How to Write a Product Marketing Charter

When establishing a new team or function at an organization, it is best to define it, but how can you do that easily?

With a charter.

I found developing a team charter extremely helpful when I introduced the product marketing (PMM) function at a company where most had absolutely no clue about product marketing and its purpose. To create an effective charter, where both the PMM team stays focused and those outside of it clearly understand its role and value, I recommend five elements (plus an extra if it is applicable for you) to include:

1. A One-Liner
   This is essentially the tagline for your team/function. Who are you? What is it that you do? (In the last charter I created, our tagline was, “First, we are story BUILDERS… then, we are storytellers.”)
2. Team Goals
   Have 3 or so goals that the team is focused on. Keep the goals short and sweet. (I.e., “Ensure sales is equipped and confident.”) These goals help keep the PMM team focused and on point when competing priorities start to arise.
3. A Product Marketing Definition
   Define what product marketing is and how it fits into the overall organization. I found explaining how PMM works with all the other departments (product, sales, marketing, etc.) to be very helpful.
4. Areas of Focus
   Include the responsibilities of the team. You can simply list them or create a chart and clearly articulate the PMM team is responsible for pricing and packaging for example. (This is good to outline because sometimes other teams might own pricing and packaging.)
5. Compare & Contrast
   And because so many do not understand product marketing as it is defined differently from company to company and can overlap with other functions, I suggest including a compare and contrast section. For example, I created a Venn diagram of product marketing vs. product management (PM). I also did the same for corporate marketing vs. PMM. There can be overlapping areas and that’s okay. The key is to document it. Perhaps PM and PMM share pricing and packaging, but PM owns requirements building and PMM owns win-loss analysis. And PMM owns the messaging and positioning, but corporate marketing owns the content creation and execution.
6. And an Extra: Roles & Responsibilities for Team Members
   If you are lucky enough to not be a team of one, share the names, titles, and photos of your team members. Also include their areas of specialty. Maybe your team is organized by product line or PMM specialties such as market research and sales enablement.

After you have your charter complete, be sure to get the buy-in and approval from your superiors, and your peers. That is key. Without any buy-in, you’ll have an uphill battle every time there is a new project to tackle. So be sure to present it to leadership, get their feedback, incorporate it, and then get their approval.

Once you get the thumbs up, it is roadshow time. Have your charter in a slide deck ready to share with your colleagues. And the entire team can share it. The PMM leader doesn’t have to be the only one that presents it.

If there are town halls for the company or specific department meetings, be sure to get yourself on that agenda so you can share the PMM charter. The more times your co-workers see you and hear from you, the smoother the path will be in working with them. Remember, product marketing is the liaison or connective tissue within an organization. It is crucial that your function is understood and valued by both leadership and your peers so PMM has a seat at the table and can make an impact on the business.