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Do You Know Your Unique Selling Proposition

Picture a 95-degree July. You’re hot. But, you’re sweet tooth needs satisfying. You find yourself staring at the vending machine, looking for a candy that will really hit the spot. Chocolate would be perfect, except it melts so quickly in this heat. Ah-Ha! Melting is ok, as long as it’s in your mouth and not in your hands. M&M’s are the only choice.

M&M’s melt in your mouth, not in your hand. When it absolutely has to be there overnight, you call FedEx. When you want a great tasting beer that won’t leave you with that stuffed-full feeling, you reach for a Miller Lite.

All of these brands, and many, many more, have a memorable Unique Selling Proposition (USP). A USP is what sets a business apart from its competitors. It is a statement of what makes that business or brand unique. It is an absolutely vital component of a successful business.

A USP is not a slogan. It can and should, however, be used in any slogan, tagline, or jingle, and should be included in absolutely every marketing piece. A business must identify, develop, and incorporate their USP into everything they do. This can be challenging, but the rewards are worth the efforts. So, how do you come up with your own USP?

First of all, let’s look at what a USP should be. It should be:

• Specific
• Easily understood
• Realistic
• Memorable

A good USP should be specific enough to speak to a particular niche. Take some time to think about what type of customers you want to attract to your business and create a USP that speaks to their needs. It should also be easily understood, otherwise, what good is it? Your USP must also be realistic; you must be able to fulfil whatever promise or claim you make. Finally, by boiling down what makes your business unique into a short statement, you can make your USP memorable.

When coming up with your USP, think about your business, your competitors, and your industry. Figure out where your competitors are falling short of customer expectations, and try to fill that gap. Take your time: once you come up with your USP you’ll be spending time and money to get it out there to your potential customers.

Once you come up with your USP, remember to always live up to it and to integrate it into everything you do. It should become a part of your business’s identity.

We’ll be happy to help. Speak with your marketing consultant to brainstorm creative ways to work your USP into your marketing efforts.