ABSTRACT
Goods can be defined in terms of their physical attributes but services are intangible, which complicates the concept of the product. Although there is a physical product (the collection), what is really being marketed is an intangible
– the temporary use, generally by display, of the product. There may also be tangibles associated with the service, such as the facilities and promotional literature. These 'physical support' elements are often the only aspect of a service that can be viewed prior to purchase. The service product is also often equated with the service provider. Thus, the employees, or 'people', and their performance, or 'process', are also important dimensions of the marketing effort. Most service organisations, including museums, provide a portfolio of different offerings. However, according to Lovelock and Weinberg,
new products are often added without regard for their impact on the organization as a whole or for their interrelationship with other products in the portfolio. Old products sometimes continue to be offered, long after they have ceased to be useful to fulfilment of the institutional mission or to match the needs and concerns of potential customers.
