Download the 2018 Product Marketing Trends Report to learn where tech and cyber security companies are focusing their product marketing efforts. Download The 2018 Product Marketing Trends Report Showing: 1. Non public versus public companies 2. Cyber security 3. Martech 4. Fintech 5. Infotech Services 6. Infotech

1. 6 Product Marketing Trends Every Marketing Leader
Should Know
The 2018 Product Marketing Trends Report
Research and analysis by Travis Wilkins. February 2018
www.linkedin.com/in/traviswilkins traviswilkins1@yahoo.com
With limited time and resources, it’s hard if not importable to do all product market activities well.
Subsequently, it’s important that your efforts focus on the right areas and provide the most value to your
organization. The 2018 Product Marketing Trends Report highlights the needs and focus areas technology and
cyber security companies are seeking to hire for in 2018 illustrating where organizations are focusing their
resources.
At its core the purpose of product marketing is to accelerate sales and business growth. However,
organizations have different ideas about how to best do this as illustrated by the job responsibilities employers
are seeking to fulfill with their product marketing job openings. In this research 100 product marketing jobs
were surveyed from 100 different companies, from LinkedIn, to learn what needs and areas businesses were
seeking to fill.
Highlights
The top product marketing focus areas were messaging and positioning (71%), working with cross functional
teams (69%), sales tool development (63%), customer & market research (50%), and product launches
(41%). The complete list and percentages of the twelve areas can be seen in the below graph.
Non-Public vs. Public Companies
There are meaningful differences in the needs for product marketing when comparing non-public versus public
companies.
• Messaging & Positioning: 81% of non-public companies specifically called out this focus area versus
only 60% of public companies.
71% 69%
63%
50%
41% 40%
25%
17% 17% 15% 12% 10%
81%
63%
67%
52%
38%
44%
27% 25%
19%
15% 15% 8%
60%
75%
58%
48%
44%
35%
23%
8% 15% 15% 8% 13%
POSITIONING/
MESSAGING
WORKWITHCROSS
FUNCTIONALTEAMS
SALESTOOL
DEVELOPMENT
CUSTOMER&MARKET
RESEARCH
PRODUCTLAUNCHES
COMPETITORANALYSIS
ANALYSTRELATIONS/
CHANNEL
COMMUNICATION
TRAININGPROGRAMS
SPOKESPERSONOR
EVANGELIST
PRICING&PACKAGING
MARKETSIZING&
SEGMENTATION
IDENTIFICATION
MANAGECUSTOMER
JOURNEY
What Employers Want From Product Marketing in 2018
Non Public vs Public Companies
All Companies Non Public Companies Public Companies

2. • Work with Cross Functional Teams: 63%of non-public companies specifically called out this focus
area versus only 75% of public companies.
• Sales Tool Development: 67%of non-public companies specifically called out this focus area versus
only 58% of public companies.
• Customer and Market Research: 52% of non-public companies specifically called out this focus area
versus only 48% of public companies.
• Product Launches: 38% of non-public companies specifically called out this focus area versus only
44% of public companies.
• Insight: Many of the differences between non-public and public companies may be due to the
organization's maturity. A less mature organization will need more attention to develop the
fundamental building blocks such as messaging & positioning and developing sales tools. The
difference seen between working with cross functional teams may be due to public companies having
more clearly defined matrixed organizations. In these cases, working with cross functional teams would
be needed to drive product marketing success.
• There is essentially parity with customer & market research figures, but what should be noted is that
these figures are quite low at 50%. The business begins and ends with the customer, and if the
business doesn’t sell the business will die. If there is not a complete focus and understanding of the
customer and market then all of the other efforts are effectively minimized or irrelevant. As the old
saying goes ‘pray aim and shoot!’ comes to mind without having total customer and marketing
understanding with your product marketing efforts. Understanding your customer and market should be
of highest priority.
Cyber Security vs. All Companies
Cyber security product marketing needs are distinct from most of the categories and from the other segments.
• Messaging & Positioning: 94% of cyber security companies called out this focus area compared to all
companies at 71%.
• Sales Tool Development: 76% of cyber security companies called out this focus area compared to all
companies at 63%.
71% 69%
63%
50%
41% 40%
25%
17% 17% 15% 12% 10% 9%
32%
94%
59%
76%
47%
53%
47%
29% 29%
47%
12% 12% 0%
18%
29%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
POSITIONING/
MESSAGING
WORKWITHCROSS
FUNCTIONALTEAMS
SALESTOOL
DEVELOPMENT
CUSTOMER&MARKET
RESEARCH
PRODUCTLAUNCHES
COMPETITORANALYSIS
ANALYSTRELATIONS/
CHANNEL…
TRAININGPROGRAMS
SPOKESPERSONOR
EVANGELIST
PRICING&PACKAGING
MARKETSIZING&
SEGMENTATION…
MANAGECUSTOMER
JOURNEY
UPSELL&CROSSSELL
STRATEGIES
ESTABLSHSTRATEGY
What Employers Want From Product Marketing in 2018
Cyber Secruity Companies
All Companies Cyber Security

