What Product Marketers Wish CMOs Understood

Last week, we pulled back the curtain on “What CMOs Wish Product Marketers Knew,” spotlighting the data-driven, outcome-obsessed view from the top of the marketing org. If that post had you nodding – and maybe squirming – a little, you’ll love the sequel. This week, we flip the script and hand the mic to product marketers, the folks who turn strategy into market-ready stories. Welcome to “What Product Marketers Wish CMOs Knew,” where we unpack their side of the alignment equation and share practical ways both camps can meet in the middle to accelerate growth.

The product marketing function sits at a crossroads of product development, sales, and marketing – and often PMMs feel they are fighting an uphill battle to get their strategic contributions recognized. Here are five things product marketers wish their CMOs (and other executives) understood about their role and needs:

1. Recognize Product Marketing’s Strategic Value

Product marketing is far more than a “launch and collateral factory” – it’s a strategic function that, when empowered, can drive market success. PMMs often wish CMOs had a deeper appreciation for the strategic value and expertise product marketing brings. This includes market positioning, understanding the competitive landscape, shaping product roadmap with customer feedback, and orchestrating go-to-market strategy. 

Too often, product marketers feel undervalued or misunderstood. In one industry survey, only 5% of product marketers said other teams fully understand the scope and impact of what PMMs do . That means a whopping 95% feel their role’s value isn’t fully recognized. This lack of understanding can lead to PMMs being relegated to purely tactical tasks – for example, just churning out datasheets or slide decks on request – rather than being involved in strategic planning. 

Product marketers wish CMOs saw them as the “central hub” for product success, not just a support role. Product marketing is the glue between product, sales, and marketing and ensures go-to-market efforts align and resonate . When CMOs tap PMMs for this strategic insight (e.g. inviting them to planning meetings, asking for their input on product strategy and messaging early on), it not only boosts outcomes but also morale. PMMs who feel heard and valued will go the extra mile. 

So, product marketers are asking CMOs: please leverage our skills beyond the feature briefs – involve us in higher-level strategy, and acknowledge our contributions to wins. A little recognition goes a long way.

2. Trust Us with Autonomy and Ownership

Another common wish from product marketing teams is for greater autonomy in executing their work. While CMOs set direction, product marketers crave the trust and latitude to determine how to best achieve product-market fit and go-to-market success. Nothing stifles a product marketer more than excessive micromanagement or constant last-minute changes from higher-ups. 

PMMs wish CMOs understood that they operate most effectively when treated as owners of their domain – empowered to make decisions about positioning, target segments, or launch tactics based on their expertise and data. In today’s fast-paced marketing environment, micromanagement is not only impractical but can be counterproductive. 

Studies have shown that over-supervision diminishes team morale and slows down execution. Conversely, granting autonomy boosts productivity and innovation: when team members feel trusted, they are more engaged and proactive. Product marketers are saying, “Let us run with the ball.” For CMOs, this means resisting the urge to second-guess every detail and instead providing clear objectives and support – then letting the PMM figure out the plan. It also means backing product marketing’s decisions when interfacing with other execs or product teams. 

PMMs understand they’ll be held accountable for results; what they ask in return is the freedom to apply their know-how without constant oversight. By trusting your product marketing team, you not only get happier, more creative marketers, but you’re likely to see better outcomes as they take true ownership of product success.

3. Provide Adequate Resources and Support

“Do more with less” might be a reality, but product marketers wish CMOs knew just how thinly stretched they often are. The scope of product marketing is broad – from market research and messaging to sales enablement and launch coordination – yet many product marketing teams are surprisingly small. 

PMMs often juggle multiple product lines and wear many hats, which can lead to burnout and suboptimal execution if not supported properly. One recent industry survey found 44.3 % of product-marketing teams consist of just 1-2 people, and 31.8 % have only 3-5 – underscoring chronic head-count shortages. This talent crunch results in lower morale, missed opportunities, and an inability to be strategic when the team is buried in tactical firefighting. 

Product marketers wish their CMOs understood that bandwidth matters – you can’t expect world-class strategy and deliverables if the team is constantly underwater. What’s the ask? 

• First, realistic expectations and prioritization: PMMs want CMOs to help cut low-value tasks or defer non-urgent asks so the team can focus on what’s truly important. 
• Second, investment in headcount or external help when needed: if launching a major product, consider bringing in an extra contractor or leveraging an agency for support, rather than assuming the existing team can magically absorb the work. (In fact, many organizations are now supplementing their teams with external product marketing experts to gain agility and scale.) 
• Third, provide tools and training: modern product marketing involves data analysis, automation, and content management – having the right tools (and budget for them) can significantly increase efficiency. 
• And finally, emotional support and advocacy: PMMs appreciate when CMOs have their back, whether it’s securing budget for a key analyst report or championing the value of product marketing to the executive team. 

When CMOs ensure product marketing is well-resourced and set up for success, the whole business benefits – you get better launches, better sales alignment, and ultimately better revenue outcomes.

