diff --git a/aio/src/app/app.component.spec.ts b/aio/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
index 9aa28f33ae..422c3ccb42 100644
--- a/aio/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
+++ b/aio/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
@@ -254,6 +254,24 @@ describe('AppComponent', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('hostClasses', () => {
+    it('should set the css classes of the host container based on the current doc and navigation view', () => {
+      const host = fixture.debugElement;
+
+      locationService.go('guide/pipes');
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      expect(host.properties['className']).toEqual('page-guide-pipes folder-guide view-SideNav');
+
+      locationService.go('features');
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      expect(host.properties['className']).toEqual('page-features folder-features view-TopBar');
+
+      locationService.go('');
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      expect(host.properties['className']).toEqual('page-home folder-home view-');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('currentDocument', () => {
 
     it('should display a guide page (guide/pipes)', () => {
@@ -274,22 +292,6 @@ describe('AppComponent', () => {
       expect(docViewer.innerText).toMatch(/Features/i);
     });
 
-    const marketingClassName = 'marketing';
-
-    it('should not have marketing CSS class on host element for a guide page (guide/pipes)', () => {
-      locationService.go('guide/pipes');
-      fixture.detectChanges();
-      const classes: string[] = fixture.nativeElement.className;
-      expect(classes).not.toContain(marketingClassName);
-    });
-
-    it('should have marketing CSS class on host element for a marketing page', () => {
-      locationService.go('features');
-      fixture.detectChanges();
-      const classes: string[] = fixture.nativeElement.className;
-      expect(classes).toContain(marketingClassName);
-    });
-
     it('should update the document title', () => {
       const titleService = TestBed.get(Title);
       spyOn(titleService, 'setTitle');
diff --git a/aio/src/app/app.component.ts b/aio/src/app/app.component.ts
index 1c70960e8d..9b73c367a6 100644
--- a/aio/src/app/app.component.ts
+++ b/aio/src/app/app.component.ts
@@ -22,13 +22,33 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit {
   currentNode: CurrentNode;
   currentPath: string;
   dtOn = false;
+
+  /**
+   * An HTML friendly identifier for the currently displayed page.
+   * This is computed from the `currentDocument.id` by replacing `/` with `-`
+   */
   pageId: string;
+  /**
+   * An HTML friendly identifer for the "folder" of the currently displayed page.
+   * This is computed by taking everything up to the first `/` in the `currentDocument.id`
+   */
+  folderId: string;
+  /**
+   * These CSS classes are computed from the current state of the application
+   * (e.g. what document is being viewed) to allow for fine grain control over
+   * the styling of individual pages.
+   * You will get three classes:
+   *
+   * * `page-...`: computed from the current document id (e.g. news, guide-security, tutorial-toh-pt2)
+   * * `folder-...`: computed from the top level folder for an id (e.g. guide, tutorial, etc)
+   * * `view-...`: computef from the navigation view (e.g. SideNav, TopBar, etc)
+   */
+  @HostBinding('class')
+  hostClasses = '';
+
   currentDocument: DocumentContents;
   footerNodes: NavigationNode[];
 
-  @HostBinding('class.marketing')
-  isMarketing = false;
-
   isStarting = true;
   isSideBySide = false;
   private isSideNavDoc = false;
@@ -79,6 +99,8 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit {
     this.documentService.currentDocument.subscribe(doc => {
       this.currentDocument = doc;
       this.setPageId(doc.id);
+      this.setFolderId(doc.id);
+      this.updateHostClasses();
     });
 
     this.locationService.currentPath.subscribe(path => {
@@ -93,12 +115,12 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit {
 
     this.navigationService.currentNode.subscribe(currentNode => {
       this.currentNode = currentNode;
+      this.updateHostClasses();
 
       // Toggle the sidenav if side-by-side and the kind of view changed
       if (this.previousNavView === currentNode.view) { return; }
       this.previousNavView = currentNode.view;
       this.isSideNavDoc = currentNode.view === sideNavView;
-      this.isMarketing = !this.isSideNavDoc;
       this.sideNavToggle(this.isSideNavDoc && this.isSideBySide);
     });
 
@@ -174,4 +196,17 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit {
     // Special case the home page
     this.pageId = (id === 'index') ? 'home' : id.replace('/', '-');
   }
+
+  setFolderId(id: string) {
+    // Special case the home page
+    this.folderId = (id === 'index') ? 'home' : id.split('/', 1)[0];
+  }
+
+  updateHostClasses() {
+    const pageClass = `page-${this.pageId}`;
+    const folderClass = `folder-${this.folderId}`;
+    const viewClass = `view-${this.currentNode && this.currentNode.view}`;
+
+    this.hostClasses = `${pageClass} ${folderClass} ${viewClass}`;
+  }
 }