Reputation | Social status |
Identity | Software |
Digital platforms | Talent |
Literacy | Ideas |
Intuition | Knowledge |
Patents | Trademarks |
Copyrights | Trade secrets |
Style | Trust |
Emotions | Mood |
Intuition | Concepts |
Family | Friendship |
Brand image | Brand recognition |
Well-being | Digital media |
Digital messages | Digital advertising |
Digital marketing | Virtual reality |
Artificial intelligence | Broadcasts |
Podcasts | Video games |
Music | Films |
Videos | Social media |
Stories | Fictional characters |
Humor | Freedom |
Rights | Privacy |
Safety | Security |
Ideology | Democracy |
Capitalism | Rule of law |
Civility | Citizenship |
Nationality | Data |
Customer lists | Reviews & ratings |
Strategies | Goals |
Discipline | Leadership |
Personal presence | Personality |
Character | Loyalty |
Licenses | Permits |
Agreements | Processes |
Culture | Norms |
Aesthetics | Attitudes |
Etiquette | Politeness |
Respect | Ambition |
Opinions | Values |
Morals | Thoughts |
Behavior | Ethics |
Principles | Beliefs |
Customs | Traditions |
Lifestyle | Quality of life |
Social class | Money |
Roles | Responsibility |
Accountability | Hierarchies |
Spirituality | Symbols |
Competitive advantage |
Ideas
Ideas and thought processes have no physical form. For example, an abstract concept such as freedom.Emotion
Human emotions such as pride, envy and love.Talent
The abilities of people.Knowledge
Information that exists in the mind.Data
Information that is represented in a digital form.Intellectual Property
Intellectual property such as trademarks, copyrights and patents.Trade Secrets
Valuable know-how that is protected by secrecy as opposed to legal rights.Brand
The recognition, image and reputation of a brand can be worth many billions of dollars but has no physical form. The value of a brand extends from the impressions it has made on the minds of customers and other stakeholders such as employees and investors.Money
Most of the world's money exists as the records of banks and has no physical form. This can often be exchanged for a physical money such as a dollar bill.Financial Assets
Financial assets are often represented as securities, derivatives and other contracts that don't necessarily have a physical form although they often represent ownership or rights in something physical.Experience
An experience such as visiting a theme park.Events
A unique and limited-time experience such as a concert or business conference.Services
A product that mostly offers intangible value. For example, a high speed train that transports people. Advanced economies are shifting towards services and away from physical products. Physical products will always exist but the vast majority of future value creation is likely to be intangible.Digital Products
Items that were traditionally sold as a physical product that can now be downloaded as a digital item. For example, an ebook.Digital Environments
Digital places that can be experienced despite the fact they do not physically exist. For example, a game or virtual event.Software
Software is digital functionality that is stored as data.Communication
Communication is increasingly electronic and is often paperless. For example, a voice call or a text message.Media
Entertainment, information and publications are typically digital with rare exceptions such as a physical newspaper.Education & Training
Education and training offer intangible value such as knowledge, cultivation of talent, experience and development of social connections.Knowledge Work
Work products that have no physical form such as a strategy, plan, design, decision, advice, diagnosis, communication or software code. Employment in advanced economies is shifting from physical work to knowledge work such that most work products have no physical form.Culture
Culture can be tangible such as a historical building or intangible such as a language.Society
A society relies on tangible things such as infrastructure and intangible things such as civility.Norms
The fluid rules of a society or culture. Unlike laws or regulations, norms are informal and occur spontaneously as a social process.Values
The principles of a society, culture, group or individual that allow for peace, productivity and pursuit of happiness.Shared Experience
An experience that bonds individuals together as a group. For example, a hardship that produces stronger social bonds between families, friends, community members or coworkers.Identity
The ability of a person to feel that they share things in common with others based on shared characteristics or experiences. At the most fundamental level, people typically identify as human such that they have sympathy and respect for other people.Art, Film & Music
Creative outputs that have cultural and artistic value often have no physical form. It can also be said that a physical work of art such as a painting derives most of its value from the intangible experience of viewing the art as opposed to being a physical product. For example, a digital image of a painting can be enjoyed much like the painting itself whereas a digital image of a tractor has little value compared to the physical machine.Quality of Life
The extent to which people are satisfied by life measured with concepts such as happiness and self-fulfillment.Summary
| Overview: Intangible Things | ||
Type | ||
Definition | Entities that have no physical form. | |
Related Concepts | ||
