Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Product Marketing

Posted by Anonymous on 5/2/2017 at 4:06 PM ET 125 Points
I am in charge of marketing at a printing company. It's a new position for the company so everything is being remade, image/branding-wise, from the ground up. As a designer, I know a good deal about marketing (and I do a ton of independent research when I notice gaps in my knowledge), but I'm having a hard time coming up with a decent process for updating and advertising the products I'm working on.

I am updating each product from top to bottom one at a time. Updating product images, writing new product descriptions, developing info graphics and logos for each product individually, creating sell sheets, web banners, email blasts, and on top of all of that, I need to learn about the products as well (this is a relatively new position in a field that is very familiar to me, but it has to be intimately familiar by the end of the year).

I am struggling to find focus, essentially. I tend to go straight to design, because that's what I'm best at, but I'm thinking (after having already finished two of these and now in the middle of the third) that that isn't necessarily the best way to go.

I also have to schedule in time to work in the production side to learn how each product is made, designed, printed, assembled, shipped, etc. etc.

Any tips on managing time? Or a decent process to stick with in regards to what to do first, last, next week, never?

Any and all suggestions, comments, critiques are more than welcome.

Thank you.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 5/2/2017 at 7:49 PM Accepted
    List each point of contact that needs your attention, then give each piece a rating of 1, 2, or 3 in terms of priority.

    Then list each item in the "1" list as 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on in order of priority. Likewise for lists 2 and 3.

    Focus EVERYTHING you do on the importance of winning or securing new business, and on the importance of reassuring current clients.

    Break things down into small tasks and do things one at a time, focusing ONLY on what you're doing right there and then. Work ONLY from short lists.
  • Posted on 5/2/2017 at 8:40 PM Accepted
    It's possible you are starting at the wrong end -- learning about your products. Better if you can learn about the benefits of each product for its primary target audience, how that market behaves (and how they make decisions), and what their greatest unmet needs might be.

    Once you understand the customers very well, you can provide the ultimate marketing contribution to your employer -- an insight into the best way to distinguish yourselves from competition and deliver an important and compelling benefit to your target audience AND earn superior margins in the process. Maybe that's with current products/pricing and maybe it's not.

    When you start with current products and pricing, you lock yourself into a mind-set that might not be optimal. When you start with an in-depth understanding of customer values, beliefs, needs, attitudes, awareness, habits and practices, then you have a chance to make a BIG difference instead of a small tweak.

    Good luck.
  • Posted by jbamniya98 on 5/3/2017 at 3:41 AM Member
    Product marketing is the process of promoting and selling a product to an audience. Product marketing, as opposed to product management, deals with more outbound marketing or customer-facing tasks (in the older sense of the phrase). For example, product management deals with the basics of product development within a firm, whereas product marketing deals with marketing the product to prospects, customers, and others. Product marketing, as a job function within a firm, also differs from other marketing jobs such as marketing communications ("marcom"), online marketing, advertising, marketing strategy, and public relations, although product marketers may use channels such as online for outbound marketing for their product.

    A product market is something that is referred to when pitching a new product to the general public. Product market definition focuses on a narrow statement: the product type, customer needs (functional needs), customer type, and geographic area.
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