When starting a business in any field, it is important to find and formulate the benefits that the client will receive by contacting you (this will be the USP - a unique selling proposition). If you don't have one, you are no different from other companies. In this case, you will have to compete on price - dumping, losing profits.
Surprisingly, this simple and free promotion tool is not used by most businessmen. There is a chance to beat them at the start! To inspire you, we have selected 13 examples of USPs of Russian and foreign companies that were able to stand out from the crowd and succeed.
What about them? 5 best Western USPs
Avis car rental service
“We are No. 2. We work harder"
(“We’re number two. We try harder”).
A great example of how you can turn a disadvantage into an advantage. For many years, Avis operated in the shadow of its more successful competitor, Hertz, which positioned itself as No. 1 in the market.
FedEx delivery service
“When it absolutely has to be delivered tomorrow morning.”
(“When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight”).
This slogan is no longer used by the company, but it is still cited as a valid USP. FedEx guarantees customers that their shipment will be delivered safely and on time.
This phrase combines two advantages: the promise of cargo safety and high delivery speed (overnight). Unfortunately, the company's management subsequently abandoned this slogan, replacing it with a less “strong” one that did not contain competitive advantages.
M&Ms
“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”
(“The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand”).
Original: Flickr
An example of how a quirky USP can attract customers. Thinking about how important it is not to get dirty when eating chocolate, M&Ms created candies in a special thick shell.
Conclusion - if this or that characteristic is important to your customers, feel free to use it as a competitive advantage. No matter how stupid or insignificant it may seem.
DeBeers Corporation
"Diamonds are forever"
(“A diamond is forever”).
This slogan has been used since 1948 to this day, and Advertising Age magazine recognized it as the best slogan of the twentieth century. The idea is that diamonds, over which time has no power, are an ideal symbol eternal love(it’s not for nothing that they are featured on many wedding rings).
Pizzeria chain Domino's Pizza
“You will receive fresh hot pizza in 30 minutes or for free”
(“You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less or it’s free”).
This is a rather long slogan, but it can serve as an example of a good USP, because... contains a guarantee. The conditions are described very clearly, clients understand what to expect from the company.
Unfortunately, Domino's stopped using this slogan because... drivers trying to meet the allotted delivery time violated the rules traffic and provoked accidents with tragic outcomes.
How are things going with USP in Russia?
We are in Directors Club, for example, we don’t just sell advertising. We guarantee receiving potential customers through the use of native advertising. This USP contains two killer arguments at once: a guarantee of the result and an explanation of how it will be achieved.
Taxi service
One Moscow company increased sales by 380% by hiring female drivers. Many ladies would prefer to get into a car driven by a woman; they would rather send their child to classes with her. In addition, women are less likely to smoke and break traffic rules, which turned out to be important for many clients.
Cargo carrier
Declaring “We always have sober movers”(and living up to this slogan), the company sharply increased the flow of customers. Those who were previously afraid to entrust fragile or valuable things to the drunk “Uncle Vasya” happily dialed the number of the responsible workers. This was in the early 90s, since then many companies have adopted this “trick,” but the pioneers managed to make a profit from their idea.
Bar
One of the drinking establishments in St. Petersburg increased the number of visitors at minimal cost. A screen was hung in the hall on which sports matches began to be broadcast, and For every goal scored by the Russian national team or Zenit, a free glass of vodka was poured for everyone present.
As a result, those who used to support their favorite team at home began to go to the bar and bring friends with them. The costs of purchasing vodka and screen were recouped many times over.
Laundry
The laundry management found a seamstress who needed orders for custom tailoring. When returning clean clothes to the client, the administrator pointed out the existing shortcomings (a zipper diverged, a button came off, etc.) and offered to fix them free of charge.
The majority, of course, agreed. After repairs, items were returned in a bag containing a business card from the seamstress and a catalog of clothes that could be ordered from her. The cooperation turned out to be beneficial for both parties: clients passed information about bonus laundry services to each other, and the seamstress provided herself with orders.
Construction company
One of the brigades that started on competitive market without a budget, I came up with a great USP. An advertisement was posted on advertising platforms: “We’ll remove old wallpaper for free!”. 80% of clients who ordered this service subsequently invited builders to carry out renovations in their apartment. These people have already demonstrated their accuracy, precision and reliability - why waste time looking for someone else?
