In the marketing process of many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), there is a common problem: the product or service is clearly useful, but customers simply “don’t feel an urgent need to buy.”
Especially for service-based industries such as air-conditioning repair, maintenance, and installation, customers often only think of you when a problem has already occurred. This is where scenario marketing becomes extremely important.
Scenario Marketing does not focus on directly introducing products or services. Instead, it first describes a real-life situation that users are likely to encounter, and then naturally places the product or service within that situation.
Simply put:
Instead of selling “who you are” first, you let customers see:
👉 “I’m facing this problem right now, and you happen to be able to help me.”
Traditional marketing usually looks like this:
There is nothing wrong with this information, but the problem is:
👉 Customers still need to think for themselves: “So what does this have to do with me?”
Scenario marketing, on the other hand, starts from the customer’s daily life or work. For example:
“The office air-conditioner suddenly stops cooling. Employees start complaining, work efficiency drops, and visiting clients are sweating. In most cases, this happens because regular maintenance has been neglected.”
At this point, the customer hardly needs to think anymore, because they immediately relate to it and think:
“Hey, isn’t this exactly my current situation?”
Many people believe purchasing decisions are rational, but in reality, most purchases start with emotion, followed by justification. Scenario marketing is designed specifically to trigger that emotional response.
When customers see a situation that closely matches their own, their brains automatically fill in the rest of the story.
For example, they might be:
The more specific the scenario, the stronger the sense of immersion.
👉 Once customers relate to it, they are no longer looking at an advertisement — they are looking at their own problem.
Many SME owners are not unwilling to spend money. Instead, they are:
The role of scenario marketing is to help customers visualize the future in advance.
“Regular air-conditioning maintenance can prevent sudden breakdowns during the busiest periods.”
Immediately, images appear in the customer’s mind:
👉 At this moment, the value of the service becomes concrete instead of abstract.
Feature-based explanations usually sound like this: air-conditioner cleaning, compressor inspection, part replacement, efficiency improvement. But what customers are really thinking is: “So… do I actually need to do this now?”
Scenario marketing helps customers reach a conclusion directly: “If you don’t want to deal with unexpected breakdowns during your busiest times, doing maintenance now will give you peace of mind.”
👉 Customers don’t need to analyze each feature. They only need to decide one thing: “Do I want to avoid this situation from happening?”
Many businesses unknowingly fall into price wars:
But when customers approach you because of a specific situation they are facing, price often becomes a secondary factor.
👉 Because what they want is a solution, not the cheapest option.
You can begin by asking these three questions:
Then, turn the answers into:
The key point of scenario marketing is not about exaggerating how powerful your product is, but about helping customers realize: “So the problem I’m facing right now can actually be solved.”
For SMEs, when you can clearly describe your customers’ situations, pressures, and concerns, customers will naturally feel: “You understand me better, and you’re more trustworthy.”
👉 To learn more practical marketing tips, stay tuned for upcoming content.
