In this article, Dean Taylor, CEO and Founder of Contagion, draws on decades of experience to explore how marketing has evolved from showcasing tangible products to creating powerful emotional connections in a service-driven world. He highlights the importance of insight-driven strategies in building strong, lasting brand relationships. Read on for valuable insights.

Over many years in strategy, I have been thrilled at the marketing campaigns I have had the good fortune to be involved with. All of us can agree that working in a team on the gem of an idea, to testing with consumers, and ultimately the big roll-out, is a hugely rewarding exercise. Creating emotional meaning is at the core of what we do.

It used to be that we began by ‘interrogating the product’ until its unique selling proposition came shining out and we could set sail. However, there are now a lot more service brands than before. If you ask yourself what products you love its easy, you have touched them, consumed them and grown up with them. However, the service economy dominates these days, with a surge in digital and on-demand offerings, leading to a plethora of service brands compared to traditional product-based companies. It’s not only SAAS brands taking the spotlight, many of your favourite products are now on subscription services, which themselves have bespoke marketing. Factor into that Telco’s, who technically offer a service, but certainly blur the lines. However, I do wonder if you love your telco the same way you love your iPhone? Probably not.

The obvious difference between a service and product is that products are tangible and services are intangible. Traditionally, a product is much easier to market as it can be shown, demonstrated, touched, and displayed. Tangible products were much easier for the audience to understand in terms of value or whether they were even needed. You can’t see or touch a service, so showing value to your audience is a very different proposition. A service is about an ongoing relationship, much more complex to navigate.

Clearly there are sub-categories here where services have a physical product - My Food Bag has a distinctly tangible (very tasty) product, but it is still technically a service. It certainly has a lot of love in Kiwi Households. Thanks Nadia.

When a business sells a product to a customer, the buyer takes it away with them. In the case of a service, you must go to the provider to enjoy or experience it. A service will always be connected to the business who provides it. In the case of My Food Bag, all of the produce in the box and the service are inseparable; tricky eh?

B2B services have some very distinct characteristics and, in many ways, are a more ‘pure service’ model. They, of course, have to sell the efficacy and values of their service, but the biggest currency they need to crack in the first instance is  ‘trust’. Once they stand for this, you can move up the emotional hierarchy to like and love. As you climb, the balance sheet and sales funnel will be considerably healthier.

The traditional levers of product marketing; spreading the word, boosting sales and showing off features are clearly effective. But as markets have evolved, we see that translating features into benefits is more personal and more effective e.g. a long battery life in a phone is about freedom to explore. Service brands can benefit from this hugely.

What services and products both need is great emotional brand marketing. Work that truly understands the customer and is based on an insight that will trigger sales. Economies over the last 10 years have evolved. This means that it is not necessarily what the product or service does that will make it a success, but how it will make their customers feel.

To this end, marketing the master brand’s highly emotive appeal via a thoroughly researched insight will create a broader, more effective selling proposition. The specifics and product points underneath this master message will then be seen in a positive light, because the customer is pre-disposed to empathise with you and like you.

So back to our original question. Is it easier to fall in love with a product or service brand? Clearly in the times we live, the lines are more nuanced. The answer for me, is to market to the highest and most potent emotional need. People ‘love’ products and services that really take the time to get to know them, that really solve their emotional hopes and fears. We love products and services that actively court us with a relationship and then constantly exceed expectations. Amazon often gets demonized, as does Temu (whilst being annoying),  me and my kids love it, great service and they really make the effort. With professional services you certainly have clients saying “Oh I just love my ad agency, they just get me” same goes for Insurance Brokers and Lawyers. You love the people you deal with and the best qualities of they deliver. This needs to be the core elements you amplify for the marketing. For services empathy, expertise & understanding are a winning formula. Dial up the emotion and be wildly ambitious for the needs you can not only meet but surpass. This will deliver the numbers and stand the test of time. Perhaps, it will even get you into the Marketing Association’s next 50 years of great ads.

Source: Dean Taylor, 2 February 2025