Examples of USPs from the B2B sphere
Printing house
Company from Nizhny Novgorod opened in my office business card museum famous people . Businessmen played on public interest in the lives of the rich and famous. As soon as information about the exhibition was spread, the flow of orders increased 5 times!
The media became interested in the museum, began publishing reports about it, and the need for paid advertising disappeared.
Recruiting company
The management thought about how to stand out from numerous competitors. And offered a unique service - employee rental. Need a courier for a few months? No problem! Designer for a couple of weeks? Let's pick it up!
As a result, requests began pouring in from businessmen who did not want to waste time searching for freelancers or hiring/subsequently dismissing a specialist needed for a short period of time.
And another recruiting company
Let's talk about the client's hidden needs. A businessman engaged in personnel selection thought that some male managers need a secretary not only to screen out unnecessary phone calls and serve coffee on time. He made a bet on finding girls.” prostitute”, for which intimate relationships with the boss were not something out of the ordinary.
USP! USP! USP! It sounds just like a curse word if you don't know what it is. But in fact it's very useful topic it's in business. For use in marketing, advertising and sales. Helps the company stand out from its competitors, I would even say, to some extent, wipe their nose with them. But first things first, otherwise it seems simple at first glance. It's a lot more complicated than you think, and even more rewarding than you imagine.
Stop swearing
Americans will definitely think that USP is a Russian curse, because we have a lot of such short and bad words. But I don’t want you to think the same way, so I’ll answer your silent question about what UTP is. This actually stands for Unique Selling Proposition.
The definition of this term looks like this - it is your unique difference from another company or other products that a client can distinguish you from and say: “Wow, what an offer!”
Such an emotion is, of course, difficult to achieve, but nothing is impossible.
Gentlemen, let's not delve into theory for too long. All you need to know about unique selling propositions is that they make a company stand out from the crowd. And to quickly understand whether you have it or not, just answer one of the questions right now:
- How are you different from other companies/products?
- Why should I choose your company/product?
Usually at this moment there is a short 5-second pause, after which, as a rule, the well-known options follow:
- High quality;
- Good service;
- Flexible conditions,
And my favorite thing is the individual approach. Don’t tell me you answered the same?! I beg you! After all, it is fatal if your sales specialists and you, including you, answer your clients this way. Because thousands of other companies around the world answer them this way.
How to choose in this case? Who are the best on the market? That's right, purely based on which one you liked best based on some subjective feelings. This, of course, is also good. True, in this case it is impossible to talk about systemic growth of the company.
We have decided that you urgently need to read this article further, since your answers should already be in business by default. It’s the same thing if a restaurant writes: “We have the most delicious food,” it feels like in all other establishments the waiters say: “Gentlemen, our food is not very tasty, but what music, what music!” Badly! Badly! Bad... Well, you already understood this without me.
WE ARE ALREADY MORE THAN 45,000 people.
TURN ON
The difference between USP and positioning and promotions
I have two important thoughts for you to dot the i’s.
- USP is not a PROMOTION
- USP is not positioning
Let's look at it more thoroughly so that there is no confusion in the future. Since on the Internet everyone gives examples of USP and does not understand that this is more of a positioning or promotion than our “hero of the occasion”.
Next, the action is, of course, also your difference, only it is temporary and not permanent. Therefore, it cannot be said that your unique difference is that you give a second item upon purchase. Any other company can do this in seconds. And even more so, when the promotion ends, you will be left with nothing.
In other words, the USP (as well as positioning) can always be used in advertising, on employee clothing, on billboards and other media, and in any type of advertising message and it does not lose relevance. A promotion (offer) cannot always be used, since it has the principle of burning out and being replaced by another.
Positioning is a more global topic. This is not necessarily your difference, it is rather your place in the market, which should not always distinguish you, but at the same time should characterize you. My favorite and clearest example is the Volvo car, their positioning is “Safety”. Is this a difference? Of course not. This is their accent. But a unique difference for them could be a car, for example, with 8 wheels.
How to Create a Unique Selling Proposition
Now you probably have chaos in your head from thoughts like “How to create a unique selling proposition? How to figure it out, how to make it, how to design it?!”
I will reassure you a little by the fact that the creation of USP has certain principles. Therefore, I want to warn you about several important nuances that will help formulate an armor-piercing proposal:
- You need to know your company and your product REALLY well to truly do it. good offer. Therefore, drawing up a USP with new employees is not very good good idea. At least some of the new ones should have, so to speak, a fresh look.
