What is a product marketer's role in pioneering company-wide VOC strategies, making sure that VOC isn't a functional initiative?

This is a great question, and those I’ve worked with, know that I will get on my soapbox any day as ultimately we are in business because of our customers.

When I worked at Intuit, I loved that if you encountered founder Scott Cook at the office, he would stop and ask if you had any customer insights to share. It wasn’t if you were a marketer, it was that it was part of the DNA of the company, and what I feel makes a company that is now 30+ years old continue to innovate with sustainable growth. 

Customer feedback and gathering insights is everyone’s role. However, I recognize, that not all cultures foster that, and you have an amazing leadership opportunity to set the tone. I would use the analogy, of crawl, walk, and run, as change doesn’t happen overnight. Think about the impact you can have with insights, as it:

• Plays a role in influencing the product roadmap

• Informs relevant messaging for GTM campaigns

• Provides feedback that is invaluable to teams that are regularly interfacing with customers, from sales to customer service, on how to improve and add more value

It's important to identify who is best in partnership with product marketers to track the impact of VOC-driven initiatives on key metrics such as customer satisfaction, retention, and revenue. 

I hope this provides some ideas of how you can infuse your customer-centricity with the rest of the organization by partnering, educating, and showcasing the impact of insights to action to drive results!