3. • Spokesperson or Evangelist: 47% of cyber security companies called out this focus area compared
to all companies at 17%.
• Insight: Cyber Security product marketing has a distinct focus compared to all the All Companies
average. There are several points why this is likely the case. There is a very high emphasis on
messaging & positioning as well as sale tool development, and this makes sense. The competition in
cyber security is fierce and there is currently a great deal of market confusion about the differences
between certain security solutions and comparing their actual value. Businesses are desperately
seeking to buy security solutions to reduce their organizations risk, but at the same time they are trying
to understand what solution best suits their needs. Thoughtful cyber security companies that
understand this customer and market dynamic are putting a great deal of emphasis on creating and
communicating clear messaging that both differentiate their solution from the competition and clearly
communicates their value proposition. Although all companies can benefit from a spokesperson or
evangelist it is logical that cyber security companies place a higher than average emphasis on this area
as there is a large number of cyber security companies trying to break through the noise of a crowded
and fluid security market.
Marketing Tech vs. All Companies
Meaningful differences are seen when examining the same data when comparing marketing tech companies
compared to all companies.
• Work with Cross Functional Teams: 84% of martech companies called out this focus area compared
to all companies at 69%.
• Sales Tool Development: 79% of martech companies called out this focus area compared to all
companies at 63%.
• Customer & Market Research: 74% of martech companies called out this focus area compared to all
companies at 50%.
• Insight: The differences could be due to the innate nature of a business with a marketing product. A
company with a marketing solution will be natively following marketing best practices such as looking to
cross coordinate amongst many stakeholders, having strong sales tools to drive sales, and have
market research to identify the key customer insight.
71% 69%
63%
50%
41% 40%
25%
17% 17% 15% 12% 10% 9%
32%
74%
84%
79%
74%
42%
47%
16% 16% 11% 16% 0% 11% 0%
42%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
POSITIONING/
MESSAGING
WORKWITHCROSS
FUNCTIONALTEAMS
SALESTOOL
DEVELOPMENT
CUSTOMER&MARKET
RESEARCH
PRODUCTLAUNCHES
COMPETITORANALYSIS
ANALYSTRELATIONS/
CHANNEL…
TRAININGPROGRAMS
SPOKESPERSONOR
EVANGELIST
PRICING&PACKAGING
MARKETSIZING&
SEGMENTATION…
MANAGECUSTOMER
JOURNEY
UPSELL&CROSSSELL
STRATEGIES
ESTABLSHSTRATEGY
What Employers Want From Product Marketing in 2018
Marketing Tech Companies
All Companies Marcketing Tech

