an unintended message.

And when things are relatively unimportant, they don’t happen.

And because of the delay, your product’s impact is diluted.

(Image of bus stop shelter in Chandigarh, India by Sarbjit Bahga, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia .org/wiki/File:Bus_stop_in_Chandigarh.jpg )

Nurturing

(Image Public Domain)

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.

Here is how HubSpot defines lead nurturing.

“Lead nurturing is the process of building relationships with your prospects with the goal of earning their business when they’re ready. Lead nurturing is important to inbound marketing because it’s your opportunity to provide value to your leads and customers and help them grow with your business.”

I’ve said it before: You’re not a sausage grinder making sausages. You’re a flower attracting bees.

Ensuring Accurate Product Marketing Messaging

One of the drawbacks of LinkedIn’s collaborative articles is that the answers end up in a difficult-to-access place.

So I’m repurposing my recent answer to an article on ensuring accurate messaging. My original answer is buried within https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/sales-promoting-misleading-product-claims-how-hpzxf?contributionUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28articleSegment%3A%28urn%3Ali%3AlinkedInArticle%3A7277750320556855296%2C7277750322389807104%29%2C7291507111144919040%29&dashContributionUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287291507111144919040%2Curn%3Ali%3AarticleSegment%3A%28urn%3Ali%3AlinkedInArticle%3A7277750320556855296%2C7277750322389807104%29%29&articleSegmentUrn=urn%3Ali%3AarticleSegment%3A%28urn%3Ali%3AlinkedInArticle%3A7277750320556855296%2C7277750322389807104%29 (told you it was difficult to access).

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.

BPME 123 (January 23rd)

My Never Search Alone friends asked about my brand…

How can your biometric firm realize immediate and comprehensive product marketing results?

By working with me, John E. Bredehoft—the biometric product marketing expert.

Find out more:

Biometric product marketing expert

Biometric Product Marketing Expert.