Unique price offer. Unique Selling Proposition (USP): examples, how to create and what it is

A unique selling proposition (USP) is an outstanding characteristic of a product or brand on which marketers build an advertising campaign; it is usually used for differentiation.

From a consumer's perspective, this is the reason why people should buy from you rather than another seller with a similar product. Why use Slack and not Facebook? Why order pizza from Papa John's when there's Pizza Hut? A clearly formulated offer answers these and similar questions.

How does USP work?

Some companies undoubtedly dominate their field. They are the only ones on the market - because they are huge or so innovative that no one else offers similar solutions. But this situation rarely lasts long.

A value proposition is an opportunity to convey to the customer that no one else is doing what you do. Your brand is extraordinary. Best. It is associated with success, positivity, luck. In short, buy our product, and “everything will be Coca-Cola.”

The USP offers a product or service that is not available through other channels: even from competitors who, at first glance, offer analogues.

The USP connects the brand to what it sells. If you offer a whole list of services, no one will understand what you do. But if you call yourself "the city's premier SEO agency" or "the city's best Americano," consumers will think of you when they need SEO or a cup of coffee. If you are a web studio or a cafe, your offer is weak because it is not separated from the competition. use the well-known fact that a person needs not a drill, but a hole, and report that a person will drill the required hole only with a drill of a specific brand.

How does the USP differ from the company’s slogan and mission?

A slogan is the essence of a brand's identity and everything it offers. A slogan can contain a USP, and many good examples do. Example from FedEx: “When a package needs to be delivered overnight.” The mission will likely also overlap with the value proposition. But, unlike the mission and slogan, the USP is what distinguishes your company from the rest and attracts consumers. From this grows marketing, sales and all market positioning.

Value propositions are so familiar that we no longer notice them. Every good advertisement contains a clearly stated offer, and most companies succeed due to a successful USP. When all search engines used only keywords, PageRank was Google's unique selling proposition.

What does a good USP look like?

A striking example, which became the basis of an advertising campaign and at the same time a successful slogan, is provided by Avis, a brand that provides car rental services. For many years it held second place to the mighty Hertz. In 1962, on the verge of bankruptcy, Avis took their problem to the advertising agency Doyle Dane Bertzbach, whose employees found a way to turn a negative characteristic - No. 2, not No. 1 - into a positive one.

The problem was this:

Avis is only #2 in the car rental market. So why contact us?
We are trying.
We simply can't afford dirty ashtrays. Or half-empty gas tanks. Or worn out wipers. Or unwashed cars. Or flat tires. Or something smaller than chair back adjusters that actually adjust. Ovens that heat. Anti-icers that prevent windows from freezing.
Most of all we try to be good. Greet you with a new car, such as a four-wheel drive Ford, and a sweet smile. Know, for example, where you can buy a good sandwich in Duluth.
Why?
Because we can't afford to take our customers for granted.
So next time please contact us.
Our queues are shorter too.

From this text, marketers made a value proposition:

Avis is only No. 2 in the car rental market
That's why we try.

They affected clients:

What's important is not the slogan itself, but the fact that it turns a negative characteristic into a positive one and contains a clear, compelling value proposition. Why rent a car from Avis rather than, say, Hertz? After all, a car is a car. But Avis was able to offer better service and a better experience that aligned with consumer values ​​and interests. In the first four years after the slogan was introduced, Avis' market share grew from 11% to 35%. They used it until 2012.

However, this is an old story. What about more modern ones?

The obvious choice is Saddleback Leather Company. They, like Avis, needed to turn a disadvantage into an advantage: they make leather bags, and high-quality leather is expensive. In some cases, it's downright expensive: prices start at $300 and sometimes exceed $1,000. How can you turn this obstacle into a unique selling proposition?

Saddleback Leather offered an incredibly long warranty of 100 years. And they emphasized it with the following words: since the bag will most likely outlive its owner.

When you come across some USPs, it comes out: "Oops!".

Typical, no benefits, lackluster, too general.

