Hello Internet Marketing Lovers!

If you are not satisfied with low sales and high competition, then a USP is exactly what you need! What is a UTP? How to write a USP? Find out more about it below, so get comfortable!

The main thing about USP

So what is a USP, and how can it help sales? USP is a unique selling proposition, which is one of the most common and effective trading business strategies. It lies in the fact that the seller's offer has narrow and clear criteria:

• a specific product and the specific benefits derived from it;
• the offer is strong and attracts the buyer;
• the offer is interesting enough for the buyer to make a purchase immediately.

And, the main thing is that the USP is monopolistic, available only from the offering side, and competitors are not able to repeat it, since all firms have different criteria.

Perhaps dry information is rather boring, so let's look at the USP in a nutshell, seeing a specific example - "Only today, and only with us, at a bargain price, a market leader that has no analogues!". Please one of the options.

Want to try writing a USP right now?

Since the aggressive political technologies of business sharks have become very recognizable over the decades, you are unlikely to be able to attract a buyer with such “direct” screams. So in the modern business society, people are valued who can create an implicit, but effective, well-constructed USP that can regularly and in large quantities attract customers and increase demand for a product or service.

There is no step-by-step instruction as such, but in return I can provide information on how to compile a table that will make it clear what your potential buyers should pay attention to. So which columns and which rows need to be filled in? There are 3 columns and 5 rows in total. From above we write: “Parameters”, “Your business”, “Business of the leading competitor”.

On the left, we fill in the parameters by which it will be seen what you are the best in, and what else needs to be improved. So, we write: “Affordability of price”, “Breadth of assortment”, “Fashion, modernity, novelties”, “Speed ​​of service”, “Quality of service”. In the empty cells formed under "Your business" and "Business of the leading competitor" enter numbers from 1 to 10 (10 is the best result of the parameter, 1 is the worst result).

By honestly filling out the table, you get trump cards, using them correctly, you can create an original and effective USP. The main thing here is to be able to beautifully present the information obtained from the table.

Do I need to learn how to create a USP?

Do you think that in order to create a successful USP, you need the makings of a “deal” from birth, or do you need to be like Steve Jobs? In fact, you can safely learn how to correctly compose a USP without leaving your home.

Depending on your stubbornness, enthusiasm, the thickness of the wallet and the availability of time, there are two ways - a short and effective one, and a long one, although also not useful.

Of course, you can study political technologies and USP yourself. There is a lot of free material on the net about this. But for the most efficient and fruitful learning, I recommend using the online courses that are given by numerous marketing and marketing schools.

Of the schools that I know firsthand, I can advise Alexander Tchaikovsky School. Training is divided into several levels - student, trainee and hunter. At the first level, the learning process is close to the traditional, school one - the "student" is introduced to the basic concepts step by step, and the main criterion for evaluation is the quality of homework.

At the next stage - that is, the "intern", you are already evaluated not as a student, but as a potential colleague. You will be given two projects to complete, and depending on the quality of your work, decisions will be made regarding your further employment.

It is worth noting that your work on the project will take place under the strict guidance of teachers. And a nice bonus - the projects are paid. Well, at the final stage - the "hunter" - the trainee is already engaged in real negotiations with clients. After that, the school fulfills its promise - guaranteed employment.

But other experts teach in the network of wisdom. Which? - For example, Yulia Volkodav. Her school also has three levels of study, but in this case there is less compulsory practice. Yes, students have homework, but they are not required to do projects. Everyone can earn how they want and where they want. Julia Volkodav offers some topics pass for free, which can serve as an excellent reference for familiarization before starting training.

Subscribe to my blog updates and repost.

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?

Each of your potential customers faces such a problem. 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 for general background, and will help to shout to the client in the general noise.

Here's how to come up with and compose your unique selling proposition, 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 an advertising campaign - it is often built on this particular feature in order to distinguish a company from its own kind 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.

Detachment from competitors is the key to the success of an 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 in good conscience, it is this phrase “quality services”, “best service” that set the teeth on edge so that they simply fly past your 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 lowest price. But if you want to build a strong brand on 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 perfectly study your target audience, know your customers, their pains and based on this.

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've invented a new way to solve a customer's problem, or updated your product, or added 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.

The absence of a USP is a great grief for business. Look at these sites:

In addition to design, they practically do not differ from each other - everywhere low prices, high quality and quick installation. It's a pity for people who want to order stretch ceilings - it will take more than one hour to wade through the jungle of clone sites to find a worthwhile option.

