Be a π-type person-definition of consumer product product manager

Edit Introduction: Consumer product product manager, its work content is the planning and management of the product, and the scope of work runs through the entire process of R & D, manufacturing, marketing, marketing, and channels. In this article, the author believes that the consumer product manager belongs to the "π" talent. why? Let's take a look together ~

1. Review earlier

"In the field of consumer goods, product managers are positions for market competition."

In the article "The Manager of Consumer Products Products", through the historical development and evolution of the field of consumer goods in China, with two dimensions of the market environment and product functions, the origin and change of the work function of consumer goods products are analyzed. introduction.

Three conclusions are obtained through comparative analysis of the two dimensions of the market environment and product functions:

1. Short time and fast change

Since the reform and opening up of Chinese consumer goods, it has only been 44 years since the reform and opening up, but it is divided into the world's factories, digital economy, and crowd changes. Three different development periods. Among them, the digital economy is intertwined with the people.

2. There are different guidance themes, and product functions are focused on

Three product functions of different orientation periods are borne by personnel of different roles. From the time of going, the technical person, operation/design person, and advertiser, different roles match the development orientation of this period;

3. New situation requires new gameplay

The market environment changes, the overall increase from incremental expansion to the stock game, the crowd changes again, the demand is stratified, and the consumer motivation has shifted. The new situation needs to set up a special person, learn new rules, and master new gameplay.

The characteristics of consumer goods also analyzed earlier:

The field span is extremely large, such as catering and beauty, toys and consumer electronics. The professional knowledge of each industry cannot be reused. The technical gully is deep. There are different types of enterprise, there are marketing -oriented types, technical orientation types, design -oriented types, and cost -oriented types. The types of product managers required are different. The above is the main reason why no one can summarize the knowledge system that the product manager needs so far.

2. Why do small and medium -sized consumer goods companies have no product manager

Knowing the historical evolution of consumer product product managers, searching for the Internet, you can see some explanations defined by consumer product product managers in various industries. However, why are there so many articles, small and medium -sized consumer consumer goods companies still do not know how to cultivate product managers?

Because the actual work scenario and different types of enterprises have not returned to the capacity of different types of enterprises for product managers.

So, at the moment when the market environment is changing, what kind of product managers do small and medium -sized consumer goods companies need, how to choose and cultivate?

This article is the second article of the "Guidelines for the Work Manager of Consumer Products". I will explain the definition of consumer goods product managers in detail. How to choose or cultivate product managers who are suitable for enterprises. On the other hand, they are interested in turning to consumer product product managers Partner, how to choose a company that suits you.

3. Definition of consumer product product managers

When you search for product managers on the Internet, you can search for many explanations to product managers. For example, Baidu Encyclopedia's definition of product managers is like this.

Its work content is the planning and management of the product, and the scope of work runs through the entire process of R & D, manufacturing, marketing, and channels.

For the definition of product managers, the interpretation on the Internet is more abstract. Returning to the actual work scenario and the capabilities of different types of enterprises for product managers, I think the product manager of consumer goods is a "π" talent.

-What does the product from the idea to the process and method of the listing phase, what to do and what to do every step.

The workflow, content and methods of consumer product product managers have many explanations on the Internet, but they are more scattered and there are no specific case guidance. Explained, do not do it here.

"Π" 丨 represents a certain field in research and development, design, and marketing.

The 表 in "π" represents the professional knowledge and workflow of another field (R & D, design, and marketing) outside the proficient field.

The "π" type is an ideal model of consumer product product managers. The more comprehensive and deeper the knowledge, the better.

In reality, most product managers are "T" talents, that is, a certain field in the research and development, design, and marketing, and master the process and method from the idea to the listing stage.

Different from the Internet field, the newcomers have professional product posts at the beginning and are gradually promoted. Why are consumer goods companies transfer?

There are two very realistic factors.

1. Cost cost of the employment of the enterprise

In terms of functions, consumer goods product managers are both subdivided and comprehensive. They include both the theory and the actual connection with very close contact, and require long -term learning and practice. It is impossible for enterprises to spend time, money, and resource costs for a long time. To cultivate talents who cannot confirm the service life, the cost of sinking is too high.

As mentioned earlier, in the three different orientations of the development of consumer goods in China, the product functions are borne by personnel of different roles. The product manager is transferred from the personnel of these three characters. The practical consideration from the cost of employment by enterprises is in line with reality.

In addition, these three characters work in actual work can initially establish awareness of product processes. With the time of work, the more problems are solved, the more experienced the experience, and the more complete the cognition.

2. The lack of product processes of small and medium -sized enterprises must admit that small and medium -sized enterprises in the field of consumer goods in China are not only uncomfortable in the workflow, but many companies can be said to have no. The process mentioned here refers to a complete system and landing documents, such as product definition documents.

Among the more than thirty companies I have interviewed, only one company has a complete product definition document (is a definition document, not a specification book or product description).