But the unique selling proposition is the heart of any business. This is what the entire marketing strategy revolves around, which helps you differentiate yourself from competitors and occupy your part of the market.

Let's think of the USP as a core surrounded by hot marketing magma. It moves and mixes positioning, target audience characteristics, competitive information, product or service benefits, and the company's business objectives.

If the core is weak, then the magma spreads, smearing the outlines of the company throughout the sales market. And sooner or later, the boundaries of business are erased, and then disappear altogether.

Here's a metaphor. It’s easier to say this: a strong USP = a strong company.

John Carleton in one of his speeches says that in search of “that same USP” It may take you more than one sleepless night. But the result should be something special that will make your business take its place in the buyer's mind.

To help you in this difficult task, we have collected 8 scenarios, using which you will create your own competitive offer without much loss of time and nerve cells.

Scenario #1: Unique characteristic

If there are a great many analogues of your business on the market, then try to find some unique difference. Either find or create.

What the Twix TM marketers did in this situation: they divided an ordinary chocolate-wafer bar into two sticks. And the entire communication strategy was built on this.

Scenario No. 2. What remains outside the attention of competitors

It is very difficult to come up with something original in a classic business. Then it’s worth looking for what your competitors are missing.

For example, Claude Hopkins once noticed that toothpaste not only cleans teeth, but also removes unpleasant plaque (film). This is how the slogan was born "Gets Rid of Film on Teeth".

And when developing the USP for a beer brand, he noticed that at the factory the bottles are not just washed, but are doused with a powerful jet of steam. Mr. Hopkins brought this workflow (which, in fact, all beer producers use) into the concept - "Our Bottles Are Washed With Live Steam!"

Of course, here you need to immerse yourself in all areas of the business: from production to the work of secretaries and delivery services.

By the way, you probably remember the classic example of Domino’s pizza delivery. It sounds like this: “Delivery in 30 minutes. If we’re late, we’ll give you pizza as a gift.”.

There is a small stratagem in this scenario: the business owner often gets blinded, but an experienced copywriter with the makings of a Maigret detective is able to pull out a hot and fresh USP into the world.

Scenario No. 3. John Carlton Formula

The formula is ideal for service businesses. You don’t even need to come up with anything revolutionary or creative here. Submit your details and get a working USP.

“With the help of ________ (service, product) we help ________ (ca) solve ______ (problem) with ____ (benefit).”

Options:

• With the “Weight Loss” course we will help women put on their favorite bikini by summer.
• The “Be Your Own Copywriter” training will help businessmen save hundreds of dollars on freelance services.
• The “Mary Poppins” service will help mothers calmly go to the gym, cinema and shopping while the baby is under the supervision of an experienced nanny.

The examples are not perfect, but they demonstrate the very principle of working with the Carlton formula. The main thing is that we explain to the target audience what benefits our product or service brings.

Scenario No. 4. Innovation

If the product solves the buyer’s problems in a completely new way, then this must be stated in the USP. AND "…do not be shy"- as Ivan Dorn sings in his hit.

What could it be:

• innovative formula;
• new product;
• new packaging;
• a new format of interaction with the buyer;
• revolutionary delivery method;
• and so on...

• Innovation! The first 3 in 1 roll-on gel Nivea Q10 for wrinkles, dark circles and swelling.
• Vicks - We combine healing ingredients and the smooth taste of lemon tea to relieve 6 cold symptoms.

Scenario No. 5. USP with a problem

You can include your audience’s problem in your unique selling proposition. Those. go not from a description of the service, but from solving a complex problem for a potential buyer.

• Is your tooth aching? Nebolin ointment will relieve pain in 5 minutes.
• Bad mood? Invite a friend for coffee at McDonald's.
• Confused about finding cheap air tickets? Check out our offers from 183 airlines.

Example of a TV commercial:

— Got a cold? Flu? With Aflubin tablets, a noticeable improvement in health occurs much faster. (Translation from Ukrainian).

