Top product marketing predictions for 2024

As we bid farewell to 2023, let's turn our gaze to the future of product marketing and explore what lies ahead in 2024.

We surveyed 100 Top Product Marketing Influencers, asking them to gaze into their crystal balls and share their top predictions. From their insights, some clear themes emerged. This year, expect to see...

Get ready to navigate the exciting twists and turns that await as we break down the key forecasts shaping the future of product marketing in 2024.

Integration of product marketing with product management and AI adoption

In 2024, our experts suggest that product marketing roles will undergo a transformation, with lean teams incorporating product marketing duties into product management responsibilities. Growth teams and mature organizations will witness product marketing managers (PMMs) taking on a cross-functional role, akin to traditional product managers.

Becky Trevino, Executive Vice President of Products at Snow Software said, “I believe product marketing will find itself more tied to product management (PM) than it ever has before. This will require product marketers to become more comfortable understanding the process by which their product and engineering teams build new products and features.

“For instance, today, most product managers do not see product marketing input as critical in product discovery. This results in PMMs claiming to be "strategic" but not really being as "strategic" as they could be. Because if you're not part of product discovery, then you are not really providing the "voice of anyone" into product.”

The integration will coincide with the emergence of a new wave of AI products, where progressive PMMs will leverage AI tools for tasks like user feedback analysis, ICP clustering, competitive research, and messaging ideation.

This shift is crucial as it streamlines operations, enhances efficiency, and aligns product marketing closely with product development. AI tools enable PMMs to handle tasks more swiftly, contributing to effective product launches and positioning them as strategic contributors in the product development process.

Product marketers as builders and AI adoption for high-impact tasks

They’ve also predicted that product marketers in 2024 will actively embrace AI-powered tools to build high-quality products, designs, and apps. This move enables them to execute launches at a faster pace without extensive reliance on large marketing teams.

Plus, PMMs will transition from experimenting with generative AI for content creation to leveraging it for high-value tasks such as persona creation and deep data analysis.

Ryane Bohm, Head of Product Marketing at Clari said, “AI is influencing the future of business as a whole. We’re seeing AI revolutionize every field, and PMM is riding the wave. AI will start predicting needs to create hyper-custom marketing messaging, positioning, and narratives - allowing us marketers to talk to the most specific ICP. I’m excited to keep discovering inventive ways to use it in my everyday work.”

The adoption of AI tools for building products enhances agility, allowing product marketers to respond promptly to market demands. This trend reflects the growing recognition of AI as a valuable resource in creating compelling and tailored marketing content.

Elevated status of product marketing and strategic upfront investment

Eugenia Alfonzo, Product Marketing Manager at Netflix, predicted, “In 2024, I believe product marketing will finally shift from being a later-stage hire/role to becoming a fundamental core function of building any successful business and be more in demand than ever.

"In the current competitive and risk-averse economic climate, companies do not have time/money to waste on ineffective product offerings and need to find product-market fit as quickly as possible.

“Through our discipline, product marketers help ensure the best product-market fit by partnering with our stakeholders to contextualize both industry trends and the voice of the customer in an effective manner. We've already started to see this shift in the last couple of years, but I believe that next year is the year that companies will understand the immense return on investment by investing in PMM upfront.”

Investing in product marketing upfront ensures a quicker and more efficient product-market fit, leading to a higher return on investment. The recognition of product marketing as a strategic function from the beginning emphasizes its critical role in building successful businesses.

Rise of product marketing tech stack and automation

Product marketing tech stack and associated budgets are predicted to become more prominent. The emergence of a robust product marketing tech stack highlights the growing reliance on technology for effective marketing strategies. Automation, coupled with AI tooling, is expected to streamline workflows and enhance strategic value, enabling product marketers to focus on core responsibilities.

Mike Berger, VP of Product Marketing at ClickUp, told us, “I predict that we are going to see the product marketing tech stack, and associated budgets, emerge in a more meaningful way.

"With solutions like Ignition, GTM Buddy, Tribyl, Wynter, Klue, Crayon, Klozd, and many, many more, I think we’ll increasingly see product marketing buying and leveraging technology in order to accelerate GTM success. Currently, there are over 200 tools listed on the PMA site, and that list is growing quickly for a reason.”