4. Financial Tech vs. All Companies
Financial tech tracks with the All Companies average for most of the areas, but deviates with the les
emphasized categories.
• Product Launches: 57% of financial tech companies called out this focus area compared to all
companies at 41%.
• Training Programs: 29% of financial tech companies called out this focus area compared to all
companies at 17%.
• Pricing & Packaging: 29% of financial tech companies called out this focus area compared to all
companies at 15%
• Insight: Financial tech is aligned with the All Companies average, but places a larger emphasis on
product launches, training programs and pricing and packaging. The differences could be due to the
focus on getting new product to market, ensuring the sales and marketing are properly trained on the
new offerings, and having the optimal pricing & packaging providing the best value to the customer
while maximizing the price for the business
71% 69%
63%
50%
41% 40%
25%
17% 17% 15% 12% 10% 9%
32%
86%
71%
57% 57% 57%
43%
14%
29%
0%
29%
0% 0%
29%
57%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
POSITIONING/
MESSAGING
WORKWITHCROSS
FUNCTIONALTEAMS
SALESTOOL
DEVELOPMENT
CUSTOMER&MARKET
RESEARCH
PRODUCTLAUNCHES
COMPETITORANALYSIS
ANALYSTRELATIONS/
CHANNEL…
TRAININGPROGRAMS
SPOKESPERSONOR
EVANGELIST
PRICING&PACKAGING
MARKETSIZING&
SEGMENTATION…
MANAGECUSTOMER
JOURNEY
UPSELL&CROSSSELL
STRATEGIES
ESTABLSHSTRATEGY
What Employers Want From Product Marketing in 2018
Financial Tech Companies
All Companies Financial Tech

5. Info Tech Services vs. All Companies
Info tech services tracks closely to the benchmark, with some areas significantly below the all company
average.
• Sales Tools Development: 50% of info tech service companies called out this focus area compared to
all companies at 63%.
• Analyst Relations & Channel Communication: 11% of info tech service companies called out this
focus area compared to all companies at 25%.
• Spokesperson or Evangelist: 6% of info tech service companies called out this focus area compared
to all companies at 17%.
• Insight: Info tech services tracked closely to the All Companies averge in all categories expect in the
areas noted above which are significantly below the average. The only area where info tech services
significantly surveyed higher was with managing the customer journey at 22% versus 10%. These
differences could be due to the nature of an information technology service where the going-to-market
strategy requires a distinct set of focus areas.
71% 69%
63%
50%
41% 40%
25%
17% 17% 15% 12% 10% 9%
32%
72%
67%
50% 50%
44% 44%
11%
17%
6%
17% 17%
22%
0%
28%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
POSITIONING/
MESSAGING
WORKWITHCROSS
FUNCTIONALTEAMS
SALESTOOL
DEVELOPMENT
CUSTOMER&MARKET
RESEARCH
PRODUCTLAUNCHES
COMPETITORANALYSIS
ANALYSTRELATIONS/
CHANNEL…
TRAININGPROGRAMS
SPOKESPERSONOR
EVANGELIST
PRICING&PACKAGING
MARKETSIZING&
SEGMENTATION…
MANAGECUSTOMER
JOURNEY
UPSELL&CROSSSELL
STRATEGIES
ESTABLSHSTRATEGY
What Employers Want From Product Marketing in 2018
Info Tech Services Companies
All Companies Info Tech Services