Scenario No. 6. USP with a bow

This is what we call any advantage that is associated with gifts, bonuses, discounts, guarantees and other consumer goodies.

• Samsung phones have a 5-year warranty. Order dessert and get coffee as a gift.
• Buy 2 pizzas, the third one is free.
• Place an order for 1000 rubles, and our taxi will take you home for free.

This is a successful scenario for a unique offer, but it is unlikely that such a USP will work with the same effectiveness over time. Use this formula for seasonal promotions.

Scenario No. 7. USP with muscles

Here you need to flex the muscles of your business, show all your friends and envious people the strongest sides of your company, product, service.

What could it be:

• low price;
• huge assortment;
• free service;
• products from cool brands;
• support for a bright personality;
• hundreds of awards and diplomas;
• offices throughout the country.

In general, all the characteristics to which you can add the word “most”.

Just declaring your “self” is not enough for USP. We need facts, figures, evidence.

Hello dear readers. Today we’ll talk about a very important component of any business, which 90% always forget about. This is your USP (unique selling proposition). This is the foundation, this is what any business project should begin with, this is what sets you apart from your competitors, what pushes your business up or, on the contrary, drags you down. We will talk about what a USP is and how to create it for your business in this article.

This article will help you understand how to accurately resolve a client’s problem, make his desire come true and persuade him to make a purchase from you.

What is a unique selling proposition (USP)

USP is the definition of the properties of your business that are unique in their kind to your product or service. In addition, these properties are the distinctive features of your product, and, of course, are absent from competitors. This is what fundamentally sets you apart from your competitors, shows your strengths and solves a problem for potential customers.

Why you need to start a business by developing a USP

Let's take online stores as an example (if this is closest to me). The vast majority of modern online stores, even at the beginning of their work, try to master everything at once. As a rule, their operating principle is to become famous for their excellent quality, affordable prices, instant delivery of goods, polite couriers, high level of service quality, as well as a long warranty period. But that’s not all.

But it often turns out that while trying to cover a lot of things, you can’t cover anything.

I already brought him here once. For example, you have an Audi car. Something has broken down and your car needs repairs. You find 2 car services: a car service that repairs many brands of cars and a car service that specializes specifically in the Audi brand. Which of the above options will you still choose?

Of course, the right decision would be the service station that specializes in the Audi brand.

But not everything is so simple; there are exceptions. The first company may also have extensive experience in servicing your car and will cope with the task quickly and efficiently. But, if you conduct a survey, the majority will clearly be in favor of a service station that specializes in a particular brand.

What conclusion can be drawn from this? When developing your USP, you need to cover only a piece of the market, but cover it 100%. For example, sell not children's clothes, but clothes for newborns. Many examples can be given. The main thing is to get the point across. Start with a narrower niche, become a leader in it, and only then expand.

How to create your own USP

An algorithm consisting of only five steps will help you create your USP, which will become your business card for every potential buyer.

Describe and rate your audience

Before you launch your business, decide who your potential audience is. Try to think more narrowly and then you will hit the target. For example, if you want to open a pet food store, consider targeting only cat owners or dog owners. There is no need to cover ALL animals initially. Believe me, if you have excellent service and a wide range of dog food, then you will already have enough clients in the form of dog breeders. Due to the diversity in choice and focus specifically on them, all dog breeders will be yours.

Find customer problems

Try to put yourself in your client's shoes. What problems might he have? When we opened a bag store, we immediately realized that the majority of female customers would be women with small children. And we were not mistaken. When delivering the goods, we were often thanked for the delivery, because it is impossible to go out shopping and leave a small child alone. We also understood that we would need to frequently deliver goods to our place of work, because not everyone has time to go shopping after work. We also brought up to 10 items to choose from, because we knew that choice in this case is very important and this is one of the problems of a client ordering from an online store without seeing or touching the item with his own hands.

Highlight your most basic qualities

This step involves searching and describing 3-5 characteristic qualities that will help the client choose you rather than a competitor. It is important to convey to the audience that all these bonuses can only be obtained by working with you! What advantages do you have over your competitors?

