In the article "Selling What Can't Be Seen" by Chuck Martin, he is clearly defining the need and peace of mind of intangibles. Martin shows how the security of intangibles, including such things as insurance, healthcare, and pre-paid services (cell phone services, gym membership, etc.) are a very large part of society. Through these services, a true sense of value to the customer is seen.
Martin defines the five categories of value, which include peace of mind, futures, rights, ideas, and dreams. He shows that, through these values, these tend to mean more to a customer than the price of the product. Martin also states that since these intangibles are what drive the customer to buy more, more companies should provide these services to their customers.
I feel that this article is extremely imperative to the world of marketing for several reasons. First, it shows that by properly marketing tangible products/ services, people will buy them. When the products and/ or services are intangible and people still purchase them, it is a true testament that these products/ services were market skillfully. Second, it shows that there is a growing market for intangible products and services. For example, cellular phone plans are considered an intangible service because the customer is paying for a service based on what they feel they will use. When one company markets a plan, other cellular phone providers try to offer an additional product or feature, in an attempt to draw the consumer to their company. After a short time, all cellular phone companies are marketing many different products and services, in order to persuade the consumer to sign a contract with them. Lastly, this article shows that, through different marketing tools, many products and services can be sold, whether they are tangible or not. It makes a strong statement, on behalf of the marketing team or individual, that even intangible products and services can be sold in this day and age.