- You need to know yours VERY well, since ideally the formation of a USP should, first of all, be based on the client’s selection criteria, those that are truly important to them.
So you have mastered the general theory. Now you won’t have to worry about developing a unique selling proposition. To help you, below are instructions for compiling and formulas for UTP.
1. Creative
The solution is partly the simplest and yet, in my opinion, not the most the best option. In order for your creative to settle in the minds of consumers and be perceived as “truth”, you need to invest more than one hundred thousand rubles in advertising. Rather, you need to calculate the total in millions. Do you need it?
Formula: [Creativity Feature] + [Product]
Example:
Chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hands.
2. The most
You choose what is the best in your company and trumpet it to the whole world. In any case, there will always be someone who will do better, but until they do it, time will pass and perhaps more than one year.
Also, be careful, the word “MOST” cannot be used in direct writing according to the law of the Russian Federation on advertising. But to get around this nuance, you can use tricks as in the examples.
Formula: [Most ____] + [Product]
Example:
The largest mug of coffee to go in a coffee shop is ___ – 1 liter!
The largest guarantee for timing belts in the Moscow region* (according to 1000 respondents on the website ____.ru).
3. Without
You need to know your customers well. Blah blah blah...I know everyone is talking about it. But if you don’t know the client, then you won’t know what he is afraid of or afraid of. This means that you will not be able to make the following formula, which is based on the client’s fear.
Formula: [Product] + without + [customer fear]
Example:
Chemical-free dishwashing liquid.
Losing weight without going to the gym.
Construction of roofs without prepayment.
4. C
Same idea as point three, except we're saying there's amazing value in our product that they want. Again, we focus on what is important for the client.
Formula: [Product] + with + [added value]
Example:
Cream with vitamin E complex.
Air conditioning with the ability to work in winter.
5. How/For
Personally, I don’t really like this option, it’s kind of rustic or something, but still in some areas it’s quite appropriate (canteens, district stores). And I would rather attribute this formula to positioning than to a unique offer; it is too vague. But I’ll tell you anyway.
Formula: [Product/company] + how/for + [positive emotions]
Example:
The food is like home.
A store for little ones.
6. Property
Relevant for those who have a technical feature that sets you apart from others, that shows your scale or level. By the way, the first example influenced my decision to go to that particular clinic. After all, as a layman, I believed that the more powerful the X-ray machine, the clearer the picture would be. But I didn’t pay attention to the fact that the specialist who does this x-ray is much more important.
Formula: [Product/company] + from/from/by/to/at + [property]
Example:
Clinic with a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner.
All shovels are made of pure titanium.
7. The only one
If your product is one per city, region, or even better, per Russia, then it’s also worth shouting about it. Again, the downside is that this is not permanent. Although, unless you are an official representative and you have exclusive rights to use your product.
Formula: [Single] + [product/company] + [difference] + in [geography]
Example:
The only company providing a 5-year warranty on timing belts in Russia.
The only transformable chairs in Moscow.
8. Hidden procedures
In any business there are topics that everyone does by default and doesn’t talk about it. You just need to show it off and serve it with the right sauce. What do you need for this? Remember? It's very good to know your product and your company. The people who work in it, equipment, processes, tools, raw materials, supplier of raw materials and everything like that.
Formula: [Product] + [hidden procedure]
Example:
Three degrees of glass tempering.
Non-combustible PVC tiles.
9. Warranty
Just tell the client what he will receive desired result, otherwise, you will return the money, redo it for free or give it as a gift. This USP can be seen especially often among info-businessmen. Although it can be used in any other business, for example, in construction you can give a guarantee that deadlines will be met.
Formula: [If _____] + [then ____]
Example:
If there is an increase in the estimate, then additional costs will be at our expense.
If you don't like it, we'll return all your money.
10. Professional
The development of this type of USP is the most difficult, although it is done according to a very simple scheme. You need to fully know and, most importantly, understand the client. Moreover, I personally think that this is the best formula. It can be said to generalize everything previously studied and is based on the client’s benefit, on his selection criteria.
Formula: [Product] + [benefit]
Example:
Ferrari cars are assembled only by hand.
Pizza in 40 minutes or free.
