Tech Marketing Lacks Emotion

Shaan Puri shares his perspective on the levels of marketing, noting that most tech companies operate at basic levels while the most successful brands reach deeper emotional and identity-based connections. He presents this through a framework of 5 marketing levels, from basic product selling to identity creation.

The 5 Levels of Marketing:

• Level 1 - Selling a Product

  • Most basic level where companies just describe what they make
  • Common among tech startups with poor websites
  • Example: "We are a healthcare CRM using AI"
  • This is what failing companies typically do

• Level 2 - Selling a Solution

  • Focus on solving specific pain points
  • Competitive but effective approach
  • Example: Head & Shoulders solving dandruff problems
  • About 45% of companies operate at this level

• Level 3 - Selling a Lifestyle

  • Creates aspirational desire before selling product
  • Examples: Lululemon (yoga lifestyle), Slack (workplace collaboration)
  • Strategy: Make people want the lifestyle, then offer the tools to achieve it
  • Reference: Stuart Butterfield's "We Don't Sell Saddles" philosophy

• Level 4 - Selling a Feeling

  • Focus on emotional connection
  • Examples:
    • UFC selling "holy shit moments"
    • Disney selling "magical moments"
    • Nike selling feeling of greatness
    • Louis Vuitton selling feeling of status

• Level 5 - Selling an Identity

  • Highest level of marketing
  • Provides tribe membership and purpose
  • Examples: Religious organizations, political parties
  • Gives people "identity in a box"
  • Most powerful but least utilized approach

Key Observation:

• Most tech companies stop at Level 2 (solution selling)
• The best brands consistently deliver specific feelings or identities
• Moving beyond solution-based marketing creates unfair advantages in tech