utp services examples. USP in marketing

Do you want to create a killer USP and speed up your business?

As of 2013, there are about 10 billion brands registered in the world. And each of them wants you to be their client. Everyone is trying to sell something. How to remember them, how to distinguish between them?

Every one of you faces this problem. potential clients. In every niche, whatever it is: selling car parts; production of building materials; beauty salons and hairdressers; private hospitals and so on and so forth, many different companies operate. And each offers identical or nearly identical goods or services. How to choose? How to distinguish? Who to contact? How to remember if you have almost decided?

Every company, no matter how big or small (especially!) needs to stand out from the competition. The logo and is only half the battle. You need to come up with some unique, special offer that will set you apart from the general background and help you shout to the client in the general noise.

Here's how to come up with and compose your own unique trade offer, or USP, and will be discussed in this article.

What is USP and how it is used in marketing and sales

A USP is a unique selling proposition. It implies some special characteristic of a brand or product, which is presented as an advantage or additional benefit for the client. USP is used by marketers when developing advertising campaign- often it is built on this particular feature in order to distinguish the company from its peers in the market.

This concept was introduced as such by the American advertising specialist Rosser Reeves. He developed this concept as an alternative to the eulogies in advertising, which ordinary consumers simply stopped believing. According to his concept, USP should:

• translate real benefits for the client;
• increase the loyalty of the target audience to;
• be unique, special, one of a kind on the market.

If you peep a feature from a competitor and present it with your own sauce, it will not be a strong USP. It will be just a stolen idea, an imitation.

It seems to have a unique selling proposition, but 9 out of 10 competitors have the same

The USP is the reason consumers should choose you. And every company needs it. Only those who launch a new, innovative, revolutionary product, which simply has no analogues, can do without a USP. In this case, this very product is a unique offer.

In all other cases, tune in or die, to paraphrase a classic.

Why business USP?

• to stand out from competitors;
• to win the appreciation of the target audience;
• to create strong promotional materials() and work out a marketing strategy;
• to make your product stand out from the crowd.

Distinguish between true and false USP. The real thing is the real unique characteristics of the product that no one else has on the market in this niche. It's what's in the product itself. False benefits are made-up benefits, in the absence of a true difference. This is what and how it is said about this product. And in most cases, entrepreneurs resort to such USPs. But what if you offer the same product and service as the rest? If you have not invented something unique, some kind of exclusive product, you have to turn your head on and think carefully about how you can hook customers.

Standing out from competitors is the key to success advertising company. A unique offer should clearly indicate the benefits for customers, on which the message will be built, which will later be broadcast in advertising, on social networks and other promotional materials.

How to create a unique selling proposition

Many business owners think that writing a USP is easy. The two obvious paths they take are:

"We have the lowest prices!"

Price races are a dubious advantage for two reasons. First, there will always be someone who is cheaper. The second is that by low prices you attract the appropriate contingent of customers - insolvent and overly economical, to say the least.

"We have a quality service!"

In fact, the concept of quality is completely different for everyone. And you can not always guarantee this very service - the human factor plays a lot. But even if so, you really work conscientiously, it is this phrase “quality services”, “ best service” have set the teeth on edge so that they just fly past the ears.

If you are just starting out, yes, for quick sales you can still somehow beat these two trump cards as part of some kind of promotion. For example, the most low price. But if you want to build a strong brand for a long time, you need to take the development of the USP seriously.

In general, any unique selling proposition is built on three fundamental principles.

1. Advertising message must convey a specific benefit to the consumer. That's right, you need to submit a USP not in the light of your advantages, but in terms of benefits for the client. He is not so interested in Italian wallpaper in itself, as in the sight of his room, pasted over with this wallpaper. So sell him a beautiful repair, easy maintenance of wallpaper that is washable and does not fade, and not the wallpaper itself. But this is all of the above, he can get only by buying these very wallpapers from you.

