It’s understandably frustrating when your advertising isn’t clicking with your target audience. You’re investing in marketing efforts that should work—but they’re not translating into sales.
That’s where marketing utilities come in. By focusing on the practical usefulness of the core product or service you’re selling, you can develop messaging that directly guides buying decisions. Learn more about the five types of marketing utilities, how to use them, and why they may help your company become more profitable.
What are marketing utilities?
Marketing utilities are the specific features or benefits of a finished product that provide customers with perceived value. A utility marketing model is a strategy that recommends focusing on your product’s usefulness, convenience, or relevance to your target audience—rather than aesthetics or hype.
Utility-based marketing aligns with customer needs—psychological, physical, and emotional. The purpose of these marketing efforts is to show buyers how your product’s overall value in their life justifies the price, leading to higher sales conversion and customer satisfaction.
Real-world example of utility marketing
Skin care company Dieux’s built its hero product around a simple frustration. “I was so tired of throwing out eye masks,” explains CEO and co-founder Charlotte Palermino on the Shopify Masters podcast. Her solution: a reusable eye mask called the Forever Eye Mask. The product name itself communicates the utility—it’s not disposable, it’s permanent. She marketed it as a direct solution to waste and inefficiency, drawing on her own experience as both a consumer and a licensed esthetician.
5 types of utility in marketing
Utility-based marketing centers on five main types—each representing a different benefit your product or service delivers. Your marketing strategy might spotlight one utility or combine several, depending on your target audience, pricing, seasonal changes, or goals:
1. Time
Time utility refers to how quickly customers receive your product or service, or how much time your product saves them. Most customers want their orders ASAP, and delivery delays can cost you repeat business. Products that cut time off daily routines have built-in appeal.
Cookware retailer Anyday uses social media to demonstrate the time-saving convenience of its plastic-free food storage that doubles as cookware. In this Instagram post, Anyday provides a recipe for Kung Pao chicken that’s ready in less than 10 minutes using its product. Not only does it save customers time, but it also saves them the money they’re not spending on takeout. The brand’s social content additionally suggests playful ways to use all that time they’ve reclaimed.
2. Place
Place utility is about making your product accessible—physically or digitally—so consumers don’t have to work hard to find it. Convenience improves the customer experience and drives sales.
Best Day Brewing’s place utility marketing features an interactive map on its website that lists stores that sell and restaurants that serve its non-alcoholic products—making it easy for customers to enjoy a Best Day brew.
3. Possession
Possession utility focuses on how easy and worthwhile it is for consumers to actually own your product or service. Brands can highlight this utility by lowering risk and increasing value through financing plans, discounts, or multifaceted features. Possession utility and place utility are often used as complementary strategies.
Bruvi’s bundled marketing around its coffee brewer is one example of possession utility. Its machine serves multiple functions—brewing coffee, espresso, and cold brew all in one—offering both convenience and versatility. In addition, the company offers discounted bundles, a “no questions asked” exchange policy for 60 days, and a one-year warranty.
4. Form
Form utility highlights how your product’s packaging or design creates value for your customers. Maybe it arrives pre-assembled or personalized to a customer’s specific needs.
Aerflo is a carbonated water system that allows consumers to make and enjoy sparkling water on the go instead of buying plastic water bottles or using a complex at-home system. The brand’s form utility marketing highlights the product’s compact design, sustainability, and simplicity. In addition, product integrations, like Aerflo for HydroFlask, give customers the convenience of making sparkling water in a bottle they already own.
5. Information
Information utility is the value buyers get from the resources and details you provide. User-generated content, how-to guides, or details about the material specifications—all of this helps buyers make confident decisions.
Dieux focuses extensively on information utility. Their product pages include ingredient lists, bundle options, customer reviews, development testing research, and application tips. This transparency gives customers more confidence in their purchases, increasing customer satisfaction and reducing product returns.
Why marketing utilities matter
Marketing utilities give you a framework for communicating value that’s clear, practical, and centered on customer needs. Rather than relying solely on aspirational or emotional messaging, utility-based marketing showcases the specific, immediate benefits your product or service delivers IRL.
When you tap into the five main types of marketing utilities, you can create marketing campaigns that connect with what customers actually need. This clarity supports better buying decisions and drives sales conversion.
Marketing utilities FAQ
What are marketing utilities?
Marketing utilities are characteristics of a product or service that bring value to customers. There are five main types of marketing utilities: time, place, possession, form, and information. Each represents a different way your product or service can meet needs and expectations.
What is an example of information utility in marketing?
Information utility refers to any kind of useful information about a product or service that might guide smarter purchases or help customers benefit from their purchase. The easier it is for a buyer to understand what they're getting, the more likely they are to complete the purchase. This doesn’t just increase sales, it also leads to higher customer satisfaction.
What is form utility in marketing?
Form utility refers to how your product delivers value to consumers through its design, packaging, or ease of use. Brands marketing this type of utility often focus on the convenience, versatility, or enjoyment of their product’s finished form.