Apartments with a custom-made layout.
How to check know-how
After its creation, it seems that nothing better could be imagined, that this is the 8th wonder of the world. I’m in no hurry to dash your hopes; perhaps you are really right and have come up with something that will bring the entire market to its knees. This may well be the case, because as practice shows, everything brilliant ideas come when you are busy with the wrong thing.
And to be sure of this, go through the list of questions below and check your hypothesis for compliance with reality.
Can the same be said about your competitors?
If you say that you produce products in 24 hours when your competitors do it in the same time, then this is not a cool proposition, it is simply a statement of fact.
Is this important to the client/hurts the client?
You can put pressure on creativity, but for me this is only for large companies, quite large ones. At best, you need to put pressure on the client’s criteria or his emotions, no matter whether they are positive or negative. If your message does not affect the client, then you need to change the situation.
Do you want to believe your difference?
If you can actually show clients how to make a million in 5 minutes, then this is an insanely great offer. But it’s not at all plausible. Therefore, it would be better to replace it for a period of “7 days”, which will inspire more confidence.
How long will your USP be relevant?
UTP is the difference “eternal”, and the promotion is temporary. Therefore, it is very important that it does not happen that you notify everyone that you are now not like everyone else, and after 2 days your competitor repeats this and a paradox occurs.
Does your sentence fit into 3-8 words?
Conciseness and lightness are the key to success. The shorter your offer, the better, the easier it fits into the minds of clients and the easier it is for them to remember it, and therefore use it in relation to you.
Does your USP have a logical downside?
If you say: “We have the most big houses”, then this is good, if only in the market another company can make the opposite offer: “We have the smallest houses.” IN otherwise, for example, in the premium segment, where everyone by default should have large houses, your proposal will lose.
Briefly about the main thing
I would like to write that the time has passed when it was possible to do something simply “good” and people would come in droves. But this is not true, there will always be those who show impressive results in their work. But there’s one problem: if the company is not large and especially new, then at first you definitely need to be different in order to break out of the rat race.
Now you have received a detailed answer and know how to create a unique selling proposition. At the same time, if you think that you can come up with a UTP once and retire, then you are deeply mistaken. Competitors are not asleep. The most arrogant ones copy your know-how, the less arrogant ones improve it. And in this, too, there is a certain strategy for creating your own difference.
That’s all for me, the game has started, I’m waiting for an answer in the comments to the question “How are you different from others?”
P.S. And to study this topic in other words and partly with other thoughts, watch this video:
- How to understand which product characteristics to highlight in your unique selling proposition
- Creating a unique selling proposition: how often to update your USP
- Examples of a unique selling proposition: what to base it on if the product is no different from competitors’ offerings
Unique selling proposition It must still be considered a rather young phenomenon, which began to be used in Russian business from the beginning of the 2000s, when brands began to enter the market.
We have to admit that with a lot of talk about this issue, few are actually involved in the development of the USP. Most companies in Russia do not have a clear understanding of their target audience, and as a result they target everyone.
How often does a leader need to engage with or change company strategy? Most of the directors who created successful businesses, and management consultants agree on one thing: in modern times - constantly. A change in strategy is not an indicator of weakness, but, on the contrary, an indicator of the survivability of the company.
In the article we have collected four types of strategic approaches, their examples, as well as templates and tables for defining a company's strategy.
Without the ability to differentiate itself from its competitors, without the ability to highlight the features of its offer to customers, the company will be forced to limit itself to a rather modest flow of buyers and sales.
Algorithm for developing the correct USP
First step. Collection of primary information. You should draw up a table that will indicate the characteristics of the products and the competitive advantages for the client that he receives through cooperation with your company. Experience confirms that the more written, the better. If you manage to write 15 competitive characteristics - excellent, 20 - even better. At the same time, you should describe all the benefits and benefits for customers, no matter how minor. After indicating your advantages, you should cross out those benefits that your competitors can offer. Our goal is to find and offer competitors those advantages that only we have.
Second step. Checking the relevance of benefits.
- Search engine query statistics. You should check each of the selected benefits using a search query to understand how often potential customers are trying to find a solution to a similar problem.
- Feedback cards. For loyal customers, you can offer to fill out feedback cards, highlighting the most important benefits.
