Why and How to Organize a Product Marketing Safari.
Internal safaris turn work into an adventure, keeping everyone learning and growing.
There’s something magical about seeing animals in their natural habitats. The experience of observing them up close in the wild is far more immersive than reading about them or watching them on a screen.
Similarly, setting up a Product Marketing Safari can give people in adjacent roles a chance to fully experience what it's like to work in product marketing — or any other function.
Internal safaris in business are like taking an adventurous trip inside your own company. Imagine exploring different departments and roles, just like you would explore new landscapes on a safari.
This cool approach has some great benefits for businesses.
Learn About Each Other's Work: Internal safaris let employees see what other parts of the company do. This helps everyone understand each other better, making it easier to work together and support one another.
Keep Things Fresh: Trying out new areas of the company can break the monotony of daily routines. It keeps work exciting and can make employees happier and more likely to stick around.
Spark New Ideas: Seeing new parts of the business can give employees fresh ideas. They might see a way to solve a problem that nobody else thought of because they bring a new perspective.
Discover Hidden Talents: As employees try different jobs, they might find something they're really good at or enjoy more than their current role. This is great for finding new paths within the company.
Build a Strong Team Spirit: When people from different areas work together, it helps build a strong community feeling at work. It's easier to pull together and feel part of a bigger mission when everyone knows and respects what others do.
Why a Product Marketing Safari?
Inviting a colleague to share the same "watering holes" has huge advantages for everyone involved:
For the Colleage: This experience provides full immersion in a safe environment. Joining a Product Marketing Safari is like a crash course in product marketing, minus the crash. They learn by doing, and if they don’t like it, they can always return to their previous role. Or, if they enjoy the Safari, they may find that product marketing is their true calling.
For the Product Marketing Team: A fresh perspective can bring new ideas and skill sets. Imagine a monkey hanging out with tigers, helping them reach the juiciest fruit while learning insider tricks from the big cats. It’s also a smart way to handle work overload and hiring constraints, and heaven knows we could all use a little help.
For the Company: Why spend big bucks on hiring when you’ve got talent right under your nose? A Product Marketing Safari is like uncovering hidden treasure within your own backyard. By nurturing skills and fostering collaboration, you’re not just building a team—you’re building a product marketing powerhouse! This is a fantastic way to develop in-house talent and address hiring constraints. Talented employees with transferable skills can learn product marketing while filling in gaps during vacations or absences. It’s like a two-for-one deal.
Preparing for the Expedition: Setting Up Your Product Marketing Safari in 4 Steps.
Just like a real jungle safari, preparation is essential. Planning a Product Marketing Safari isn’t just about packing your bags and hoping for the best. Collaboration with HR is fundamental, especially if you're not just shifting roles within the team but bringing in talent from other teams.
Step 1: Meet with Team Members & Stakeholders.
To kick things off, meet with stakeholders to align on goals, timelines, and deliverables. Then, meet with the person going on the Safari to create a plan, define methods, set objectives, and assign tasks. Remember to bring snacks—this is going to take a while!
Step 2: Set Clear Objectives.
Clear and actionable objectives are crucial. They ensure participants understand each task and its deliverables, guiding them toward meaningful insights.
Step 3: Define the Documentation Process and Deliverables.
Documentation is key. Some examples include:
Weekly notes (written, voice)
A timeline of the experience
Encountered people, processes, objects, environments, and communications
General impressions of the experience
These insights will help inform the team's work going forward.
Step 4: Start the Safari
The goal of a Product Marketing Safari is to experience every touchpoint relevant to the function:
Market research
Goal setting and KPIs
Positioning and messaging
Go-to-market strategy
Sales enablement
You can also immerse the participant in a specific project, like revamping your pricing strategy or building tier packaging. This focused experience lets them bring their unique expertise to the table.
It’s not just about learning the ropes—it’s about swinging from vines, dodging obstacles, and maybe even discovering a hidden treasure or two along the way. so, while the Safari is primarily about giving peers a taste of the product marketing role, it's also an excellent opportunity to identify gaps and opportunities within the organization. Plus, it’s a lot less dusty than an actual safari.
Ready to Go on a Safari?
I've put together a template to help you set up a successful safari.
Just make a copy, edit it, and get ready to start an adventure.
You can find the template HERE.