Only if it is profitable to cooperate with you, customers will choose your company.

2. Customer benefit must be unique compared to other products similar to yours. Everything is clear here - this principle is embedded in the definition itself. Want to be different? Come up with something that your competitors don't have. Only by being different, only by offering something that no one else offers, can you be different from everyone else. As a result, your product will be chosen (if the benefit is well described) and remembered.

3. The benefit must be significant, that is, attractive enough so that the client can make a choice in favor of your product without much thought. Benefits must be reasoned, and not invented or sucked from the finger. That is why you should study your target audience, know your clients, their pains and based on that .

When you know what problems your customers have, you can offer them a solution in the form of this unique benefit.

Examples of compiling USP

You can often find USPs that absolutely do not play into the hands of the business: they are too general and do not attract attention.

How to create such an offer that will become the heart and engine of your business success?

1. Tell something that your competitors are silent about.

If there are hundreds of businesses like yours, it is very difficult to find something truly unique. But maybe there is something that your customers are simply silent about?

Such a case was in my practice. The company is engaged in the production of granite monuments. For clients, a service is offered “by default” - the development of a 3D model of a future product, and free of charge. Other companies also provide this service, but they are modestly silent about it. We did not become silent. The benefit of seeing a full-fledged three-dimensional image of the future monument works well for many of the company's clients.

And chewing gum, "Orbit", which is sugar-free? Read the composition of other similar rubber bands - it is identical. And no sugar too. But Orbit presents it as a USP.

2. Point out novelty or innovation

If you invented new way solve a customer's problem, or upgrade your product, or add some new ingredient to it - don't be silent. You need to do your USP, and quickly, before someone else does it before you.

Think of an advertisement for any new shampoo or cream. Either they came up with a new formula, then they added keratin, then some kind of l-lipids, which no one had heard anything about, but if you believe the advertisement, shampoo makes hair stronger. And the cream just smooths out wrinkles for one or two. All thanks to the INNOVATIVE formula. Get armed.

3. Formula John Carlton

Using this formula, it is very easy to make a USP, especially if you provide services. The formula is built like this:

The product ___ helps ___ to solve a problem ___ indicate the benefit.

For example:

The new cream will help women overcome the first wrinkles and look younger.

Hello dear readers. Today we will talk about a very important component of any business, which 90% always forget about. This is a USP (Unique Selling Proposition). This is the foundation of the basics, this is what any business project should start with, this is what distinguishes you from competitors, what pushes your business up or, on the contrary, drags you down. We will talk about what a USP is and how to form it for your business in this article.

This article will give you an idea of ​​how to accurately solve a client's problem, turn his desire into reality and persuade him to make a purchase from you.

What is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

A USP is a definition of the features of your business that are unique in their own way to your product or service. In addition, these properties are the distinctive features of your product, and, of course, are not available from competitors. This is what fundamentally distinguishes you from competitors, shows your strengths and solves the problem of potential customers.

Why a business needs to start with the development of a USP

Let's take online shopping 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 working principle is to be famous for 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 often it turns out that trying to cover a lot of things, you can not cover anything.

I already brought him up. For example, you have an Audi car. Something is broken and your car needs to be repaired. You find 2 auto-services: a car service that repairs many brands of cars and a car service that specializes specifically in the Audi brand. In favor of which of the above options would you still make your choice?

Undoubtedly, right decision there will be a service station that specializes in the Audi brand.

But not everything is so simple, there are exceptions. The first company may also have vast experience in servicing your car and will cope with the task quickly and efficiently. But, if you conduct a survey, then the majority will obviously be for the service station, which 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, not to sell children's clothes, but clothes for newborns. Many examples can be cited. The main thing is to convey the essence. Start with a narrower niche, become a leader in it, and only then expand.