Think like your consumer. What benefits matter most to your customers? How do they solve their problem? Also compare your offer with your competitors' offers. Whose benefits are more tempting?

What guarantees can you give?

This is a very important element of the USP. You must give people a guarantee for your services and products. But not just a guarantee, but a guarantee like “I answer with my head.” Examples:

– “Our courier will deliver your order in no more than 25 minutes. Otherwise, you will get it completely free!”

- “If our method of losing weight does not help you, we will return 2 times more money than you paid for it.”

If you are not confident in your products and services yourself, then your customers will not be confident either.

We create a USP

Now collect everything you got from the first 4 points and try to fit it all into 1-2 small sentences. Yes, it may take a lot of thought and thought for a long time, but it's worth it! After all, this particular offer, as a rule, is the first thing that catches the eye of a client who visits your website or sees your advertisement.

What is the key to a successful USP?

1. The USP should be clear and concise;
2. Don't make it complicated, it will make it harder for customers to understand;
3. Promise only what you can deliver;
4. Put yourself in the client's shoes and evaluate everything from his point of view.

Just don't rush into it. Spend a few days on your USP. Believe me, it's worth it. Then it will be easier for you to do advertising, you will move on more confidently.

If your goal is to create a successful and profitable business, don't try to chase every product and service in your niche. Narrow it down as much as possible. In addition, try to do everything efficiently. This will allow you to earn a good reputation, earn positive reviews from satisfied customers, and also stand out among your competitors.

Examples of a unique selling proposition

Below we will analyze USPs that occur frequently and make adjustments. The end result will be more targeted and enticing.

"We have the lowest prices!"

Is this a USP? Yes, prices are important, but anyone can write like that. By including a guarantee, you can get a much cooler USP. As the M-Video store did: “If you find a price lower than ours, we will sell at this price and give a discount on your next purchase.” This is what I understand as USP. I myself used this 1 time, sending a link to a product in another online store and receiving a product in M-Video for that amount, as well as a coupon for a discount of 1000 rubles. for your next purchase.

“We have the highest level of quality!”

Also blah blah blah. “If our simulator did not help you, then we will refund you 2 of its costs.” How can you not buy when reading lines like this?

“Exclusive only with us!”

This is more complicated, but since you write something like this, back it up with a guarantee. “If you find this product anywhere else, show us and receive a gift with your purchase.”

“We have the best service and support”

Well, what is it? Another thing: “If we don’t deliver in 40 minutes, you will receive the order for free.” Or an example from Virgin airline: “If our operator does not answer within 10 seconds, you will receive a free flight.” This is what I mean by SERVICE!

Conclusion

I think that this article turned out to be as detailed as possible and you will be able to create a USP for your business based on it. If you have any questions, ask in the comments. But just don’t ask me to create a USP for you or give an example specifically for your business. This is not a quick process and I won’t just sit and brainstorm. You are the founder of your business and it is YOU who should come up with the USP.

In the modern market of goods and services, no one will be surprised by the fact that you are the best. To compete with other companies, you need to be not just the best, but unique. Only then will it be possible to talk about increasing the number of clients. A unique selling proposition is something that marketers of many firms and companies puzzle over. Today we will look at this concept and learn how to create a USP ourselves.

Most importantly

In every business, USP (or unique selling proposition) is the most important thing. No USP, no sales, no profit, no business. It may be a little exaggerated, but in general that’s how it is.

A unique selling proposition (also called an offer, USP or USP) is a distinctive characteristic of a business. At the same time, it doesn’t matter what exactly a person does, there must be a distinctive characteristic. This term implies a difference that competitors do not have. A unique offer gives the client a certain benefit and solves a problem. If the USP does not solve the client’s problem, then it is just an extravagant name - it is memorable, sounds beautiful, but does not greatly affect the conversion level.