Therefore, there must be something that distinguishes the business from the crowd - a unique selling proposition. It is it that will make competitors afraid of you like fire, and potential customers more often make a choice in your favor.

By the way, prices with it can be slightly higher than those of other companies: if you offer the buyer a product that will solve his problems, he will be ready to pay more for it.

There are only three "buts" - USP works if it:

• unique- competitors do not offer this;
• concrete- the user immediately understands what it is about;
• valuable- the potential client sees his benefit.

In 2014, we gave a general scenario by which a USP can be created. Today we will share new formulas and examples from practice to make it even easier to come up with or highlight a sentence.

Where to begin?

We analyze the target audience. What is good for an avid fisherman is not suitable for a young woman on maternity leave. Therefore, the development of a USP should begin with getting to know the target audience - what worries your potential customers, what are their problems and interests?

Example: Let's say you need to come up with a USP for an online home goods store. Most often, women are engaged in the purchase of household chemicals, dishes, decor and other things. Ordering all this online will be those who have no time - which means that your main audience is working women aged 25 to 45 years. What might be of interest to them? Surely you will like it if you deliver goods quickly and free of charge. Therefore, a good USP is "Free delivery in Irkutsk within 2 hours."



Pretty good suggestion. But it can be strengthened - write how quickly the order will be delivered or indicate that delivery is around the clock.

Underwater rocks

Remember: the target audience is not just gender, age, income level and other parameters. You need to realize what and to whom you are selling, what problems people are helping to solve: ideally, you should have a clear portrait of the buyer in your head.

We think about the features of the business. Perhaps the finished USP is under your nose, you just need to notice it. To do this, honestly answer a few simple questions:

• What are your products made from?
• How exactly are the products produced?
• What equipment do you use?
• What are the unique features of the products?
• How do you interact with clients?
• How is the work on the order structured?

There is a chance that you will see an important advantage that will allow you to rebuild from your competitors. By the way, sometimes you can make a USP from a disadvantage: "Homemade cakes with a short shelf life - only natural ingredients."

Example: Suppose you are engaged in laser cutting of metal. Terms, prices and delivery conditions are the same as those of other companies. But on the other hand, you use a modern fiber-optic laser - it allows you to achieve maximum accuracy, up to 0.1 mm. Isn't this a USP? "Laser cutting accuracy up to 0.1 mm - we use the Ruchservomotor LaserCut 3015 fiber optic installation."



And this sentence can be strengthened - add how accurate the result is.

Underwater rocks

No one knows the specifics of a business better than its owner - so think and honestly answer the question why you are cooler. A marketer or copywriter will help you get the chip out of the benefits.

We look at competitors. Conduct a detailed and objective analysis - compare your business with the offers of your main competitors. Here is a sample list of parameters for comparison:

• prices;
• the presence of a loyalty program;
• delivery speed;
• courtesy of the staff;
• ease of ordering;
• regularity of shares;
• guarantee period;
• the possibility of deferred payment.

You will get a clear picture - it will become clear in what parameters you are losing, and in what parameters you are superior to your competitors. Winning criteria can be taken as the basis of the site's USP.

Example: Imagine that you are the owner of a tire shop. Delivery takes from 1 to 7 days, because you sell some items from the catalog under the order. There is no loyalty program yet, prices are the same as competitors. But everyone has a guarantee of 1-3 years, and you are ready to give an indefinite one - "Sale of tires with an indefinite warranty: free replacement in case of accidental damage."

Good deal, don't you agree? The only thing you can work on its design is to try to fit the title in 1 line, remove exclamation marks.

Underwater rocks

It is important not to want “like the competition, only better” - if another company has a similar USP, what will prevent it from making it cooler than yours? For example, offer delivery in 30 minutes instead of 1 hour. Be objective and try to find something of your own.

We ask clients. If you have already had orders, ask why people chose your company. Sometimes clients can give valuable clues.

By the way, it is worth conducting such surveys from time to time: this will help improve the service and have a positive impact on the company's reputation.

Example: Let's say you opened a beauty salon a week ago. You can ask employees to ask customers why they chose you. If clients say that you have a convenient working time, make it your thing. Let the salon be open from 12:00 to 22:00, and not from 09:00 to 19:00 like everyone else nearby. USP: "A beauty salon with a convenient work schedule: we are waiting for you daily from 12:00 to 22:00."



A very good USP - few beauty salons can offer this.