How to create your own USP

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

Describe and rate your audience

Before starting a business, decide who your potential audience is. Try to think more narrowly and then you will hit right on target. For example, if you want to open a pet food store, consider only reaching out to cat owners or dog owners. You do not need to initially cover ALL animals. Believe me, if you have great service and a large assortment of dog food, then you will have enough customers in the face of dog breeders. Because of the diversity in the choice and focus on them, all dog breeders will be yours.

Find customer issues

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

Highlight your most important qualities

This step involves finding and describing 3-5 characteristic qualities that will help the client choose you, and not 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, not your competitors?

Think like your consumer. What are the benefits highest value for your clients? How do they solve their problem? Also compare your offer with that of competitors. Whose benefits are more enticing?

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 of the “I answer with my head” type. Examples:

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

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

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

We compose USP

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

What is the key to a successful USP?

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

Just don't rush into it. Give the USP a few days. Believe me, it's worth it. Then it will be easier for you to make advertising, you will be more confident to move on.

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 with high quality. This will allow you to earn a good reputation, earn positive reviews satisfied customers and stand out from the competition.

Unique Selling Proposition Examples

Below we will analyze the USPs that are common and make an adjustment. The result will be more targeted and tempting.

"We have the lowest prices!"

Is this a UTP? 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 the next purchase.” That's what I understand by UTP. I myself used this 1 time, throwing off a link to a product in another online store and receiving a product in M-Video for this 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 cost.” Here's how you can not buy, reading such lines?

“Exclusive only with us!”

It’s more complicated here, but since you write this, then confirm with a guarantee. "If you find this product elsewhere, show us and get a gift with your purchase."

“We have the best service and support”

Well, what is it? Another thing: "If we do not deliver in 40 minutes, then you will receive the order for free." Or an example from Virgin Airlines: "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 can create a USP for your business based on it. If you have any questions, ask in the comments. But just don’t ask to create a USP for you or give an example specifically for your business. This is not a quick process and I will not just sit and brainstorm. You are the founder of your business and it is YOU who should come up with the USP.

When you meet some USPs, it breaks out: "Oops!".

Typical, no benefits, lackluster, too generic.

But it is the unique selling proposition that is the heart of any business. The one that revolves around marketing strategy, which helps to advantageously rebuild from competitors and occupy its part of the market.

Let's think of the USP as the core surrounded by hot marketing magma. It moves, mixing, positioning, characteristics of the target audience, competitive information, the benefits of a product or service, as well as 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 completely disappear.

Here is such a metaphor. And it’s easier to say this: a strong USP = a strong company.

John Carlton, in one of his speeches, says that in search of "the same UTP" It may take more than one sleepless night. But the result should be something special that puts your business in the buyer's mind.

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

Scenario #1: Unique Feature

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

How the marketers of TM "Twix" acted in this situation: they divided an ordinary chocolate-wafer bar into two sticks. And on this they built the entire communication strategy.

Scenario #2

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). And so the slogan was born. "Gets Rid of Film on Teeth".

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

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

By the way, you probably remember the classic example of Domino Pizza delivery. It sounds like this: “Delivery in 30 minutes. If we're late - pizza as a gift".

There is a little military trick in this scenario: the business owner often blurs his eyes, and an experienced copywriter with the makings of a detective Maigret is able to pull out a hot and fresh USP.

Scenario #3: The John Carlton Formula

The formula is ideal for a service business. It doesn't even need to come up with anything revolutionary or creative. Substitute your data - and get a working USP.

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

Options:

• With the Slimming course, we will help women put on their favorite bikini by the summer.
• The Self Copywriter training will help businessmen save hundreds of dollars on freelance services.
• The Mary Poppins service will help mothers to go to the gym, movies 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 #4: Innovativeness

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 way of delivery;
• and so on...

• Innovation! The first Nivea Q10 3 in 1 Roll-On Gel for wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness.
• Vicks - We've combined healing ingredients and the mild flavor of Lemon Tea to help relieve 6 cold symptoms.

