I ran a session with The Healthtech Marketing Network on Product Marketing late last year. The awesome Michael Gemmati Jr. 🧙♂️, Bryan Schnepf and James Lu facilitated these sessions. These three have a rich pedigree in Healthtech Product Marketing and have a combined half a century of experience.
Here are ten questions with best-practice answers to these big questions on health tech product marketing.
1. How has the role of product marketing evolved in healthcare technology, and why is it becoming increasingly essential?”
Product marketing has significantly transformed healthcare technology over the past decade. Historically, product managers within marketing departments handled both product development and marketing functions. However, as healthcare technology became more complex, product management naturally shifted to development teams to work more closely with engineers. This created a gap that product marketing emerged to fill.
Today, product marketing serves as an essential bridge between technical innovation and commercial success. It’s become crucial because it helps organizations:
- Commercialize innovations effectively
- Translate technical capabilities into clear value propositions
- Serve as the voice of the customer
- Create cohesive go-to-market strategies
- Coordinate cross-functional initiatives between development, sales, and marketing
What are the key components of an effective product marketing framework in healthtech, and why is having one so crucial?
A strong product marketing framework is essential for success, and research shows that companies with robust frameworks consistently achieve higher revenue growth. The key components include:
Discovery:
- Market insight gathering
- Customer needs assessment
- Competitive analysis
- Market opportunity evaluation
Strategy:
- Value proposition development
- Product-market fit assessment
- Go-to-market planning
- Positioning development
Definition:
- Messaging creation
- Sales enablement preparation
- Launch planning
- Content strategy development
Launch & Optimization:
- Go-to-market execution
- Performance monitoring
- Continuous feedback collection
- Strategy refinement
Having this framework:
- Provides clear ownership of responsibilities
- Drives organizational alignment
- Creates consistent approaches to market engagement
- Enables measurable outcomes
3. What makes a successful product marketer in healthcare technology? What unique skills and attributes should organizations look for?
The ideal product marketer in healthcare technology is often described as a “marketing unicorn” because they need to combine multiple crucial skill sets:
Analytical & Strategic Thinking:
- Ability to interpret data and market trends
- Strategic planning capabilities
- Understanding of customer needs and market dynamics
Technical Proficiency:
- Understanding of healthcare technology
- Ability to grasp complex technical concepts
- Knowledge of healthcare industry regulations and standards
Relationship Building:
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to work across departments
- Stakeholder management capabilities
Project Management:
- Organization and planning skills
- Ability to manage multiple initiatives
- Experience with launch planning and execution
Creative Thinking:
- Innovative problem-solving abilities
- Messaging and positioning creativity
- Content strategy development skills
4. How can product marketing teams effectively gather and incorporate customer feedback in healthcare technology?
Product marketing teams need to establish multiple channels for gathering and incorporating customer feedback:
Direct Customer Engagement:
- Regular customer visits and meetings
- Participation in QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews)
- Advisory boards and customer councils
- Customer conferences and events
Leveraging Internal Teams:
- Partnering with sales teams for ride-alongs and joint customer visits
- Working with client success teams to join customer calls
- Using tools like Gong to listen to sales and support calls
- Collecting feedback from implementation teams
Structured Feedback Collection:
- Win/loss analysis
- Customer surveys and interviews
- Usage analytics and behavior data
- Pilot program feedback
Converting Insights to Action:
- Regular reporting to product and development teams
- Incorporating feedback into roadmap planning
- Updating messaging and positioning based on customer input
- Refining go-to-market strategies
5. What are the most effective ways to demonstrate the value of product marketing to leadership in healthcare organizations?
The key to demonstrating value is combining both financial and engagement metrics:
Financial Metrics:
- Revenue growth from new product launches
- Market share gains
- Pipeline contribution
- Customer acquisition costs
- Customer lifetime value
Engagement Metrics:
- Customer satisfaction scores
- Product adoption rates
- Sales enablement effectiveness
- Market awareness metrics
- Customer engagement levels
Value Demonstration:
- Regular reporting on KPIs
- Clear connection between activities and business outcomes
- ROI analysis of product marketing initiatives
- Customer success stories and testimonials
6. How should product marketing teams manage the relationship between product development and go-to-market strategy?
Successful management of this relationship requires:
Early Involvement:
- Participation in product planning from inception
- Regular engagement with development teams
- Input on product roadmap decisions
- Early access to product capabilities
Clear Communication Channels:
- Regular cross-functional meetings
- Shared documentation and planning tools
- Clear roles and responsibilities
- Aligned objectives and metrics
Bridge Building:
- Translating customer needs to technical requirements
- Converting technical capabilities to market messaging
- Facilitating feedback between customers and development
- Coordinating launch activities across teams
7. What tools and frameworks are most valuable for healthcare technology product marketers?
Modern product marketers need a combination of traditional frameworks and modern tools:
Traditional Frameworks:
- Value Proposition House/Canvas
- Pragmatic Marketing Framework
- Creative briefs
- Competitive battle cards
Digital Tools:
- Perplexity and ChatGPT for research and content
- Gong for customer insight gathering
- HighSpot for sales enablement
- Walnut for product demos
- Figma for mockups and prototypes
Market Research Tools:
- AIS Health for payer insights
- Definitive Healthcare for provider data
- Notebook LM for information synthesis
8. How can product marketing teams effectively manage product launches in the healthcare technology space?
Successful product launches require:
Pre-Launch Planning:
- Comprehensive go-to-market strategy
- Clear launch objectives and metrics
- Stakeholder alignment
- Resource allocation and timing
Launch Execution:
- Coordinated cross-functional activities
- Clear communication plans
- Sales enablement and training
- Marketing campaign activation
Post-Launch Activities:
- Performance monitoring
- Customer feedback collection
- Strategy adjustment as needed
- Ongoing support and optimization
9. What role should product marketing play in pricing and positioning healthcare technology solutions?
Product marketing should drive:
Pricing Strategy:
- Value-based pricing methodology
- Competitive pricing analysis
- Package and bundle development
- Pricing model innovation
Positioning:
- Market segmentation
- Competitive differentiation
- Value proposition development
- Message testing and refinement
Strategic Input:
- Market opportunity assessment
- Customer willingness to pay analysis
- ROI model development
- Pricing communication strategy
10. How is AI changing product marketing in healthcare technology, and what opportunities/challenges does it present?
AI is transforming product marketing in several ways:
Current Applications:
- Content creation and optimization
- Market research and analysis
- Customer insights generation
- Competitive intelligence gathering
Emerging Opportunities:
- Personalized messaging at scale
- Automated market monitoring
- Predictive analytics for product success
- Enhanced customer journey mapping
Challenges:
- Ensuring accuracy and quality
- Maintaining brand voice
- Data privacy and security
- Integration with existing workflows
Future Considerations:
- Building AI-ready skill sets
- Balancing automation and human touch
- Ethical use of AI in marketing
- Staying current with AI capabilities
I was blown away by the breadth and depth of what product marketing entails. I hope you found this useful.
If you liked this post and want to learn more…
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- See what other healthcare technology marketers are doing. Check out the State of ABM in Healthcare Technology.
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- Work with me directly. Let’s book a growth session and we can explore ways you can improve your marketing using the latest techniques in account-based marketing.