- Open question. If it is not possible to achieve clear results by comparing your benefits with the benefits offered by competitors, sales staff and marketers should be instructed to ask loyal customers the question - “Why do you prefer to work with us?” The output may include quite a variety of answers, but the most common ones can be used for your USP.
- Sales analysis. This method was used to create a unique selling proposition for a garment factory. The head of the sales department noted the high demand for women's clothing large sizes and clothes for plus size people in comparison with other items in the company’s assortment. This information formed the basis of a unique selling proposition: “Clothing for overweight women. Our dresses, thanks to their special cut, allow you to hide your fullness and highlight the beauty of your figure – all your femininity.” This text was chosen for advertising when published in newspapers, magazines and other media. Over time, it was possible to confirm the excellent dynamics of the overall increase in the number of sales.
Third step. USP testing.
- Divide your customers into groups randomly, sending different types of messages to each group.
- Placement of contextual advertising based on various types unique selling proposition. The USP option becomes the main one, which helped achieve maximum quantity responses.
3 conditions for creating a unique selling proposition
To form a unique selling proposition, three conditions must be taken into account:
The first condition is to emphasize the uniqueness of your product. Quite a difficult question for many. In particular, how to emphasize the uniqueness of a standard washing powder? But in reality, you can highlight many characteristics of your product to attract the attention of your target audience - including:
- Useful additional service. “Buyers of goods for any amount are provided with free delivery within the city.” Or jewelry stores offer to “enter every date into the database so that the buyer does not forget to congratulate his beloved.”
- Polite and efficient staff. Probably, many have come across such advertisements - “we will wash your car in 20 minutes or return your money”, “only polite and sober movers”.
- Narrow specialization - “elite alcoholic beverages store” or “rock karaoke bar.”
- The company's focus on a specific category of clients. "Toy store for girls."
- Leading position in the market. "The largest selection of automotive components in the city." At the same time, it is important that the statement in the USP corresponds to reality - in order to avoid negative consequences for the company's reputation.
- Elitism - for example, a commercial photographer in his USP may indicate “shooting in luxurious interiors with expensive items.”
- High result. “85 of our students are employed within 3 months.”
- Providing guarantees to clients. Including refund or free service for a certain period. In any case, there will be returns, but for the most part they turn out to be isolated cases. If there is no way to keep this promise, it is better to change your unique selling proposition.
- Find out what your clients need. You can also think about a survey, or a study on finding the most interesting USP for the target audience will do.
- The USP should be aimed not at the users themselves, but at decision makers.
- Compare your services or products with your competitors. For example, one of the washing powders gained its fame thanks to the motto “If there is no difference, then why pay more?”
- Reduce the cost to a negligible amount. For example, “advertising in our newspaper – 600 rubles. per month. Advertising is published three times a week - 12 times a month. Therefore, one publication will cost only 50 rubles. 20 thousand subscribers will be able to see this advertisement - so for each client you pay only 0.25 kopecks.”
- Express the cost in non-financial terms. In particular, one of the coupon services sends out offers to its customers - “give your beloved festive bouquet roses, a romantic evening and two movie tickets for the price of a tank of gas.”
False unique selling propositions
- Obvious promises. “If you don’t like the product, we promise to refund your purchase within 14 days.” But such a promise cannot be considered a unique selling proposition, because it is a mandatory requirement under the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights.”
- An imaginary advantage. Among the most bright examples can be called " vegetable oil“no cholesterol” (cholesterol can only be found in fats of animal origin) and “non-GMO salt.”
- A contrast based on a play on words. “Smoke Cool - give up hot cigarettes.” Cool cigarettes are contrasted with other brands and supposedly differ in temperature characteristics. It’s just that in the slogan the main emphasis is on the play on words ( English cool - “cool, cool”).
The second condition is that the client must understand his benefit. The properties specified in the unique selling proposition must meet the needs of the buyer. It is necessary to clearly show what benefits the client will receive, noting other important qualities:
- Saving powder when washing. It is easier to rinse and does not harm the skin.
- More washes for the same price.
- Compact thresholds are environmentally friendly, reducing environmental impacts.
The complex of benefits, if not limited to just one benefit, allows you to interest a wider target audience - those who want to save money, those who care about their skin, and those who are concerned about the environmental situation in the world.
