The Great Product Marketing Tug-of-War

Ask ten companies where Product Marketing (PMM) lives, and you'll get ten different answers. Some embed PMM in product teams. Others place them under marketing. Some focus on launch support. Others assign them positioning or sales enablement. It's no surprise that Product Marketing often feels pulled in multiple directions.

But here's the truth: when PMM is functioning at its highest level, it's not on either side of the rope. It's the anchor.

An effective PMM team doesn't just support launches or write messaging. It enables revenue by translating product truth into market relevance. It ensures what’s built gets adopted and what’s sold solves real problems.

Let’s break down what that looks like—and why structure often gets in the way.

Where PMM Lives: Product vs. Marketing

PMM under Product

Common in companies like Atlassian and Google, this model values tight alignment with engineering and product development. PMMs often sit in sprint planning, manage go-to-market timelines, and focus on adoption metrics.

Pros:

• Deep understanding of the product
• Early input into the roadmap
• Tighter integration with development cycles

Cons:

• Messaging often skews feature-first
• Less visibility into segmentation or campaign strategy
• Sales enablement becomes reactive

This model ensures technical accuracy, but GTM efforts can lack impact.

PMM under Marketing

Seen in companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Adobe, this model emphasizes narrative, demand generation, and sales alignment. PMMs lead launches, build positioning, and partner with brand and field teams.

Pros:

• Stronger connection to customer-facing teams
• Clearer storytelling and buyer relevance
• Better integration with GTM strategy

Cons:

• Disconnected from development cycles
• Limited influence on what gets built
• Risk of overpromising or shallow differentiation

This approach drives pipeline, but can dilute product context.

What’s the Ideal Setup?

Neither model is complete. High-functioning PMM teams act as strategic translators. They sit between product and market, asking the questions that ensure alignment.

"Does this feature solve a problem worth solving?"

"Can sales tell this story clearly and confidently?"

PMMs should be:

• Product-fluent: Aware of the roadmap and priorities
• Market-literate: Grounded in buyer pain points and competition
• Revenue-aware: Focused on adoption, conversion, and growth acceleration

McKinsey said it well: 

"PMMs in high-performing orgs are like Grand Central Station—connecting feedback loops from customers, product teams, marketing, and sales." (McKinsey, 2021)

PMM Is a Revenue Function. Start Treating It That Way

PMM isn’t a service team. The best PMMs don’t just execute; they drive outcomes. They influence product direction, lead GTM strategy, and fuel customer growth.

Here’s how PMM activities map to revenue:

• Positioning & Messaging: Drives conversion and reduces CAC
• Sales Enablement: Boosts win rate and shortens sales cycles
• Win/Loss Analysis: Sharpens targeting and strategy
• Launch Planning: Improves adoption and retention
• Expansion Campaigns: Increases LTV and upsell success

OpenView found that companies tying PMM to trial conversion and pipeline velocity scale faster and launch more effectively. (OpenView, 2023)

It’s Not a Tug-of-War. It’s a Triangle.

Product Marketing doesn’t belong only to Product or Marketing. It belongs to both—and to Revenue.

The best PMM teams connect what’s built with what the market wants. They align what sales needs to say with what customers need to hear. They bridge the internal roadmap with external relevance.

It's time to let go of the tug-of-war.