Can we get a drum roll, please?! Today is the day you’ve been waiting for - the day we start announcing the winners of the 2020 Product Marketing Awards.
The Product Marketing Awards was born from the goal of ensuring that we recognize and encourage outstanding talent and hard work in the field. We received nominations in the droves and whittling it down to the lucky winners was no mean feat, but whittle it down we did. We believe the winners in each category truly represent the very best of product marketing and the reasons why we’re so proud to be part of this great community.
Pssst. Check out the shortlist here.
We’ll be announcing the amazing winners in this blog over the next two weeks so remember to keep your eyes peeled. But for now and without any further ado, we’re very happy to announce the winner of the Product Marketing Leader Award.
Product Marketing Leader - Winner
Saba Mirza
Director of Product Marketing at Automation Anywhere
A diverse product marketer with over 15 years of experience, Saba is currently managing three product lines at Automation Anywhere with great success, whilst also applying her expertise to areas such as customer onboarding, sales enablement, as well as product storytelling.
Leadership is synonymous with product marketing; without drive, ambition, and an infectious attitude, the success of a product marketing team could well be a pipedream, as opposed to reality.
Presented in partnership with Coda, the Product Marketing Leader of the Year award pays homage to the PMMs who inspire their respective teams to greatness, whilst setting high standards in their pursuit of success.
Product Marketing Team of the Year - Winner
We’re delighted to name Zendesk the winner of the Product Marketing Team of the Year 2020! Located in San Francisco, Zendesk is a service-first, CRM company that builds software designed to improve customer relationships.
While it’s sometimes nice to hit individual heights, as a product marketer, you need to work as a team to successfully fulfil your goals and aspirations.
The Product Marketing Team of the Year award recognizes a team that has demonstrated a willingness to collaborate, build relationships, and share ideas to maximize their potential.
Keep up the awesome work, and congratulations again from everyone here at PMA!
Rising Star of the Year - Winner
Katherine Vasilopoulos
We’re delighted to announce the winner of the Rising Star of the Year for 2020 is Katherine Vasilopoulos - Senior Product Marketing Manager at Amazon - congratulations Katherine!
Presented in partnership with Kompyte, the Rising Star of the Year accolade acknowledges the efforts of the most exciting, prestigious talents emerging within the field.
A product marketer with previous experience working with globally recognized brands, including Johnson & Johnson, Katherine is now responsible for growing OTT revenue and usage among existing advertisers through retention, expansion, and advocacy marketing activities, as well as leading the OTT voice of customer program at Amazon Advertising.
A huge congratulations from the whole PMA team!
Product Marketing Newcomer of the Year - Winner
Kelly Farrell
This year, the Newcomer award goes to Kelly Farrell, Associate Product Marketing Manager at LinkedIn - congratulations Kelly!
Though her product marketing career is still in its infancy, Kelly has already made a profound impact within the industry. In 2019, she was listed as one of the Top 50 Brand Marketers in The Drum - a celebration of the most promising up-and-coming marketers working brand-side globally.
The added enthusiasm and dynamism of newcomers to the world of product marketing should never be underestimated. We're proud that this award offers newcomers the opportunity to step into the spotlight ahead of what we’re sure will be a long and prosperous career in product marketing.
A huge congratulations to Kelly from the whole PMA team!
Sales Enablement Star of the Year - Winner
Nina Nasre
A product marketer with experience in media digital strategy and account management, Nina previously worked at Oracle before beginning a new role at Adobe, where she's focusing on growth and retention for Adobe Advertising Cloud.
Getting the sale over the line is harder for some than others, that’s where the stars of sales enablement come in - product marketers willing to break a sweat in their effort to support sales reps and communicate with customers in a bid to smash targets, ease worries and lay the groundwork for success.
Presented in partnership with Seismic, the Product Marketing Leader of the Year award pays homage to the PMMs who go that extra mile to support their sales teams and their customers.
Positioning Maestro of the Year - Winner
Div Manickam
A portfolio messaging & product marketing leader with over a decade of industry experience, Div Manickam has worked at start-ups and Fortune 500 technology companies, applying her strong analytical skills and creative thinking to help teams achieve their goals.
As any product marketer will tell you, positioning is pivotal to a product’s success. The Positioning Maestro award aims to recognise a product marketer who has managed to finetune a particularly challenging craft - they’re able to position their offering at the forefront of the consumer’s mind, with great success.
All that remains is to say a huge congratulations to Div from the PMA team for her success in the demanding but rewarding area of product positioning and for winning this award!
The Above and Beyond Award - Winner
Vincent Xu
The winner of the Above and Beyond Award 2020, which is presented in partnership with Unbounce, goes to Vincent Xu, Product Marketing Manager at Google - congratulations, Vincent!
Sometimes, we need to take one for the team, roll our sleeves up, and dig in a little deeper than we usually would. This award aims to give a product marketer deserved recognition for putting the needs of others before themselves, in the interest of short and long term team goals.
Before taking on the role of PMM, Vincent specialized in strategy, operations, and investment experience across Tech and Finance sectors.
A huge congratulations from the whole PMA team for winning this award!
Product Launch of the Year - Winner
The Product Launch of the Year Award 2020 is awarded to RainFocus - congratulations!
This award, presented in partnership with Drift, is our way of saying ‘well done’ to the product marketing team who’s hit a home run and delivered a product launch any PMM team would be proud of.
RainFocus is a SaaS company focused on event management for large businesses that has adapted admirably to COVID-19. When the pandemic struck, their industry suffered. However, they channelled their energy into pivoting to being an online events management host and provider.
What are their secrets to turning adversity into success? A willingness to work hard, a devoted team, and strong morale.
A huge congratulations from the whole PMA team!
Most Innovative PMM Campaign - Winner
The winner of the Most Innovative Campaign Award 2020 goes to EVERFI, who launched The National Financial Bee online course and scholarship competition - congratulations!
Presented in partnership with Intercom, this award is a nod of appreciation to a company who’s set the bar very high indeed with their creativity.
The National Financial Bee is a nationwide financial literacy initiative for 7th-10th grade students. It's designed to bring together financial institutions and the community, to provide crucial financial education to students. The Bee is made up of a 5-part course and an essay contest, where students compete to win up to $10,000 in scholarship prizes.
Congratulations to the team at EVERFI on your award-winning launch and an incredible initiative!
Top Companies to Work in Product Marketing
The top 3 companies to work at, as voted for by you, the product marketing community, are GitLab in first position, Salesforce in second spot, and Zendesk in third.
Given the amount of time we spend at work, it’s essential to work in a place where we’re happy, content, and driven to be the best we can be.
This award pays homage to the top 3 companies identified by product marketers as being a great place to ply your trade.
A huge congratulations to each and every one of the winners in this awesome category!