Underwater rocks

It's hard to follow this advice if you haven't had any orders at all. But nothing is impossible - go through thematic forums, social networks, talk with potential customers. Your goal is to find out what attracts buyers.

After all this laborious work, you will have at least strong advantages in your hands, as a maximum - an almost finished USP.

Aiming for the bull's-eye: 5 formulas for creating a USP

Even a good advantage can be easily spoiled if the idea is formulated incorrectly. Compare two offers: “Free delivery in Irkutsk in 2 hours” and “We are guaranteed to deliver your order within 2 hours. Delivery throughout Irkutsk. The meaning is one, but the first is read and perceived much easier.

To formulate a clear and beautiful USP, you can safely use one of the templates:

You don't have to follow the patterns exactly. You can safely change any formula or come up with something completely new - it all depends on the specifics of the business. It is important to remember the client's benefit: the main task is to show what exactly he will receive, and not what kind of white and fluffy company you have.

We look at the USP through the eyes of the client: 6 fatal mistakes

False statement. They misrepresented the facts or used criteria that should be the default. For example, USP “Professional doctors with experience of 3 years or more” is not suitable for dentistry - this is already expected from the clinic.

How to fix: look at the offer as a potential client. What do you expect from professional doctors? Certainly the correct and painless treatment. Try to bring this thought into the USP. "Painless dental treatment with a guarantee of 3 years - professionals work for us" - already better, isn't it?

Lack of benefit. Used dubious advantages. An online bed linen store should not boast of an assortment: "Online bed linen store "Sweet Dream" - we have 1,000 products." There will always be a company that has even more products.

But if the assortment is really unique, it can be emphasized: for example, 10,000 handmade planters from craftsmen from all over the world. Just be careful - make sure that competitors do not offer this, and will not be able to offer it in the near future.

How to fix: find another advantage. Let's say you sell cotton bedding. So highlight it - "Bedding for people with sensitive skin: hypoallergenic organic cotton sets."

Stamping. We chose a vague wording - “fast delivery”, “true professionals”, “highly qualified specialists”, “low prices”, etc. The list is endless. Similar phrases are found on hundreds of sites and people are so used to them that they simply do not perceive.

How to fix: add specifics - "Bouquets with delivery in 60 minutes", "Porcelain stoneware from 450 rubles. for 1 m² - we are the official dealer of 5 brands. Prove the advantage with facts and deeds, and if it doesn’t work out, choose another USP.

Wrong accent. They told only about one group of goods, while there are ten of them.

For example: "Quick-drying nail polishes: refresh your manicure in 60 seconds." It’s bad if, in addition to varnishes, you sell lipsticks, shadows and mascaras, they risk going unnoticed. If it is nail polishes that make you 80% of the profit, then it is permissible to focus on them. When selling all cosmetics is interesting, you need to change the USP.

How to fix: formulate a USP for the online store as a whole. If there are too many product groups, focus on the service: "Decorative cosmetics with home delivery: we work around the clock."

Bust with volume. We tried and wrote a USP the size of a paragraph: “Tables from an array from 3,895 rubles: prices are low, because we produce furniture from our own materials - there is a sawmill and a carpentry shop in the north of the Irkutsk region. Find cheaper - we will make a discount and return the difference in cost.

How to fix: cut ruthlessly. For USP, one sentence is enough - "Tables from an array from 3,895 rubles: we will refund the difference if you find it cheaper." The rest of the information should be put in the paragraph below - after all, it is important to explain why you have such affordable prices.

Repetition for competitors. We saved time on analyzing competitors and got a clone - an identical or very similar offer. Too bad, because all the work is done in vain.

How to fix: alas, ideally, you need to start all over again - analyze the target audience, think about the features of the business and compare your online store with similar ones. If time is short, try expanding on a failed USP: replace "Online shoe store with delivery" with "Online shoe store with free shipping within 2 hours."

No errors were found in the UTP? It's too early to rejoice - the offer may turn out to be ineffective, even if it seems very attractive to you.

How to know if USP will work

Answer a couple of questions to check the viability of the offer:

• Does the offer look realistic? For example, the statement "Language school "Contact" - learn English in 1 hour" is very doubtful. But this USP can already be trusted: "Language school "Contact" - English for holidays abroad in 5 hours."
• The USP answers the question why, out of all the similar offers, you should choose this one? If yes - everything is in order.