Most of the time, what the product does is to make decisions with experience. When the boss realizes that there is a special product position for product work, the person who is most familiar with the product research and development or design is often arranged as a product manager.

In addition, the bosses of small and medium -sized enterprises also have a myth about the product process of large and the world's top 500 enterprises, such as Huawei's IPD process.

Huawei spent 10 million US dollars. It took 5 years to allow IBM to provide consultants with personal guidance, and even proposed that they would replace them without changing their minds within the enterprise. It is ridiculous when the actual operation of the enterprise and the track attributes wants to land.

The actual situation is an objective manifestation of the actual operation of the enterprise. The owner of the enterprise and the product should not expect to reverse the reality. We need to step by step. First of all, consciousness, and then based on the actual learning methods and processes of the enterprise, to match the corresponding product manager.

So how to choose and cultivate product managers? We need to return to the types of different enterprises and the characteristics of the tracks in order to choose the product manager suitable for enterprises.

4. How do companies choose and cultivate product managers

In 1927, Procter & Gamble first proposed the concept of "product manager" function. Procter & Gamble's product manager at the time was set up to solve the problem of poor sales and low market expenses input.

Product managers need to conduct comprehensive plans, control and management of product sales, reduce the overlapping of human overcourt, advertising waste, and customer omissions, increase the proportion of one or more brands in the profit of the entire company, and enhance the brand's competitiveness and vitality.

The original product manager, after nearly a century of functional evolution, is now defined as a brand manager in the Procter & Gamble system. It is responsible for the overall operation of the brand. The resources of the entire company operate around the brand manager.

Procter & Gamble's fast -moving consumer goods field is a track that is extremely sensitive to consumer demand, so brand managers have previously belonged to the marketing department.

As a result, the ability requirements for brand managers are to have market analysis capabilities and corporate operation capabilities. This is not only Procter & Gamble, a marketing -driven enterprise type, and it is also the fast -moving consumer goods track. It requires product managers to have a keen insight into the changes in crowd demand.

From the case of Procter & Gamble, we can see that the characteristics of the fast-moving consumer goods track-focusing on changes in consumer demand, and the overall driving force of Procter & Gamble-marketing driver, which determines the process of product managers evolved into a brand manager.

This reveals that according to the characteristics of the track, the type of enterprise drives the type of product manager that is suitable for enterprises, and it also determines the type of capability that the product manager should have.

1. Circuit characteristics

In the field of to C consumer goods, the track characteristics can be divided into two types, new technologies/materials promotes, and new crowd/scenario needs are pulled.

Therefore, there is such a sentence: the new technology/material innovation industry, the new population/scene birth brand. A track can be driven by typical technologies, or it can be pulled by typical crowds and scenes.

For example, the track of the charging treasure has both the nitride of the nitrogen charging treasures promoted by the new materials, as well as the brand specializing in the female user group.

What needs to be specifically declared is that if you, or your business is not in a brand -new technology promotion field, or the possibility of this field does not have technical/material breakthroughs in the next ten years, pay attention to the market and users' ability in the current market environment. It is particularly needed.

For example, the food and beverage industry is a typical non -technical promotion, but the needs of new people/scenes.

The vitality forest said in an interview report that the production line introduced from Europe already has the technical capabilities added by preservative 0, but the current demand for preservatives 0 in consumer groups has not been prominent. Will take this as a product selling point.

As mentioned earlier, the track characteristics are a relatively macro perspective. What is closer to reality is the type of enterprise.

2. Enterprise type

Enterprises in the field of consumer goods can be divided into four different types of enterprise types: technical driver, marketing -driven, design -driven, and cost -driving driver.

The correlation between technology and cost -driving is high. For example, a technology with a technology, and also has its own factory, can reduce production costs.

If it is a "T" product person, there is no doubt that this person will probably be a technical background.

But combined with the track attributes, if your company's track is not a new technical field or the possibility of breakthroughs, then I do not recommend transferring from technology, but should be transferred from design and marketing. Or, in addition to being proficient in technology, this person also has a deep understanding of marketing.

In other words, companies with technology -driven, design -driven, and cost -driving types are recommended to cultivate product managers from the marketing field, or this person at least know how to analyze the market, how to analyze users and build a product experience. Marketing -driven companies, I believe that there is no shortage of talents in the market and users, but it is not recommended to recruit people with pure technology as product managers. The engineering language converts into a marketing language. Marketing staff with technical background is a good choice.

5. Conclusion

In this article, we have deeply analyzed the current environment of the market environment, and returning to the actual work scenario and capacity needs. Consumer product products should be a π type talent. When choosing and cultivating product managers, consumer goods must pay attention to the combination of the track that belongs to the company. In order to cultivate product managers that are truly suitable for enterprise development.

In the next article, I will explain the product managers of three different paths. All the products that need to be learned from ideas to the introduction of the work content and thinking ability of the listing stage.

This article is originally published by @Chris products. Everyone is a product manager. Reprinting is prohibited without permission.

The title map is from Unsplash, based on the CC0 protocol

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