May 13th is considered Product Management day. It was on this date, in 1931, an up-and-coming 26-year-old Procter & Gamble employee named Neil H. McElroy issued his famous “Brand Men” Memo. In his 800 word memo, he made a case for hiring more people (Product Managers, sound familiar?) to own the responsibility of tracking sales, managing the product, advertising, and promotions. He was successful in hiring two people to his team, and the rest is history.
Related Reading:
- The “51331 memo” and the origins of product management
- The McElroy Memo and the Birth of Brand Management
- The History and Evolution of Product Management
- Product Management Was Born 90 Years Ago Today (Maybe, Sort Of)
