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PMM Files πŸ—‚οΈ

PMM Files #83 - Crushing Problems, Niching Way Down, and How Burger King Went to #1


Read Time: 3.5 minutes

Thanks for reading PMM Files. A newsletter where we share five cool product marketing examples we found last week.

Let's get to it...

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Example #1 - Crushing Problem Awareness

Crosswalks are there for a reason. But we're all guilty of bending the law when we're in a rush.

In marketing terms, our "problem awareness" is very low. We're not motivated to use them.

This interactive bus stop ad from the Quebec government is a standout example of marketing a β€œproblem.”

It's so effective, it hurts.

​→ See how Quebec nailed this problem awareness ad​

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Example #2 - Niching Way Down

Worried about niching down too much? Take inspiration from Shopiframe.

They make it easy to build e-commerce sites in Framer and manage them in Shopify. This is niching down to the extreme!

By going narrow, Shopiframe shows they’re solving a very specific problem for a very specific audience.

It’s risky, betting on the growth of two platforms. But if the audience is there, it could be an effective early positioning strategy that they can broaden later.

​→ Check out Shopiframe’s super-niche​

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Example #3 - Nothing But Comfort

I love how Google made Pixel Buds all about comfort.

Instead of focusing on gimmicky features, they focused on one simple theme that everyone cares about.

My guess? There’s a competitive angle here against AirPods.

Maybe Google heard AirPods are uncomfortable despite their functionality and went in the opposite direction.

​→ Check out their pre-launch email​

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Example #4 - Choosing and Winning a Different Game

You're constantly hearing that you need to get specific, focus on clear positioning, have a clear target market.

But outside LinkedIn, you're pressured to go broad by your CEO, your execs, your boss.

Here’s a cool example from Whereby, who started broad and narrowed their focus.

They went from competing directly with Zoom, to choosing and winning a different game.

​→ Check out my walkthrough of Whereby’s positioning​

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Example #5 - How Burger King’s App Went from #686 to #1 in 48 Hours

This has to be one of the boldest competitive campaigns I’ve seen.

Burger King became McDonald’s #1 troll by offering 1-cent Whoppers through its app β€” but only if you were near a McDonald's.

No surprise, it went viral, rocketing their app to the top spot in 48 hours.

They essentially hijacked every McD's restaurant, turning them into a Burger King promotional machine.

​→ See this awesome campaign in action​

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Want more examples?

Sharpen your skills and get inspired with 100s of practical product marketing examples, FREE.

​→ Go to PMMFiles.com​


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Founding PMM Jobs

I've started a simple job board, focused on curating new Founding PMM job opportunities.

Some highlights from this week:

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​Find More Founding PMM Jobs ↗️​

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3 More Things

Three articles, posts, or tools you should add to your swipe file.

  1. ​19 New Growth Ideas – Need fresh ideas to fuel growth? Greg Isenberg shares 19 creative, unconventional tactics to give your company’s growth efforts a boost.
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  2. ​Starting a New PMM Role? – Yi Lin Pei’s 10 essential onboarding questions help you ramp up quickly and add value sooner.
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  3. ​More Context, More Clarity – It’s easy to lose your audience when you don't take them on a journey. Alex Eaton shares tips for boosting clarity and buy-in when sharing important decisions.

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What did you think of this week's edition?

Hit reply and let me know, or leave a quick testimonial. I'd love to hear from you!

See you next Wednesday!

Jason and Aubrey

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P.S.

I work with startups and founding PMMs that are trying to build product marketing from zero. If that sounds like you, here are some ways I can help:
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​Jason and Aubrey​
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PMM Files πŸ—‚οΈ

Every week, I share 5 practical product marketing examples. Your weekly dose of PMM inspiration and practical advice in less than 3 minutes.

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