4. Champion Cross-Functional Collaboration

Product marketers sit at the intersection of various departments – and sometimes that’s a tricky place to be. They rely on collaboration with product management, sales, customer success, engineering, and more to do their jobs well. One of the biggest things PMMs wish CMOs would do is to foster a culture of cross-functional collaboration and help break down silos that impede the flow of information. 

For example, if a CMO encourages regular communication and shared goals between the product marketing and sales teams, it can dramatically improve things like messaging consistency and lead conversion. Product marketers often find themselves needing to play diplomat across teams; a supportive CMO who reinforces collaborative behavior from the top can make this much easier. 

According to the Product Marketing Alliance, building cross-departmental partnerships is essential for PMMs to showcase their full impact, enabling them to influence everything from sales effectiveness to product roadmap by working closely with other teams . PMMs wish their CMOs understood the importance of these bridges – and used their executive clout to strengthen them. 

What can CMOs do? They can set up joint objectives (e.g. ensuring that product, marketing, and sales all share a KPI for a launch’s success), they can facilitate inter-team workshops or planning sessions, and they can publicly recognize examples of good collaboration. Even encouraging something as simple as product managers and product marketers engaging early and often can prevent a scenario where a feature is built in a vacuum and then tossed to marketing last-minute. 

When CMOs champion cross-functional alignment, product marketers are empowered to do their best work – because they have the inputs, buy-in, and unified messaging needed from all sides. The result: smoother launches and campaigns that feel like everyone is rowing in the same direction.

In short, PMMs want CMOs to not only permit but expect and demand tight collaboration across departments – it makes the product marketing output far more impactful.

5. Set Realistic Timelines and Expectations

Last but certainly not least, product marketing teams wish their CMOs understood the time and effort required to do things right. Whether it’s a major product launch or a repositioning campaign, success is often in the preparation – and unrealistic deadlines can set everyone up for failure. PMMs sometimes feel that leadership underestimates the lead time needed for truly effective marketing strategies (for instance, conducting proper customer research, creating quality content, enabling sales teams, and iterating on messaging).

When CMOs or other execs impose overly aggressive launch dates (“We need this out next week!”) or constantly expand scope mid-project, it can overwhelm the product marketing team and result in rushed outputs. Product marketers aren’t asking to slow down the business unnecessarily – they thrive on moving fast – but they do want CMOs to appreciate a realistic process. This includes factoring in contingencies for the unexpected. Industry best practices suggest planning product launches months in advance when possible, and avoiding the common pitfall of compressed timelines. 

In fact, a 2025 guide on product launches identified unrealistic deadlines as a top “common mistake” that derails launch efforts. PMMs wish their CMOs would heed this and help defend reasonable timelines. That could mean pushing back on a release date if marketing needs an extra few weeks to prime the market, or not announcing a launch date publicly before checking with the marketing team’s readiness. 

Additionally, setting realistic expectations extends to results: not every campaign will be an overnight blockbuster, especially in complex B2B markets with long sales cycles. A savvy CMO will set interim goals and understand ramp-up periods, rather than expecting immediate miracles from product marketing. 

When CMOs communicate clear priorities and realistic expectations, PMMs can prioritize effectively and execute with confidence. In essence, product marketers want their CMOs to value quality over frantic speed – because a rush job can hurt the customer experience and brand reputation, whereas a well-planned launch or campaign yields far better long-term outcomes.

By embracing the points above – recognizing PMMs’ strategic role, granting autonomy, resourcing them properly, encouraging collaboration, and setting fair expectations – CMOs can get the best out of their product marketing teams. In turn, product marketers who feel supported and understood by their CMO are more likely to deliver exceptional results.

Bridging the Gap and Moving Forward

At its core, the CMO-PMM relationship thrives on open communication and mutual respect. Both sides ultimately share the same goals: winning in the marketplace and delighting customers. The disconnects often arise simply from different vantage points. CMOs are responsible for overall marketing performance and aligning with business leadership, while product marketers are closer to the product details and customer insights. When each understands the other’s pressures and contributions, it’s easier to find common ground.

For CMOs: This means taking the time to engage with product marketing plans and challenges – and providing strategic guidance without micromanaging. It means treating product marketers not just as executors, but as strategic partners who bring valuable market and customer knowledge.

For Product Marketers: This means framing your work in the context of business outcomes, communicating proactively about how your efforts ladder up to company goals, and demonstrating results with data. It also means understanding the CMO’s viewpoint – they have to answer to CEOs and boards on growth metrics, so help them help you by translating your marketing activities into that language.

When CMOs and product marketing leaders align, the impact is powerful. Companies see more cohesive go-to-market execution, better product launches, stronger messaging, and ultimately, faster growth. As one marketing leader put it, marketing should be the “big integrator” in the company, bringing everyone together around the customer . Bridging the CMO-PMM gap is a big step toward that ideal.

If your organization is struggling with CMO and product marketing alignment, or if you simply want to accelerate your product marketing impact, Aventi Group can help. As a product marketing agency with deep expertise, we’ve partnered with countless marketing and product teams to drive strategic alignment and results. Reach out to Aventi Group to learn how our seasoned product marketing professionals can bridge gaps, inject fresh insights, and boost your go-to-market success. Let’s transform disconnects into a united front that propels your business forward.