The product you sell is useless without context

I was playing with Aditi and surprised her with a bunch of toys. She was psyched. Unpacked them all.

Those with toddlers can relate - give them the coolest toys to play with and they'll be more fascinated with the boxes. 

Plain cardboard boxes!

See, the toy, is just an object. Its use is strictly defined.

The box... Now that's a whole adventure.

From a space shuttle, to a car, to a house.

Its use is limited only by the child's imagination. 

How does this relate to today's dose of marketing insights?

It's not the product itself that gives value.

It's the feeling we get out of having it.

Netflix, on its own is nothing.

"Netflix and chill", now it's got meaning. 

The iPod is just another MP3 player. But when you frame it as 1,000 songs in our pocket means something more.

A colour accurate computer monitor means nothing. But the colour accuracy that leads to great work, or accurate medical diagnoses... Means a lot. 

Are you selling the steak, or the sizzle?

The iPod or the songs?

The monitor or the life-changing work that results?