Organizational Role of the Product Manager

The product management function within can live within Technology, Marketing, or Strategy. In some organizations, it is elevated into its own division. Historically, in media organizations, “digital products” lived within the IT department. In such cases, the product management function was owned by the Chief Technology Officer or whoever was the head of the IT team. As the strategic importance of the role became more broadly recognized, product management began to move closer and closer to its true nature which is at the intersection of technology, design and marketing. For this reason, product management needs to sit outside of development, marketing, and design as it drives execution across all of these business functions without having direct management oversight over the people working within those divisions.

There are a few core responsibilities common to most product management roles inside a media company. Most often, a Product Manager is responsible for understanding audience needs, defining and prioritizing features, and working with the creative and development teams to prototype and build products.

The term “inbound product management” is used across the media and technology industry to refer to the product management activities that are associated with the creative and technical development of the product. “Outbound product management” is the term that refers to the product management activities that are related to ensuring internal organizational readiness for a new product, and also the externally-facing awareness-building activities that serve to drive adoption of a new product. The latter is typically referred to as “go-to-market” activities, and includes working with public relations, marketing, and advertising stakeholders to define and execute a go-to-market strategy. In media organizations with small teams and limited resources, the Product Manager plays a more active role in both inbound and outbound activities.