6. Info Tech vs. All Companies
Info tech services tracks closely to all companies, with some differences.
• Customer & Market Research: 33% of info tech companies called out this focus area compared to all
companies at 50%.
• Product Launches: 28% of info tech companies called out this focus area compared to all companies
at 41%.
• Analyst Relations & Channel Communications: 44% of info tech companies called out this focus
area compared to all companies at 25%.
• Insight: Info tech companies generally track to the All Companies average with the exception of some
of the above notables. The importance of customer and market research at 33% is particularly
noteworthy because of its low rate. As stated previously, the importance of having key customer and
market insight cannot be overstated. The entire going-to-market plan should fundamentally be based
on key customer and market insight. Conversely, the overweight compared to the all companies
average for AR and channel comms is noteworthy and it's also ironic as there may not be a true
understanding of the customer or market, but there is an emphasis on communicating out to influencers
and partners.
Final Words
Product marketing is a key strategic role in the organization aimed at driving business growth. Although there
is no one size fits all description on what product marketing should be focusing on, it’s clear from this survey
and research that there are fundamental building blocks or focus areas to accelerate business
growth. Simultaneously, the differences seen amongst the business segments compared to the All Companies
average indicate that there are unique business drivers per vertical that require more focus and attention.
Regardless of the business vertical, the product marketing function needs to keep both the customer and the
market as their primary focus area for determining further strategic business planning. Without the customer
there is no business.
Contact: Reach out to me if you need product marketing help
Traviswilkins1@yahoo.com / www.linkedin.com/in/traviswilkins / 603 505 6802
71% 69%
63%
50%
41% 40%
25%
17% 17% 15%
12% 10% 9%
32%
67%
56%
72%
33%
28%
22%
44%
6%
22%
17%
6% 6%
28%
11%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
POSITIONING/
MESSAGING
WORKWITHCROSS
FUNCTIONALTEAMS
SALESTOOL
DEVELOPMENT
CUSTOMER&MARKET
RESEARCH
PRODUCTLAUNCHES
COMPETITORANALYSIS
ANALYSTRELATIONS/
CHANNEL…
TRAININGPROGRAMS
SPOKESPERSONOR
EVANGELIST
PRICING&PACKAGING
MARKETSIZING&
SEGMENTATION…
MANAGECUSTOMER
JOURNEY
UPSELL&CROSSSELL
STRATEGIES
ESTABLSHSTRATEGY
What Employers Want From Product Marketing in 2018
Info Tech Companies
All Companies Info Tech

7. Research Methodology
• 100 product marketing jobs surveyed from 100 different companies on LinkedIn from January 22- 24,
2018
• Product marketing jobs were surveyed by noting the specific job responsibilities
• Multiple titles were used to represent the full scope of product marketing (specialist, manager, director,
vice president)
• Product marketing jobs were primarily based in the US with a small global representation
• Product marketing jobs were surveyed at random
By the Numbers
71% 69%
63%
50%
41%
74%
84%
79%
74%
42%
72%
67%
50% 50%
44%
67%
56%
72%
33%
28%
94%
59%
76%
47%
53%
86%
71%
57% 57% 57%
POSITIONING/
MESSAGING
WORKWITHCROSS
FUNCTIONALTEAMS
SALESTOOL
DEVELOPMENT
CUSTOMER&MARKET
RESEARCH
PRODUCTLAUNCHES
What Employers Want From Product Marketing in 2018
All Companies Marcketing Tech Info Tech Services Info Tech Cyber Security Financial Tech

8. Marketing Tech
19%
Information Tech
Services 18%
Information Tech
18%
Cybersecurity 17%
Financial Tech 7%
Company Type
Marketing Tech 19%
Information Tech Services 18%
Information Tech 18%
Cybersecurity 17%
Financial Tech 7%
Medical Tech 4%
Internet 4%
Bio Tech 3%
Comms Tech 3%
Consumer Electronics 3%
Computer Hardware 2%
Automotive 1%
Non Profit 1%
Specialist
11%
Manager 35%Director 49%
VP 5%
Product Marketing Title
Specialist 11%
Manager 35%
Director 49%
VP 5%

9. California 37%
Massachusetts
17%
New York 16%
Product Marketing Employer Location
California 37%
Massachusetts 17%
New York 16%
Washington 5%
Illinois 4%
New Jersey 3%
Pennsylvania 2%
Colorado 1%
Connecticut 1%
Kentucky 1%
Minnesota 1%
Missouri 1%
Nebraska 1%
Nevada 1%
North Carolina 1%
Ohio 1%
Oregon 1%
International 6%
48%52%
Non-Public vs. Public
Companies
Non- Public
Public