VP of Marketing @ vFairs | Newsletter: Behind Product Lines | Talks about Product Manager & Product Marketer collaboration
Product launches ≠ feature launches. Yet many people use these terms interchangeably. I've noticed that most product marketing literature focuses on "product" launches, whereas a PMM is likely to do a LOT more feature launches throughout the product lifecycle. Both are different in terms of scope, approach, and mindset. Product launches involve: - Bringing a new product to market - Targeting new and existing customers - Thinking about a dedicated pricing model - Leveraging external marketing channels (e.g., paid, social, PR, email, etc.) Feature launches, on the other hand, involve: - Adding new functionality to existing products - Targeting existing customers to increase retention/up-sells - Offering pricing that is often absorbed into an existing packaging tier - Focusing on internal & external promo channels (e.g. in-app notifications, email, etc.) Unlike product launches, the success of a feature launch largely depends on how well it is baked into the existing product. PMs and PMMs need to ensure the feature isn't disconnected from the natural product flow. Sadly, many SaaS products ignored this in 2023 when they launched a standalone "AI module" that had little synergy with the rest of the product. Moreover, not every feature deserves the same amount of go-to-market love. This "launch intensity" depends on how much customer and business value the feature packs for existing users. (drawing out a 2x2 between these axes can come in handy) Questions a PMM might ask to determine the scale of a feature launch: - Is this an innovation that sets us apart? e.g., UIzard's screenshot to wireframe capabilities. - Is this an add-on that speaks to a specific audience segment? e.g., HubSpot's Sales Hub coaching playbooks. - Is this a table-stakes feature that puts us on par with the rest of the industry? If so, how much noise do we want to make around something that might come off as underwhelming? (e.g. a productivity tool finally adding board views for tasks) Since feature roll-outs are more frequent, we Product Marketers often burn out customers by constantly hyping up our updates. We should ideally cut back to let customers "breathe," but it's hard when internal stakeholders want us to stir up "buzz". That's why a PMM needs to be adept at negotiating feature launch decisions, i.e. - which feature launches to bundle together - which features to let go (& perhaps rely on in-app cues) - how much go-to-market intensity to give to a certain feature In some rare instances, related features can become so significant that the recommended promotional plan resembles a "product launch." Ex: Slack's Huddle or Canva's Magic Tools are apt examples. -- How do you differentiate between product and feature launches in your organization?
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