AI's impact on marketing messaging and personalization

AI is anticipated to revolutionize product marketing by predicting needs and creating hyper-custom marketing messaging, positioning, and narratives. The focus will shift towards shorter-form content driven by more Gen Z individuals entering the workforce.

Eve Alexander, VP of Product Marketing at Seismic, gave this prediction, stating, “PMMs will move from dabbling in generative AI for lower-value use cases (such as creating content) to leveraging it for high-value use cases such as persona creation or deep data analysis.

“Another prediction: with more Gen Z’ers entering the workforce, the way we enable GTM teams will continue to change - shorter form content, lots of videos, targeted just-in-time information.”

The use of AI for personalized marketing messaging aligns with evolving customer preferences. Shorter, more targeted content is likely to resonate better with the incoming workforce, emphasizing the need for adaptability in marketing strategies.

Shift towards cross-sell/up-sell strategies and focus on differentiation

Jeanne Ford, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Zuora, predicted, “As companies tighten up operations and investment decisions, the focus will shift from what used to be more net new sales-driven to cross-sell/up-sell through the entire customer journey.

“This is evident with trends such as product-led growth, as well as the growing demand for a tighter partnership between product marketing, product, sales, and demand gen at most companies.”

As companies adapt to changing market dynamics, the collaboration between product marketing, product, sales, and demand generation becomes pivotal for sustained growth. Strategies focusing on cross-sell/up-sell acknowledge the importance of the entire customer journey.

Data-driven and customer-centric product marketing

But we’re not done! Another prediction amongst our Top 100 Influencers is that product marketing will see a significant shift toward data-driven, customer-centric approaches fueled by AI and advanced customer journey analytics. The focus will move from general market trends to understanding each customer's specific intent and needs.

This was suggested by Akshita Kanumury, Product Marketing Manager at Freshworks, who said, “2024 seems to be an exciting time for SaaS in general with so many innovative product offerings being built and scaled using AI. I feel that SaaS product marketing will prioritize personalization through data-driven insights and leverage AI for automation and customer-centric experiences.”

This shift towards data-driven approaches ensures more effective and efficient market messages. Analyzing customer journey metrics and intent signals enables product marketers to tailor communication strategies, validate assumptions, and refine strategies for successful go-to-market strategies.

Leadership role of product marketers in marketing teams

As product marketing matures, it’s forecasted that there will be an increasing trend of product marketers leading marketing teams. These strategic minds with a deep understanding of the market, business, and product are invited to contribute to growth marketing strategies and review PR/brand positioning.

This was a prediction from Parth Mukherjee, Vice President of Product Marketing and GTM Strategy at Mindtickle, who said, “Product marketing will work even more closely with other parts of marketing, and in some cases, product marketing leaders might even be expected to take on additional responsibilities, including content marketing, customer marketing, and growth marketing.

“This trend can deliver great results for businesses. For example, with product marketing and content marketing coming closer together, I foresee product vision and company thought leadership being more integrated. Companies that rely on PLG motions can benefit greatly by ensuring that product marketing works closely with the PLG team.”

Product marketers leading marketing teams reflect their holistic understanding of the market and the ability to align marketing functions with overall business goals. The shift towards hybrid strategies, encompassing both product-led growth (PLG) and enterprise approaches, signifies the need for diversification in revenue sources and strategic leadership from product marketers.

Strategic role of product marketing in personalization and influencer marketing

Finally, in 2024, it’s said that there will be an increased emphasis on personalization in product marketing efforts. This includes personalized product recommendations, tailored messaging, and individualized user experiences.

Additionally, the rise of influencer marketing platforms is expected, with Rekha Srivatsan, Vice President of Product Marketing at Salesforce, saying, “Influencer marketing is expected to evolve with the emergence of specialized platforms that connect brands with influencers more efficiently. These platforms might offer advanced analytics, streamlined collaboration tools, and improved transparency in measuring ROI.”

The shift towards personalization reflects a response to evolving consumer preferences, ensuring more targeted and engaging marketing strategies. The emergence of influencer marketing platforms signifies a more organized and data-driven approach to influencer collaborations, enhancing efficiency and accountability in marketing partnerships.

Final thoughts

Overall, the future of product marketing in 2024 is marked by adaptability, integration of advanced technologies, and a strategic shift towards data-driven, customer-centric approaches.

As product marketers navigate these trends, their ability to build connections across functions, leverage technology, and prioritize personalized, impactful strategies will be the cornerstone of success.