A unique selling proposition should be based on the two most important words - “benefit” and “different”. This offer should be so radically different from the competition that no matter what introduction the client takes, he will choose exactly the company that has a worthy USP.

USP and Russia

Before starting the main course, I would like to pay attention to domestic marketing. In Russia, the problem is immediately obvious - everyone wants to be the best, but no one wants to be unique in their own way. This is where the main problem comes from - companies refuse to create unique selling propositions. When they try to outdo a competitor who has created a USP, they end up with something between a fancy phrase and a characteristic of a product or service.

Take, for example, the unique selling proposition that is in the portfolio of some copywriters:

• Best author.
• Ideal texts.
• Master of pen and words, etc.

This is not a USP at all, but rather an example of how not to advertise yourself. Everyone has their own concept of an ideal text, the word “best” can be used if it is confirmed by numerical data and factual characteristics, and it seems that there was only one “master of the pen and word”, Bulgakov. Working USPs look completely different:

• Fast copywriting - any text within 3 hours after payment.
• Each client receives a free consultation on improvement (fill in as required).
• Free pictures for the article from commercial photo stocks, etc.

Here, behind each proposal there is a benefit that the client acquires together with the author. The customer focuses on what he needs in addition to the article: images, consultation or high-quality and fast execution. But you don’t know what to expect from the “best author”. In business, everything works exactly the same.

Varieties

For the first time, American advertiser Rosser Reeves spoke about creating a unique selling proposition. He introduced the concept of USP into use and noted this concept as more effective than advertising odes, which lacked specifics.

He said that a strong sales proposition helps:

• Separate yourself from your competitors.
• Stand out among similar services and products.
• Win the loyalty of the target audience.
• Increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns by creating effective messages.

It is customary to distinguish between 2 types of trade offers: true and false. The first is based on the actual characteristics of the product, which competitors cannot boast of. A false selling proposition is uniqueness invented. For example, the client is told unusual information about the product or obvious advantages are presented from a different angle. It's kind of a play on words.

Today it is difficult to endow a product with some unique characteristics, so a false USP is being used more and more often.

High-quality trade offer. Main criteria

According to the concept of R. Reeves, the criteria for a high-quality trade offer are:

• A message about the specific benefit that a person will receive by purchasing a company's product.
• The offer is different from all those available in this market segment.
• The message is compelling and the target audience can easily remember it.

In advertising, the unique selling proposition is the basis, so it must fully meet the needs of customers. Each message should convey benefits, value and benefit, but, in addition, a clear argument is needed so that the client clearly understands why he should buy the product he is interested in here and not somewhere else.

Stages

So how do you create a unique selling proposition? If you don’t think too hard, this task seems creative and exciting, and quite easy. But as practice has shown, USP is an example of exclusively rational and analytical work. Coming up with something fancy and passing it off as a unique offer is like looking for a black cat in a dark room. It's impossible to guess which concept will work.

To get a worthy example of a unique selling proposition, you need to do a lot of research: in addition to the market, niche occupied and competitors, study the product itself - from production technology to the watermark on the packaging. Development consists of several stages:

1. Divide the target audience into subgroups according to certain parameters.
2. Determine the needs of each of these groups.
3. Highlight positioning attributes, that is, determine what exactly in the promoted product will help solve the problems of the target audience.
4. Describe the benefits of the product. What will the consumer get if he buys it?
5. Based on the received input data, create a USP.

Scenarios

As you can see, this is a rather painstaking process where it is necessary to use all analytical skills. Only after a full analysis has been completed can you begin to look for a key idea and only then begin to create a sales proposal.

This task can be simplified if you use scripts that have already been tested by time and experience:

1. Focus on unique characteristics.
2. New solution, innovation.
3. Additional services.
4. Turn disadvantages into advantages.
5. Solve the problem of

Uniqueness + innovation

Now a little more about scripts. As for the first scenario, “Uniqueness,” it is suitable only for those products or services that are truly one of a kind and have no competitors. As a last resort, this feature can be created artificially. A unique selling proposition (USP) may be completely unexpected. For example, a company that produces stockings and socks entered the market with an interesting offer - they were selling a set of three socks, and the USP promised to solve the age-old problem of the missing sock.