- Commercial proposal: samples and examples. 16 Killers and Boosters Everyone Needs to Know
General Director speaks
Evgeny Panteleev, General Director of the Svoboda cosmetics association, Moscow
Our company is launching a new line of cosmetic products this year. The USP includes the principle of quality-price ratio - the product is presented in the mass market price category, and in terms of characteristics and composition it is more reminiscent of products from the world's leading brands. Let’s take a closer look at how this USP of our cosmetic products came about.
The company celebrated its 170th anniversary in 2013, and in preparation for such a significant date, it decided to send employees to participate in the major French exhibition In-Cosmetics. There we were able to meet the heirs of the founder of our company, many hereditary perfumers. They introduced us to many representatives of French laboratories who specialize in new areas in the field of cosmetology, and significantly helped us in organizing negotiations. We were particularly interested in the developments of the Soliance laboratory - its representatives offered us exclusive terms for the supply of a component with a unique anti-aging effect (microsphere hyaluronic acid). The use of this component has already been provided for leading cosmetic products, including the assortment of famous world brands YvesRocher, L’Oreal and Clarins.
In addition to the exclusive right to use this microsphere for our cosmetic line, we were also able to count on comprehensive methodological support from business partners from France. They provided assistance in the formation of new SKUs, and our company’s research center also created its own recipes. This approach allowed us to provide our first USP – the high quality of our products. There were also additional arguments in favor of our line - the results of testing the quality of competitors' products, which we organized at the research center. Based on the results of the past study, it was possible to confirm that our product is not inferior in its properties to more expensive analogues.
The second component – cost – deserves special attention. When it comes to price, our USP has a certain “immunity”. Because we received an exclusive opportunity from the French developer to use his know-how - a microsphere of hyaluronic acid. Therefore, it is unlikely that any of Russian manufacturers will be able to compare with our prices, while foreign analogues are much more expensive.
Alexey Pyrin, General Director of Artisifood, Moscow
We are engaged not only in production, but also in sales of fish and seafood. We focus our activities on the b2b sector. As a rule, wholesale food suppliers do not have a well-known, recognizable brand, so it is really difficult to stand out from your competitors. We decided to take the factor of an extensive range as the basis for promoting our services. The vast majority of companies offer a little of everything; they cannot deliver rare products. We have managed to significantly expand the range of our services - about 200 types of seafood and fish, while informing clients about various unusual products. Therefore, we managed to surpass our competitors in terms of USP margin by 8-10%.
The third condition is the significance of the promised benefit. We only have ten seconds to interest a potential client. Therefore, if there is a more significant problem that we propose to solve for the client, with the most clear and accessible formulation of our proposal, it will be possible to make it more recognizable and famous brand for potential clients. This rule is relevant almost everywhere - the only exception is complex technology(as a rule, consumers analyze and compare characteristics in advance).
In the FMCG market, it is necessary to determine the most significant property, which will be recorded in the unique selling proposition and on packaging. In particular, on the packaging you can note the pleasant aroma of the product. Over time, this property began to be taken for granted, so we moved to “ effective removal spots." The heroes of our commercials could get very dirty, but no dirt could withstand the effects of the powerful powder. As a result, we managed to achieve sales growth of more than 5 times over five years.
- Private label products: what buyers are willing to pay their money for
Is your product's unique selling proposition effective: three things to check
Ilya Piskulin, Director of Love marketing agency, Moscow
Try, for example, creating an “antonym” to your unique selling proposition.
1. Your unique selling proposition cannot be used by competitors
If competitors repeat your offer, they will deceive the client. Once in my practice there was a case. One of our companies began to produce windows with a ventilation system. A competing company said that their windows are also ventilated. We sent a secret buyer to them and discovered that we were talking about valve ventilation, which only works at positive temperatures and is not installed in Russia. The company knew about this and therefore immediately warned clients that they should not buy windows with ventilation. That is, the company attracted customers by not intending to sell. Of course, the buyers were disappointed. There was no other competitor on the market that could repeat our USP and at the same time keep its promise.
Examples of USP. The restaurant is the only one in the area that prepares dishes on the grill or serves a business lunch in 20 minutes. The window production company is the only one of its kind that produces metal siding to look like logs. Production of road paint that glows in the dark. A development company can offer a lake on the territory of a holiday village or an already operating gas supply system in a new house.
