Tuesday morning, Lisa (PMM lead) hit send on the biggest product launch of her career. New product positioning, updated website, sales enablement deck, analyst briefings—she'd orchestrated everything perfectly. By 10am, the launch blog post was live and she'd already briefed the press.
By 11am, her Slack was blowing up. Demand gen had sent their weekly email to 50,000 prospects... about the old product. Zero mention of the launch. Marketing automation workflows were still promoting last quarter's messaging. Paid ads were running with outdated value props. Prospects who saw the launch announcement then visited the website got confused—the messaging didn't match.
Lisa called the demand gen director: "Did you see we launched today?" The response: "Oh, was that today? Nobody told me." Turns out Lisa had been so focused on product positioning and sales enablement that she forgot to actually coordinate the campaign that would drive awareness and pipeline. She had the messaging, but no distribution. Demand gen had distribution, but no clue about the new messaging.
Two weeks later, leadership asked: "How much pipeline did the launch generate?" Lisa had no good answer. She'd executed a perfect launch that nobody saw.
Here's the coordination framework Lisa built to make sure it never happened again—the operating model that ensures PMM and demand gen actually drive pipeline together instead of working in parallel.
Why PMM-Demand Gen Coordination Matters
What happens without coordination:
- Product launches with no demand gen support (low awareness)
- Campaigns promote old messaging (confusing prospects)
- Marketing spend wasted on unqualified leads (wrong audience)
- Sales gets leads with no context (low conversion)
What happens with coordination:
- Launches amplified with targeted campaigns (high awareness)
- Messaging consistent across all channels (clear value prop)
- Campaigns drive qualified leads to new products (higher conversion)
- Sales has context on leads (better close rates)
Lisa saw this firsthand after she fixed the coordination problem. The next launch, she pulled demand gen into the planning process four weeks early. They built the campaign together—PMM owned messaging, demand gen owned distribution, both owned the pipeline target. Result: 30-50% more pipeline than previous launches that demand gen wasn't involved in. Campaign conversion rates jumped because the messaging was consistent everywhere prospects looked. MQL-to-SQL conversion improved 20-30% because sales had context on every lead.
Impact of good coordination:
- 30-50% more pipeline from product launches
- 2-3x higher campaign conversion rates
- 20-30% improvement in MQL-to-SQL conversion
The PMM-Demand Gen Operating Model
PMM Owns:
- Product positioning and messaging
- Launch strategy and timing
- Sales enablement
- Product-specific content (one-pagers, decks, battlecards)
- Customer evidence (case studies, testimonials)
Demand Gen Owns:
- Campaign strategy and execution
- Lead generation channels (email, paid, events, content)
- Lead scoring and nurture
- Marketing automation (email sequences, workflows)
- Performance metrics (leads, MQLs, pipeline)
Shared Ownership:
- Campaign messaging (PMM creates, demand gen adapts for channels)
- Content creation (PMM defines, demand gen produces or coordinates)
- Lead qualification criteria (jointly define ICP and scoring)
- Campaign performance (jointly review and optimize)
The key: PMM sets strategy, demand gen executes campaigns.
The Launch Campaign Framework
Every Tier-1 or Tier-2 product launch should have coordinated demand gen campaign.
4-Week Pre-Launch (Awareness Building)
PMM activities:
- Finalize positioning and messaging
- Create launch content (blog post, video, demo)
- Brief demand gen on launch timing and strategy
Demand gen activities:
- Build campaign plan (channels, budget, timeline)
- Create teaser content (email, social, ads)
- Set up tracking (UTM codes, landing pages)
Deliverables:
- Launch campaign brief
- Content calendar
- Teaser email sequence
Example teaser campaign:
- Week -4: LinkedIn post "Something new is coming..."
