Where should the product marketing team fit within an organization?

This is a question that comes up often in the Product Marketing course I teach at the Product Marketing Alliance.

In the past, I struggled with this question, feeling like it was similar to choosing between mom and dad; someone would be upset no matter what I said.

Throughout my career, I've reported to marketing, product, sales, and operations. No matter where you land, there's always some tension.

Sometimes, you wish for a Switzerland-like status, sitting outside these departments, connecting the dots without any special allegiance. I've yet to find a company that has applied this approach. Perhaps it's because the importance of product marketing isn't yet fully recognized.

But here's something interesting to consider: for most of us product marketers, marketing feels natural and comfortable. We bond well with our marketing peers, but building those same connections with the product team can be a challenge. Not bridging this gap often leads to a common problem: product marketers finding out about releases when it's already too late, forcing them to rush and improvise their go-to-market strategy.

When your product marketing function doesn't sit in the product team, you're not entirely "one of them." Gaining access can feel like joining a secret society and requires a big dose of charm and influencing skills.

I've faced this issue too, so I made it my mission to befriend the product team. While chocolates can help, the best way to connect with a product manager (or anyone in the business) is by bringing actionable insights – customer and market research, compelling narratives, anything that helps the product team prioritize, validate ideas, and be more customer-centric.

Connecting with marketing though is comfortable, but it risks making your team appear as a cost center if you neglect relationships with the product team. Your product marketing outbound efforts will thrive, but executing them effectively without a deep understanding of the product can be challenging.

So, when faced with the question of where product marketing should live, my recommendation is to have it within the product team. This strengthens your inbound knowledge, making your outbound efforts even more effective. Plus, you can infuse storytelling into the product team, inspiring roadmaps and fostering a more cohesive product instead of siloed features. Going to market becomes smoother, and you can focus more on delighting your users and less on internal politics.

Preferring the product team doesn't mean I love product more than marketing; it just makes my job easier and more effective. Today, I lead a combined organization of product, product marketing, and UX/UI, and I can say I'm having the time of my life. I still have my occasional clashes with marketing, but it's like arguing with your best friend – you know you love each other in the end.