If competitors repeat your offer, they will violate their positioning. I once watched the death of a grill bar. At first it positioned itself as an extreme bar, but unexpectedly announced that it was starting to hold children's matinees on Sundays. The regulars were at a loss, and new clients (young mothers with children) did not dare to go to an incomprehensible establishment. It is important that the USP reflects your positioning and does not suit your closest competitors.
Examples of USP. If BMW had announced that it had produced the safest car, it would have caused confusion among car enthusiasts (safety is a familiar attribute of Volvo). The announcement that the Gipsy nightclub will host the Chanson radio festival will sound just as strange.
2. You can build a reverse USP without it seeming absurd.
Often, instead of a USP, people say self-evident things about high quality, excellent prices and a wide range. In my practice, there was a company that publicly declared that it had the most expensive apartments in the city. Sales were going great (note, this was before the crisis). At the same time, another company was operating on the market, which claimed that it had the cheapest apartments. And they sold great too. Both USPs sounded good and worked. If the USP does not have a working “antonym”, then it will not be very effective. So, in my practice there was a cottage community that sold the largest plots, measured in hectares. Unfortunately, there was no company on the market that sold the smallest plots, for example 10 acres, because no one needed them anymore. Sales were not going well... You shouldn’t write in an advertisement for a club that it has excellent music (there is hardly a club with terrible music) or emphasize in an advertisement for a restaurant that there is delicious food and good service.
Examples of USP. In advertising a restaurant, it is better to write “located on the roof, far from the bustle of the city” instead of “located in an excellent location” (because you can say the opposite - “a restaurant in the very center of the city”, and this will also be a good USP).
3. You want to believe your USP
It happens that the USP is formulated either unclearly, or incomprehensibly, or simply does not inspire confidence. One day we were promoting lymphatic drainage massage, which at correct use can create the effect of slight weight loss immediately after the session. It turned out that people did not really believe the slogan “losing weight in 1 hour,” unlike the slogan “losing weight in 1 day” (there were many times more clicks).
USP example. You should not promise “lose 10 kilograms in 3 days”; indicate a more realistic time frame.
Marketer Andrey Zinkevich - on how to effectively differentiate yourself from competitors
If you open any good book in marketing or attend the relevant training, then with a 99% probability you will come across the term “unique selling proposition”. Why do all marketers talk about the importance of USP? It would seem that the answer is obvious: show the potential client the differences between the product and the benefits of using it, and he will make a purchase. But here lies the main pitfall: how to identify those unique differences and how to present them in the form of benefits? What if your product or service is no different from your competitors? Well-known marketer Andrei Zinkevich spoke about how to formulate a USP.
Andrey Zinkevich, entrepreneur, marketing consultant. Founder of the project . The geography of clients includes 9 countries. More than eight years of experience in sales and marketing at Kimberly Clark and Biosphere Corporation. Author of the booksCustomer pipeline », « Secrets of customer focus" And " Profitable Internet projects ».
Background
Reeves was one of the most prominent students of the famous Claude Hopkins and was an adherent of the “selling” style. He believed that advertising could only have one purpose - sales. Not loyalty, not recognition, not popularization and other terms so beloved by advertisers, but sales!
In his book, Reeves emphasized that the effectiveness of advertising (read: sales) depends on one factor: advertising must instantly capture the attention of a potential client with the help of one, but very strong offer that competitors cannot make; offers that will encourage the recipient of the advertisement to perform a targeted action.
This idea formed the concept that Reeves called the “unique selling proposition.” True, today Reeves’ concept is overgrown with implausible myths; one of them is that now the competition is much stronger and it is almost impossible to find differences between competitive products.
Is it really? Of course not. Look at the most famous ones brands or companies, they all have a unique selling proposition and stand out because of it.
Let's try to figure out how to highlight the distinctive qualities of your products and services and turn them into a USP.
Step-by-step instructions to create a unique selling proposition
Step one is to determine the most important characteristics for our customers in our products.
The first step in preparing a unique selling proposition is the selection of product characteristics or criteria that influence the client's decision making.
This step is the most important (although it is often simply skipped), since the fate of the USP depends on the selected characteristics: will it really show the benefits of your product or will it compare you “with the rest.”
Therefore, our task at the first stage is to analyze our products or services and determine the ten most important characteristics for clients in each of them. The best way This is done by asking existing customers which product features are most important to them and what criteria/factors influence their purchasing decision.
If the customer base is too large, then it is advisable to select a sample of the most loyal or most profitable customers and survey them.