Scenario #5: USP with a problem

You can turn the problem of your audience into a unique selling proposition. Those. go not from the description of the service, but from solving the complex problem of a potential buyer.

• Has a tooth? Ointment "Nebolin" will relieve pain in 5 minutes.
• Bad mood? Invite a friend over for coffee at McDonald's.
• Confused about finding cheap flights? Check out our offers of 183 airlines.

TV commercial example:

— Got a cold? Flu? With Aflubin tablets, a tangible improvement in health comes much faster. (Translated from Ukrainian).

Scenario number 6. USP with a bow

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

• Samsung phones are guaranteed for 5 years. Order a dessert, get coffee as a gift.
• Buy 2 pizzas, the third one is free.
• Make an order for 1000 rubles, and our taxi will take you home for free.

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

Scenario number 7. USP with muscles

Here you need to play with the muscles of your business, show all your friends and envious people the strengths of the company, product, service.

What could it be:

• low price;
• huge assortment;
• free service;
• goods of 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".

It is not enough just to declare one's "self" for the USP. We need facts, figures, evidence.

USP! USP! USP! Sounds like a curse if you don't know what it is. But in fact, a very useful topic is in business. For use in marketing, advertising and sales. Helps the company to stand out from the competition, I would even say to some extent to wipe their nose. But first things first, it seems simple at first glance. Everything is much more complicated than you think, and even more useful than you imagine.

Stop cursing

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, so I'll answer your dumb question, what is UTP. In fact, it stands for Unique Selling Proposition.

The definition of this term looks like this - this is your unique difference from another company or other products for which a client can single you out and say: “Wow, this is an offer!”.

Such an emotion, of course, is difficult to achieve, but nothing is impossible.

Gentlemen, let's not delve into the theory for a long time. All you need to know about unique selling propositions is that they make companies stand out from the crowd. And to quickly understand whether you have it or not, just answer one of the questions right now:

1. How are you different from other companies/products?
2. Why should I choose your company/product?

Usually at this moment there is a small, 5-second pause, after which, as a rule, options known to everyone follow:

• High quality;
• Good service;
• flexible terms,

And my favorite thing is the individual approach. Just don't say that you answered the same?! I beg you! After all, it is fatal if your sales people, including you, respond to your customers in this way. Because that's how thousands of other companies around the world respond to them.

How to choose in this case? Who are the best on the market? That's right, purely only by where you liked it more according to some subjective feelings. This, of course, is also good. True, in this case it is impossible to talk about the systemic growth of the company.

We have decided that you urgently need to read this article further, since your answers, by default, should be in business. It's the same if a restaurant writes: "We have the most delicious food", it seems that in all other establishments the waiters say: "Gentlemen, we have not very tasty food, but what music, what music!". Badly! Badly! It's 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.

1. USP is not ACTION
2. USP is not positioning

Let's take a closer look so that there is no confusion in the future. Since in the vastness of the Internet everyone gives examples of USP and does not understand that this is more of a positioning or action than our “hero of the occasion”.

Further, the action, this, of course, is also your difference, only it is temporary, not permanent. Therefore, it cannot be said that your unique difference is that you give a second item when buying. Any other company can do it 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, on the clothes of employees, on billboards and other media, and in any form of advertising message, and it does not lose its relevance. A share (offer) cannot always be used, since it has the principle of burnout and replacement with another.

Positioning is a more global topic. This is not necessarily your difference, but rather your place in the market, which should not always distinguish you, but at the same time should characterize you. My favorite and most understandable example is a Volvo car, their positioning is “Safety”. Is this a difference? Of course not. This is their accent. But a unique difference for them can 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 come up with, how to make, how to arrange it?!”.

I will reassure you a little by the fact that the creation of a USP has certain principles. So I want to warn you about a few important nuances, which will help formulate an armor-piercing proposal:

1. You need to know your company and your product VERY well to make a real good offer. Therefore, compiling a USP with new employees is not very a good idea. Although some of the new ones should be, so to speak, a fresh look.
2. You need to know yours VERY well, because ideally formation of USP should, first of all, be based on the criteria for choosing a client, those that are truly important to them.

