1. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLE
AVIK PAUL

2. SERVICES
• Any act of performance that one partly can
offer another that is essentially intangible
and does not result in the ownership of
anything;
• Its production may or may not be tied to a
physical product.

3. SERVICE MIX
• Pure tangible goods
• Good accompanying services
• Hybrid
• Service accompanying goods
• Pure service

4. Characteristics of services
Intangibility
Cant see/touch/feel Inseparability
Production/distribution /
consumption simultaneous
Heterogeneity Perishability
variation in quality/ time Cant be stored
consumed/extent of service

5. Therefore, challenges…
.. Tangibilize the intangible
.. Increase productivity of providers who
are inseparable from products
.. Standardize the quality
.. Optimize demand movement & supply
capacity

6. Intangibility
Inconsistency Services • Inventory
Inseparability

7. SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS-
INTANGIBILITY
• “Manage the evidence” and “tangibilize the
intangible”
• Create physical image of service offer and add
physical evidence.

8. Intangibility
Marketing Implications Strategies
- No patent -Tangible clues- place /
- No ready display people / equipment /
- Communications symbols
problem - Personal sources
- Pricing difficulty - Word of mouth
- Image / branding

9. TANGIBILIZATION AND EVIDENCE
CHECKLIST
• Place
• People
• Equipment
• Communication material
• Symbol
• Price

10. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLE
• Visualization
• Association
• Physical Representation
• Documentation
• People Involvement
• Promotion
• Branding

11. PROBLEMS OF INTANGIBILITY
• Abstractness-
E.g.- abstract concepts such as financial
security, expert advice or safe transportation.
• Generality-
E.g.- airline seats, flight attendants, cabin
service.
• Nonsearchability-
E.g.- physical attributes, such as the appearance
of a health club and equipment installed, can be
checked in advance but the not the experience of
working with a trainer

12. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLES
VISUALIZATION
Hotels depicting benefits of dinning at restaurant
through advertisement.

13. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLE
ASSOCIATION
Abhishek Bachan with Idea Shah Rukh Khan with Airtel

14. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLE
PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION
Citibank credit card in gold
or Platinum symbolizes a status.
Airline dress symbolizes
visibility,reliability and
cleaniness.

15. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLE
DOCUMENTATION
Citing facts and figures in support of performance.
100% placement
No. 1 rank in India Major Awards Won By Jet Air
% Of People Preferring Jet Air

16. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLE
PEOPLE INVOLVEMENT
People are often critical element in service delivery

17. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLE
PROMOTION
Personal care through promotion campaigns/communication material
offers life long assurance scheme.
HDFC- “Sir utha ke jiyo” Brochures
Aviva- “Kal par control”

18. TANGIBILIZING THE INTANGIBLE
BRANDING
Branding helps in differentiation of the service
from competitors.

19. THANK YOU