- Week -3: Email to customers "Get early access to [Product]"
- Week -2: Blog post "The problem with [current solutions]"
- Week -1: Webinar announcement "Join us for [Product] launch event"
Launch Week (Announcement)
PMM activities:
- Publish launch blog post
- Enable sales team
- Coordinate press/analyst outreach (if applicable)
Demand gen activities:
- Launch announcement email (customers + prospects)
- Paid ads campaign (LinkedIn, Google)
- Social media posts
- Launch webinar or event
Deliverables:
- Launch email (3 variations: customers, prospects, trials)
- Paid ad creative (3-5 variations for testing)
- Social posts (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)
- Landing page with signup/trial CTA
Example launch day:
- 8am: Blog post published
- 9am: Email sent to 50K prospects
- 10am: Social posts go live
- 11am: Paid ads start running
- 2pm: Launch webinar
Post-Launch (4-8 weeks - Sustained Campaign)
PMM activities:
- Monitor adoption and feedback
- Create additional content (use cases, customer stories)
- Refine messaging based on early results
Demand gen activities:
- Nurture campaign (email series for signups)
- Retargeting ads (website visitors who didn't convert)
- Content promotion (blog, case studies)
- Event/webinar follow-up
Deliverables:
- 5-email nurture sequence
- Retargeting ad campaign
- Case study or customer story
- Follow-up webinar
Example nurture sequence:
- Day 1: Welcome email (what [Product] does)
- Day 3: Use case email (how customers use it)
- Day 7: Demo invitation email
- Day 14: Case study email (customer success story)
- Day 21: Limited-time offer email
Ongoing (Evergreen Campaign)
PMM activities:
- Update product content quarterly
- Gather new customer stories and proof points
Demand gen activities:
- Incorporate product into ongoing campaigns
- Update website and landing pages
- Add to email newsletter mentions
- Optimize based on performance data
Goal: Product becomes part of standard demand gen motion, not just launch spike
The Campaign Brief Template
For every launch or major campaign, PMM creates brief for demand gen:
CAMPAIGN BRIEF: [Product] Launch
Campaign Goal: Generate 500 MQLs and $2M in pipeline in 90 days
Target Audience: Product marketing managers at B2B SaaS companies, 100-1000 employees
Key Messaging:
- Value prop: "Launch products 10x faster with purpose-built GTM platform"
- Key benefits: Reduce coordination time 70%, ensure sales readiness, measure impact
- Differentiation: Purpose-built for product launches (vs. generic PM tools)
Campaign Channels:
- Email (3 sends to prospect list)
- LinkedIn ads ($20K budget)
- Webinar (target 200 attendees)
- Organic social (LinkedIn, Twitter)
Content Assets:
- Launch blog post (PMM provides)
- Product demo video (PMM provides)
- Landing page (demand gen builds, PMM reviews copy)
- Email templates (demand gen writes, PMM approves)
Timeline:
- Week -2: Teaser campaign
- Week 0: Launch announcement
- Week 1-8: Sustained nurture
Success Metrics:
- Email open rate: 25%+
- Landing page conversion: 10%+
- MQLs generated: 500
- Pipeline generated: $2M
Competitive Considerations: We're competing with Asana and Monday.com. Emphasize purpose-built for GTM vs. generic.
Proof Points:
- TechCorp reduced launch time by 40%
- FinServ Co shipped 3x more launches with same team
- 95% customer retention rate
The Weekly PMM-Demand Gen Sync
30-minute standing meeting every week:
Agenda:
1. Upcoming launches (10 min)
- What's launching in next 4-8 weeks?
- Campaign support needed?
- Content requirements?
2. Active campaigns (10 min)
- Performance review (leads, MQLs, pipeline)
- What's working? What's not?
- Adjustments needed?
3. Content pipeline (5 min)
- What content is PMM creating?
- What content does demand gen need?
- Timeline and dependencies?
4. Lead quality (5 min)
- Are leads qualified?
- Sales feedback on lead quality?
- Scoring adjustments needed?
Outcome: Aligned on priorities, clear on who owns what, no surprises
How to Measure PMM-Demand Gen Coordination
Campaign performance:
- MQLs generated per campaign
- MQL-to-SQL conversion rate
- Pipeline generated
- Campaign ROI
Launch effectiveness:
- Product awareness (% of target market aware after launch)
- Trial signups or demo requests
- Product-influenced pipeline
- Time to first customer
Coordination quality:
- % of launches with demand gen campaign support (target: 100% for Tier-1/2)
- Campaign-messaging alignment (audit: do campaigns match PMM messaging?)
- Lead quality satisfaction (sales rates leads 7+/10)
Relationship health:
- Weekly sync attendance (target: 90%+)
- Stakeholder satisfaction (demand gen rates PMM support 8+/10)
Common PMM-Demand Gen Coordination Mistakes
Mistake 1: PMM launches without demand gen
You launch product but don't coordinate campaign support.
Problem: Low awareness, no pipeline impact.
Fix: Every Tier-1/2 launch gets demand gen campaign (planned 4 weeks in advance).