Here you have dealt with the general theory. Now the development of a unique selling proposition will not be scary for you. To help you, below is an instruction for compiling and formulas of UTP.

1. Creative

The solution is partly the simplest and yet, in my opinion, not the most the best option. Due to the fact that your creative has settled in the minds of consumers and is perceived as “truth”, you need to invest more than one hundred thousand rubles in advertising. Rather, you need to calculate the total in millions. And do you need it?

Formula: [Creativity Feature] + [Product]

Example:
Chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hands.

2. Most

Choose what you have the very best in the company and trumpet it to the whole world. In any case, there will always be someone who will do better, but until they do, time will pass and perhaps more than one year.

Also be careful, in direct writing the word “MOST” cannot be used 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 the coffee shop ___ - 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 trumpeting this. But if you do not know the client, then you will not know what he is afraid of or what he is afraid of. This means that you cannot make the following formula, which is based on the client's fear.

Formula: [Product] + Without + [Customer Fear]

Example:
Dishwashing liquid without chemicals.
Lose weight without going to the gym.
Construction of roofs without prepayment.

4. C

The idea is the same as in the third point, only we say that our product has amazing value that they simply need. Again, we focus on what is important for the client.

Formula: [Product] + c + [added value]

Example:
Cream with vitamin E complex.
Air conditioning with the ability to work in winter.

5. How/To

Personally, I don’t really like this option, it’s kind of rustic or something, but still in some areas it is 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:
Food like at home.
Shop for the little ones.

6. Property

Relevant for those who have technical feature, which distinguishes you from others, which 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 he did not pay attention to the fact that the specialist who makes this x-ray is much more important.

Formula: [Product/Company] + From/From/To/To/From + [Property]

Example:
Clinic with a magnetic resonance tomograph “3 Tesla”.
All shovels are made of pure titanium.

7. The only one

If your product is the only one for a city, region, or even better for Russia, then it is also worth trumpeting it to the fullest. Again, the downside is that it's 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 for timing belts in Russia.
The only transforming chairs in Moscow.

8. Hidden Procedures

In any business, there are topics that everyone does by default and do not talk about it. You just need to show it and serve it with the right sauce. And what is needed for this? Remember? It is very good to know your product and your company. The people who work in it, the equipment, the processes, the tools, the raw materials, the supplier of raw materials and stuff like that.

Formula: [Product] + [hidden procedure]

Example:
Three degrees of glass tempering.
Non-combustible PVC tiles.

9. Warranty

Just tell the client that he will get the desired result, otherwise, you will return the money, redo it for free or make a gift. Especially often this USP can be seen among info-businessmen. Although you can use it in any other business, for example, in construction, you can give a guarantee for the fulfillment of deadlines.

Formula: [If _____] + [then ____]

Example:
If there is an increase in the estimate, then the additional costs will be at our expense.
If you don't like it, we'll refund 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. And, personally, I think that this is the best formula. It can be said that it generalizes all 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 planning under the order.

How to check know-how

After creation, it seems that the best can not be imagined that this is the 8th wonder of the world. I am in no hurry to break 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, because, as practice shows, all brilliant ideas they come when you are busy with something that is not at all what you need.

And to be sure of this, go through the list of questions below and check your hypothesis for compliance with reality.

1. Can the same be said about your competitors?

   If you say that you produce a product in 24 hours when your competitors do it in the same time, then this is not a cool offer, it's just a statement of fact.

2. Is it important to the client / hurts the client?

   You can put pressure on creativity, but for me it’s only for large companies, quite large. At best, you need to put pressure on the criteria of the client or on his emotions, and it does not matter whether it is positive or negative. If your message does not affect the client, then you need to change the situation.

