In a recent YouTube video titled "Why Product Marketing Should OWN Pricing | Build the Case & Drive Revenue Growth," Akhil from Monetizely addresses a critical organizational question facing many SaaS companies: Who should own pricing? Drawing from his expertise and the framework outlined in his book "Price to Scale," Akhil provides a compelling case for why product marketing is strategically positioned to lead pricing decisions.
The Root of Pricing Problems
Most pricing challenges aren't actually pricing problems at all. As Akhil explains in the video: "In our book, Price to Scale, we emphasize that most pricing problems are not actually pricing problems. They are the result of poorly understood and communicated positioning."
This insight reveals why product marketing owning pricing makes strategic sense. When the team responsible for positioning also drives pricing decisions, you create natural alignment between how you position your product and how you price it. This connection ensures your pricing reflects the value you communicate to customers.
How to Build Your Internal Business Case
If you're a product marketing leader looking to take ownership of pricing, Akhil outlines a strategic approach to build your case:
1. Highlight Product Marketing's Unique Position
Product Marketing sits at a critical intersection within your organization. As Akhil points out, "PMM naturally bridges market needs, understanding customer willingness to pay with product capabilities that deliver value."
This dual perspective is invaluable for pricing because effective pricing strategies must balance:
- What customers value and are willing to pay for
- What your product actually delivers
Product marketers inherently develop this balanced view through their regular work, making them well-suited to lead pricing decisions.
2. Emphasize PMM's Competitive Intelligence Role
Product marketing already analyzes competitor positioning and messaging as part of their core responsibilities. This makes them "ideally placed to understand competitive pricing dynamics and how your pricing reinforces your market position," according to Akhil.
This competitive insight is crucial for strategic pricing, ensuring your pricing structure both responds to market conditions and reinforces your unique value proposition.
3. Document Current Pricing Challenges
To strengthen your case, identify and document existing pricing issues that stem from organizational disconnects:
- Are pricing decisions made without sufficient market input?
- Do conflicts exist between product positioning and pricing?
These gaps demonstrate the need for better coordination – precisely what product marketing can provide.
Propose a Cross-Functional Model
Akhil cautions against positioning this as a territory grab: "Don't just advocate for PMM to own pricing in isolation. Instead, present a cross-functional pricing governance model with product marketing as the orchestrator rather than sole decision maker."
This collaborative approach ensures:
- Finance maintains input on profitability requirements
- Sales operations provide feedback on execution challenges
- Product management contributes insights on costs and capabilities
Product marketing serves as the central hub that synthesizes these diverse inputs within a market-driven framework.
Address Potential Objections Proactively
Any organizational change faces resistance. Akhil recommends preparing for common objections:
From Finance: They may worry about losing control over margin decisions.
Response: Emphasize that finance remains responsible for profitability analysis and constraints. Product marketing will work within these parameters.
From Sales: They might fear losing pricing flexibility.
Response: "Show how better market-driven pricing actually makes their job easier by aligning price with perceived value," Akhil advises. When pricing accurately reflects customer value perception, sales conversations become more straightforward.
Present Specific Deliverables
To make your case concrete, outline the specific contributions product marketing will make to pricing:
- Competitive pricing intelligence
- Customer willingness-to-pay research
- Pricing tier recommendations
- Pricing communications that support sales conversations
Build Credibility Incrementally
"Build credibility by starting small," suggests Akhil. "Volunteer to lead specific pricing research projects or competitive analysis that demonstrate PMM's value in pricing decisions."
These initial successes create the foundation for broader ownership discussions and demonstrate product marketing's capability to add value to pricing decisions.
Focus on Outcomes, Not Ownership
Akhil emphasizes that the strongest argument focuses on organizational optimization rather than departmental territory: "Your goal is better pricing decisions that drive revenue growth, not just ownership for its own sake."
By showing how product marketing ownership improves pricing outcomes and aligns pricing with customer value perception, you make a business case that's difficult to dismiss.
As Akhil concludes, "Remember, the strongest business case combines strategic rationale with practical demonstration of value. Show them, don't just tell, how product marketing ownership improves pricing outcomes."
For SaaS executives and product marketing leaders, this perspective offers a practical roadmap for addressing one of the most consequential organizational questions: who should lead your pricing strategy? The answer, according to pricing expert Akhil from Monetizely, is clear – product marketing is uniquely positioned to drive pricing decisions that align with your market positioning and deliver revenue growth.