Mistake 2: Demand gen creates messaging without PMM
Demand gen writes campaign emails without PMM review.
Problem: Messaging inconsistent with product positioning.
Fix: PMM reviews all product-related campaign copy before launch.
Mistake 3: No shared metrics
PMM measures product adoption. Demand gen measures MQLs. No one measures pipeline together.
Problem: Can't prove coordinated impact.
Fix: Jointly track product-influenced pipeline and campaign ROI.
Mistake 4: Last-minute requests
PMM asks demand gen to run campaign 1 week before launch.
Problem: Not enough time to build quality campaign.
Fix: Demand gen needs 4-6 weeks lead time for major campaigns.
Mistake 5: Campaigns run with old messaging
Product positioning changes but demand gen campaigns still use old messaging.
Problem: Confused prospects, poor conversion.
Fix: Quarterly messaging alignment session to update all campaigns.
The Content Collaboration Framework
PMM creates foundation content:
- Product positioning and messaging
- Value proposition and key benefits
- Use case descriptions
- Competitive differentiation
- Case studies and proof points
Demand gen adapts for channels:
- Email campaigns (subject lines, body copy)
- Paid ad copy (headlines, descriptions)
- Landing pages (headlines, CTAs)
- Social posts (tweets, LinkedIn posts)
Workflow:
Step 1 (PMM): Create messaging foundation document
Step 2 (Demand gen): Draft channel-specific copy
Step 3 (PMM): Review and approve (ensure messaging consistency)
Step 4 (Demand gen): Launch campaigns
Step 5 (Both): Review performance and iterate
Turnaround SLA:
- PMM provides foundation: 5 business days before campaign launch
- Demand gen drafts copy: 3 business days before launch
- PMM reviews: 24-48 hours turnaround
The Quarterly Campaign Planning Session
Every quarter, PMM and demand gen plan together (2-hour session):
1. Review last quarter (30 min)
- What campaigns drove most pipeline?
- What launches performed best?
- Lessons learned?
2. Upcoming launches (30 min)
- What's launching next quarter?
- Launch tier (1, 2, 3, 4)?
- Campaign support needed?
3. Campaign priorities (30 min)
- What campaigns are demand gen planning?
- How do they tie to product launches?
- Budget allocation by campaign?
4. Content needs (20 min)
- What content does demand gen need from PMM?
- What proof points are we missing?
- Case study pipeline?
5. Metrics and goals (10 min)
- Quarterly pipeline target?
- MQL goals by campaign?
- How do we measure success together?
Deliverable: Quarterly campaign calendar with launches, campaigns, content needs, and owners
The Quick Win: Align PMM-Demand Gen in 2 Weeks
Week 1:
- Day 1: Set up weekly 30-min sync meeting
- Day 2: Create launch calendar (next 3 months)
- Day 3: Identify which launches need campaign support
- Day 4-5: Create campaign brief template
Week 2:
- Day 1-2: Build messaging foundation for next launch
- Day 3: Share with demand gen, get feedback
- Day 4: Jointly define success metrics (MQLs, pipeline)
- Day 5: Launch planning session (timeline, content, channels)
Outcome: Coordinated launch with demand gen campaign ready to go
Impact: 30-50% more pipeline from coordinated launch vs. uncoordinated
The Uncomfortable Truth
Most PMM and demand gen teams work in parallel, not together.
PMM focuses on: Product launches, sales enablement, messaging
Demand gen focuses on: Lead generation, campaigns, MQLs
They rarely: Coordinate strategy, share metrics, align messaging
The result:
- Launches without demand gen support (low awareness)
- Campaigns with inconsistent messaging (confusing prospects)
- Missed pipeline opportunities
What works:
- Weekly sync meetings (stay aligned on launches and campaigns)
- Shared campaign calendar (visibility into what's coming)
- Clear ownership model (PMM creates messaging, demand gen executes)
- Joint metrics (product-influenced pipeline, campaign ROI)
- Quarterly planning sessions (align on priorities)
The best PMM-demand gen partnerships:
- Meet weekly (stay coordinated)
- Plan launches together 4-6 weeks in advance
- Share campaign calendar and results
- Jointly own pipeline targets
- Align messaging across all channels
If your demand gen team doesn't know about product launches until they happen, you're leaving 30-50% of potential pipeline on the table.
Coordinate early. Align messaging. Drive pipeline together.