As for innovation, it is worth declaring a solution to a problem in a new way. For example, “The innovative formula of the air freshener will destroy 99% of germs and fill the room with a fresh aroma.”

"Buns" and disadvantages

The third scenario focuses on additional privileges. If all the products on the market are the same and have almost identical characteristics, then you need to pay attention to additional bonuses that will attract visitors. For example, a pet store might ask customers to adopt kittens or puppies for 2 days to make sure they fit into a family.

You can also turn the shortcomings of the product to your advantage. If milk is stored for only 3 days, then from a practical point of view it is not profitable, and the buyer is unlikely to pay attention to it. Considering this, we can say that it is stored so little because it is 100% natural. The influx of clients is guaranteed.

Solution

But the simplest option is to solve the problems of potential consumers. This can be done using the formula (yes, like in mathematics):

1. Need of the target audience + Result + Guarantee. In advertising, an example of a unique selling proposition might sound like this: “3,000 subscribers in 1 month or we’ll refund your money.”
2. Target audience + Problem + Solution. “We help new copywriters find clients using proven marketing strategies.”
3. Unique characteristic + Need. “Exclusive jewelry will emphasize the exclusivity of style.”
4. Product + Target Audience + Problem + Benefit. “With audio lessons “Polyglot” you can learn any language at a conversational level in just a month and without a doubt go to the country of your dreams.”

Unspecified points

For the USP to work, you need to pay attention to a few more nuances during its creation. First, the problem that the product solves must be recognized by the customer and he must want to solve it. Of course, you can offer a spray against “brain-snatchers” (isn’t that a problem?!), but the buyer will spend much more actively on a regular cream against mosquitoes and ticks.

Secondly, the proposed solution must be better than what the target audience used before. And thirdly, each client must measure, feel and evaluate the result.

When creating a USP, it is most rational to take Ogilvy’s advice. He worked in advertising for many years and knows exactly how to look for a USP. In his book On Advertising, he mentioned the following: great ideas come from the subconscious, so it must be filled with information. Fill your brain to the limit with everything that can relate to the product and switch off for a while. A brilliant idea will come at the most unexpected moment.

Of course, the article has already mentioned analytics, but this advice does not contradict what has already been proposed. It often happens that after carrying out hundreds of analytical processes, a marketer cannot find a single and unique link that will promote a product on the market. It is at such moments, when the brain processes information, that you need to step away from reality. As practice shows, very soon a person will see that elusive USP that was on the very surface.

It is also very important to pay attention to those small nuances that competitors miss. At one time, Claude Hopkins noticed that toothpaste not only cleans teeth, but also removes plaque. This is how the first slogan appeared in the advertising community that toothpaste removes plaque.

And there is no need to be afraid to take non-standard approaches to solving a problem. Marketers of TM “Twix” simply divided the chocolate bar into two sticks and, as they say, away we go.

Protecting the idea

A unique selling proposition does not appear in marketers' heads out of nowhere. This is the result of long, focused and hard work, which, by the way, competitors can also use.

A few decades ago, intellectual property was inextricably linked to its owner. That is, if one company introduced a successful USP, the other did not even look in the direction of this advertising. Today, things have changed somewhat: managers can simply use their competitors' ideas for their own purposes.

Therefore, there was a need to create patents. These are documents that confirm the owner’s right to the exclusive use of the results of his activities. Inventions here mean products or methods that solve a specific problem. In turn, the “unique selling proposition” itself is a powerful incentive for innovation. The subject of advertising here is an advantage unnoticed by competitors, but realized by customers. Patent protection for unique selling propositions is practically undeveloped in our country, but in more developed societies, every advertising campaign is protected from plagiarism.

Thus, to achieve success, you need to be a unique, one-of-a-kind supplier of in-demand products that are available in every store, but the best in this company.