3. Do you want to believe in your difference?

   If you can actually show clients how to make a million in 5 minutes, then this is an insanely great offer. Only here it is not at all plausible. Therefore, it would be better to replace it for a period of “7 days”, which will be more credible.

4. How long will your USP be relevant?

   Utp is an “eternal” difference, and an action 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.

5. Does your proposal fit into 3-8 words?

   Conciseness, lightness - this is the key to success. The shorter your sentence, the better, the easier it fits in the minds of customers and it is easier for them to remember it, and therefore use it in relation to you.

6. Does your USP have a logical downside?

   If you say: “We have the biggest houses”, then it is good, if only another company in the market can make a reverse offer “We have the smallest houses”. Otherwise, for example, in the premium segment, where everyone should have large houses by default, your offer will lose.

Briefly about the main

I would like to write that the time has passed when it was possible to do just “good” and people would go in crowds. But this is not so, those who show impressive results in their work will always differ. But here's one bad luck, if the company is not big and even more so new, then for the first time 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 do not sleep. The most arrogant copy your know-how, the less arrogant improve it. And in this, too, there is a certain strategy for creating one's own difference.

That’s all for me, the game has begun, 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 partially with other thoughts, then watch this video:

• How to understand which product characteristics to emphasize in a unique selling proposition
• Creating a unique selling proposition: how often to update the USP
• Examples of a unique selling proposition: what to base on if the products are no different from competitors' offers

Unique selling proposition still have to be considered a fairly young phenomenon that has begun to be used in Russian business since the early 2000s, when brands began to enter the market.

We have to admit that with a lot of talk about this issue, few are really involved in the development of the USP. Most companies in Russia do not have a clear understanding of their target audience, as a result they are focused on everyone.

How often does a manager need to deal with the company's strategy or change it? 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 company's vitality.

In this 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 distinguish 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 right USP

First step. Collection of primary information. A table should be drawn up, which will indicate the characteristics of the products and competitive advantages for the client, which he receives through cooperation with your company. Experience confirms that the more written, the better. It will be possible to write 15 competitive characteristics - excellent, 20 - even better. At the same time, all benefits and advantages for customers, albeit insignificant, should be described. After specifying your advantages, you should cross out those benefits that your competitors can offer. Our goal is to find and offer competitors the advantages that only we have.

Second step. Checking the relevance of benefits.

1. Request statistics for search engine. You should test each of the selected benefits with a search query to understand how often potential customers try to find a solution to a similar problem.
2. Cards feedback. For loyal customers, you can offer to fill out feedback cards, highlighting the most important benefits.
3. Open question. If it is not possible to achieve clear results by comparing their advantages with the benefits offered by competitors, sales staff and marketers should be instructed to ask loyal customers the question - “Why do you choose to work with us?”. Quite a variety of answers can come out of the output, but the most common ones can be used for your USP.
4. Sales analysis. This method was used to compile 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 fat ones in comparison with other positions in the assortment of the enterprise. This information and formed the basis of a unique trade offer: “Clothes for obese women. Our dresses, thanks to a special cut, allow you to hide the fullness and emphasize the beauty of the figure - all your femininity. This text was chosen for advertisement 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.

1. Divide your clients into groups randomly, sending different types of messages for each group.
2. Accommodation contextual advertising, based on various types unique selling proposition. The USP option becomes the main one, which helped to achieve the maximum number of 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, there are many characteristics of your product that can be noted, attracting the attention of the target audience - including:

1. Useful additional service. “Buyers of goods for any amount are provided free shipping in the city". Either jewelry stores offer to “add each date to the database so that the buyer does not forget to congratulate his beloved.”
2. Polite and diligent staff. Probably, many have met such ads - “we will wash the car in 20 minutes or return your money”, “only polite and sober movers”.
3. Narrow specialization - "shop of elite alcoholic drinks" or "rock-karaoke bar".
4. Orientation of the company to a specific category of customers. "Toy store for girls".
5. Leading positions in the market. "The largest selection of automotive parts in town." At the same time, it is important that the statement in the USP is true - in order to avoid negative consequences for the company's reputation.
6. Elitism - for example, a commercial photographer in his USP may indicate "shooting in luxurious interiors with expensive items."
7. High result. "85 of our students are employed within 3 months."
8. Providing customers with guarantees. Including refund or free service over 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.
9. Ask what your customers need. In particular, you can think about a survey, or a study on finding the most interesting USP for the target audience is suitable.
10. The USP should not be directed at the users themselves, but at the decision makers.
11. Compare your services or products with competitors. For example, one of the washing powders gained its fame thanks to the motto "If there is no difference, then why pay more?".
12. Keep the cost to a negligible amount. For example, “advertising in our newspaper - 600 rubles. per month. Advertisements are published three times a week - 12 times a month. Therefore, one publication will cost only 50 rubles. 20,000 subscribers will be able to see this ad, so pay only 0.25 kopecks for each client.”
13. Express the cost in non-financial terms. In particular, one of the coupon services sends offers to its customers - “give your beloved a festive bouquet of roses, a romantic evening and two movie tickets for the price of a tank of gasoline.”

False unique selling propositions

1. Obvious promises. "If you do not like the product, we promise to return the money for the purchase within 14 days." But such a promise cannot be considered a unique selling proposition, because it is mandatory requirement under the Consumer Protection Act.
2. Invented advantage. Among the most striking examples are “cholesterol-free vegetable oil” (cholesterol can only be found in animal fats) and “non-GMO salt”.
3. Opposition based on a play on words. "Smoke Cool - Avoid hot cigarettes." Cool cigarettes are opposed to other brands and allegedly 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 own benefit. The properties specified in the unique selling proposition must meet the needs of the buyer. You need to clearly show what benefit the client will receive, noting other important qualities:

1. Saving washing powder. It rinses out easier, does not harm the skin.
2. More washes for the same price.
3. Compact sills are environmentally friendly, reducing environmental impact.

The complex of advantages, if not limited to only one benefit, allows you to interest a wider target audience - those who want to save money, those who care about the skin, and those who are worried about the environmental situation in the world.

• Commercial offer: samples and examples. 16 killers and boosters everyone needs to know

He speaks CEO

Evgeny Panteleev, General Director of the cosmetic association "Freedom", Moscow

Our company is launching a new line of cosmetic products this year. The USP includes the principle of the ratio of quality and price - the product is presented in price category"mass market", but in terms of characteristics and composition, it is more reminiscent of the products of the world's leading brands. Let us consider in more detail how such a USP of our cosmetic products appeared.

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 managed to meet the heirs of the founder of our company, many hereditary perfumers. They introduced us to many representatives of French laboratories that specialize in new areas in the field of cosmetology, and helped us a lot in organizing negotiations. We were particularly interested in the developments of the Soliance laboratory - its representatives offered us exclusive conditions for the supply of a component with a unique rejuvenating effect (hyaluronic acid microsphere). The use of this component is already envisaged for leading cosmetic products, including in the range of the famous world brands YvesRocher, L'Oreal and Clarins.

In addition to the exclusive right to use this microsphere for our cosmetic line, we also managed to count on comprehensive methodological support from business partners from France. They assisted in the formation of new SKUs, the research center of our company also created its own recipes. This approach allowed us to provide the 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 in the research center. According to the results of the last study, it was possible to confirm that our product is not inferior in its properties to more expensive analogues.

The second component deserves special attention - the cost. In the matter of price, our USP has a certain “immunity”. Since we received an exclusive opportunity from the French developer to use his know-how - the hyaluronic acid microsphere. Therefore, it is unlikely that anyone Russian manufacturers be able to compare with our prices, and foreign counterparts turn out to be much more expensive.