If you are launching a new product and there are no clients yet, then you can brainstorm and independently determine the characteristics that are most important to the client. Or survey those who are most likely to become buyers of your product.
After real clients appear, you can repeat the analysis and select characteristics based on real data.
You need to record all responses received from respondents in a separate file.
Step two - filter and rank the received data.
After feedback from clients has been received or brainstorming has been carried out, our task is to select the 10 most important characteristics for the client and rank them in order of importance.
It's not difficult to do. Among all the answers received, we need to select those that are repeated more often than others. Characteristics with the largest number repetitions will head your list, the rest will be located below it according to the same principle. As a result, we should end up with a table something like this (for example, we’ll keep in mind a hypothetical online store):
Why do I recommend limiting yourself to 10 characteristics? A larger number may simply confuse you and make it difficult to analyze. In most cases, you will notice that the most important characteristics for the client will be no more than 5-7.
Step three - compare ourselves with three main competitors.
The next step is to compare the obtained characteristics of your product with three competitive ones. When conducting such an analysis, you must be as objective as possible: if you are inferior to a competitor in something, be sure to note this.
I recommend rating each selected characteristic or criterion for your product and for each of your competitors on a 10-point scale. For example, in the previous table we determined that the most important factor for the client - delivery within a day. If we can deliver the product within a few hours after ordering, we can give a rating of 10, if not, we lower the rating. Next, we analyze competitors and note how quickly they are able to organize delivery. The longer the delivery time, the worse the rating for this criterion will be.
Step 4 - choose criteria for USP: what are we stronger at.
Having carried out such an analysis, we get a clear picture: in what characteristics or criteria that are important for the client we are superior to our competitors, and in what areas we are objectively inferior. The criteria by which we dominate and should form the basis of our USP.
Key rule: for each service, product or company as a whole, a separate unique selling proposition is created!
Auxiliary formulas for creating a USP
Now let's figure out how to formulate a unique selling proposition based on the selected characteristics. I suggest using one of three formulas.
Formula one: need + result + guarantees. Using this formula, we guarantee the potential client that we can satisfy his need better than others. Here is an example of a USP based on this formula for our hypothetical online store: “We will deliver your order within a day or return your money!”
This formula is used by my partner Ilya Rabchenok, general director of the SMOpro studio, to create a USP for his services. This is what the unique selling proposition for the service “Attracting subscribers to a group on VKontakte and Odnoklassniki” looks like: “We are guaranteed to attract 1000 targeted subscribers within the first month according to the parameters you set, or we will return your money!”
Formula two: important criterion/characteristic + need. The second formula is based on a combination of characteristics that are important for a potential client and his needs. Some banks use a good example for such a USP:
“We’ll apply for a loan in 5 minutes without proof of income.” Applying for a loan is a need of the target audience. The absence of the need to provide a certificate of income and the speed of loan issuance are important criteria for a potential client that influence his decision.
Formula three: target audience + need + solution. Famous business coach Alex Levitas likes to use this formula. For himself as a consultant, he uses the following unique selling proposition: “I - Alexander Levitas - help owners of small and medium-sized businesses increase their net profit with the help of low-budget and free marketing techniques” . In Alex's USP, the target audience is small and medium-sized business owners. Their need is to increase net profit. The solution Alex proposes is the use of low-budget and free marketing tools (read: the use of guerrilla marketing tools).
False unique selling propositions
I would also like to mention false USPs. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and marketers are guilty of this.
What is a false USP? This is a proposal based on misinterpretation of facts or the use of criteria in the USP that a potential client expects by default.
For example, dental clinic The characteristic “professionalism of doctors” cannot be used as a USP. Why? Because, by default, a potential client expects that you professional doctors. Otherwise, why would he even contact you?
Second example: using a 14-day money back guarantee as a USP. According to the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”, the buyer already has every right to return the product within 14 days from the date of purchase. Therefore, there is a distortion of facts here.
Test questions to check the USP
After you have worked with the template comparative characteristics and have compiled a unique selling proposition, one question remains: how “workable” is it? Isn't it false?
You can test yourself with the question (your USP should answer it): “Why should I choose your product or service among all the offers available to me?”
The second option is to formulate your USP in the form of a phrase: “Unlike others, we …”.
If both security questions have good answers, then you have truly created a unique selling proposition.