Alexey Pyrin, General Director, Artisifood, Moscow

We are engaged not only in production, but also in the sale of fish and seafood. We make the main bet in our activities on the b2b sector. Usually, wholesale suppliers food products do not have a well-known, recognizable brand, so it is really difficult to stand out from your competitors. They decided to take the factor of an extensive assortment as the basis for promoting their services. The vast majority of companies offer a little bit of everything, they cannot deliver rare products. We managed to significantly expand the range of our services - about 200 types of seafood and fish, while informing customers 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, with a more significant problem that we propose to solve to the client, with the most understandable and accessible wording of your proposal, it will be possible to make it more recognizable and famous brand for potential clients. Actual this rule almost everywhere - only complex equipment becomes an exception (as a rule, consumers analyze and compare characteristics in advance).

On the FMCG market it is necessary to determine the most significant property, which will be recorded in the unique selling proposition and on the packaging. In particular, the pleasant aroma of the product can be noted on the packaging. This property over time has already begun to be taken for granted, so we moved on to “effective stain removal”. The heroes of our commercials could get very dirty, but no amount of dirt could withstand the effects of a powerful powder. As a result, we managed to achieve sales growth of more than 5 times within five years.

• Private label products: what buyers are willing to give their money for

Is Your Product's Unique Selling Proposition Effective: Three Parameters to Check

Ilya Piskulin, Director of Love marketing agency, Moscow

Try, for example, creating an "antonym" for your unique selling proposition.

1. Your unique selling proposition cannot be used by competitors

If competitors repeat your offer, they will deceive the client. Somehow in my practice there was a case. One of our companies started producing windows with a ventilation system. A competing firm said their windows are also ventilated. We sent them secret shopper and found that we are talking about valve ventilation, which works only at positive temperatures and is not installed in Russia. The company also knew about this and therefore immediately warned customers that it was not worth buying windows with ventilation. That is, the company attracted customers by the fact that it was not going to sell. Of course, the buyers were disappointed. There was no other competitor on the market who could repeat our USP and at the same time keep the promise.

USP examples. The restaurant is the only one in the area that cooks dishes on the grill or serves a business lunch in 20 minutes. The window manufacturing company is the only one among its kind that makes metal siding under a log. 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. Once I watched the death of a grill bar. At first, he positioned himself as an extreme bar, but unexpectedly announced that he was starting to hold children's matinees on Sundays. The regulars were at a loss, and new customers (young mothers with children) did not dare to go to an incomprehensible institution. It is important that the USP reflects exactly your positioning and does not suit your closest competitors.

USP examples. If BMW announced that it had produced the safest car, it would cause bewilderment of motorists (safety is a familiar attribute of Volvo). The announcement that the Chanson radio festival will take place in the Gipsy nightclub will also sound strange.

2. You can build a reverse USP without it being absurd.

Often, instead of USP, people say things for granted about high quality, excellent price and wide range. In my practice, there was a company that publicly declared that it had the most expensive apartments in the city. Sales were excellent (I note that this was before the crisis). At the same time, another company was operating on the market, which claimed to have the cheapest apartments. And they sold well 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 village 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 needs them anymore. Sales were neither shaky nor fluctuating ... You should not write in the advertisement of the club that it has great music (it is unlikely that there will be a club with terrible music) or emphasize in the advertisement of the restaurant that there is delicious food and good service.

USP examples. In a restaurant ad, it’s better to write “located on the roof, away from the bustle of the city” instead of “located in a great place” (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 indistinctly, or incomprehensibly, or simply does not inspire confidence. We once promoted lymphatic drainage massage, which, when used correctly, can create the effect of a slight weight loss immediately after the session. It turned out that people did not really believe in the slogan “weight loss in 1 hour”, in contrast to the slogan “weight loss in 1 day” (there were many times more clicks).

USP example. You should not promise “weight loss by 10 kilograms in 3 days”, indicate more realistic terms.