You can also test the USP on clients - make a newsletter with different options and choose the one that most people responded to. We sometimes use this option - by the way, are you subscribed to our newsletter? If not, you're missing out on a lot of value.

Take the time to create a unique selling proposition - once spending several hours searching for the ideal, you will forever receive the key to the hearts of potential customers. If you need help, please contact us - we will create an effective offer.

• 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 so far it has to be considered a rather young phenomenon that has been 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 CEOs who have created successful businesses and management consultants agree on one thing: in modern times, all the time. 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. 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. 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. Search engine statistics. 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. Feedback cards. 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 plus size women's clothing and plus size clothing compared to other items in the company's assortment. This information 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 the 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. Placement of contextual advertising based on various types of 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 with free delivery within the city." Or jewelry stores offer to “enter each date into 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 loaders”.
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 a 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.
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 a mandatory requirement under the law "On the Protection of Consumer Rights".
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

CEO speaking

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 the mass market price category, and 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 for leading cosmetic products is already envisaged, including in the assortment 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 any of the Russian manufacturers will be able to compare with our prices, and foreign analogues are 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. As a rule, wholesale suppliers of food products do not have a well-known, recognizable brand, so it is really difficult to stand out from the background of their 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 the brand more recognizable and well-known for potential customers. This rule is relevant almost everywhere - only complex equipment becomes an exception (as a rule, consumers analyze and compare characteristics in advance).

In the FMCG market, the most significant property should be determined, which will be fixed 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 a mystery shopper to them 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 a USP, people say things for granted about high quality, great 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 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.

The phrase unique selling proposition or USP for short is quite common in advertising and marketing. And with all the intelligibility of words, not all companies were able to form a USP and use it to promote their product. Most people think that all good ideas have already been used by someone and it is almost impossible to come up with something new.

What is UTP

Unique selling proposition from English. unique selling proposition (more commonly used abbreviation USP) is the concept according to which advertising and product promotion must be based on certain unique properties of the product that are understandable to the consumer and bring him benefits. The USP is, first of all, the selection of your product among all competitors. The word "unique" implies not being replicated by competitors. Unlike classical window advertising, which was opposed by the USP strategy, your product must be associated, recognized and unified by the client precisely with the benefit described in the USP.

In many products, especially complex ones, there are a lot of features and benefits, and many of them are unique to a certain extent. The USP concept is about trying to promote all the benefits at the same time. It is better to single out one main benefit and put all your efforts into promoting it.

The manufacturer likes to patent and use the same developments under different names in advertising. So, for example, one of the manufacturers of washing machines began to promote the “easy ironing” function. In fact, this is just the usual delicate washing mode, but this marketing trick worked fantastically for the consumer. Soon, this option appeared in all leading manufacturers of washing machines. But the name changed a little, then light ironing, then simple ironing, then they simply drew a button with the image of an iron.

Often people think that USP needs some unique product or service. In fact, it is much more important to be able to highlight unique properties in the product and present them correctly to the client. There are a lot of examples, look at how social media has spread. instagram network. It was founded in 2010, when the market was already more than saturated. Having relied on a rather narrow niche at that time - online publication of photographs, social. the network was able to stand out, attract attention and, as a result, get ahead of many competitors.

For the first time, Rosser Reeves spoke about the concept of USP. In 1961, in his book Reality in Advertising, he talked about the rationalist approach to sales. Advertising, according to this approach, should focus on those or other unique properties of a product or service that bring clear, tangible benefits to the client.

Three principles of USP

3 main principles were formed that must be observed to form a unique selling proposition:

1. Advertise an important benefit for the client;
2. The benefit must be unique, that is, not available to competitors;
3. The above two points should have a strong impact on the client, .

The USP concept takes into account that the client is guided in making decisions not only by reason and logic, but also by emotions. New and interesting properties generate interest, surprise and interest (read the article). These are important parameters for attracting the attention of a client to a product or service.

Of course, once you've been able to grab a customer's attention, they'll start evaluating your product in terms of the usefulness of the benefits presented. And if he finds them, he will buy the goods. It is the emotional component that prepares the client for the purchase, and logic and emotions close the deal.

True and false USPs

So, you have your own product, for example, you deliver water for offices. There are a lot of companies like you, and at first glance, uniqueness is out of the question. But if there is no uniqueness, it needs to be created. For example, you can position yourself as the fastest delivery, same day delivery, accept cash, include water for the rich in your assortment, order pizza once a month for regular customers, etc. Standing out from the crowd is much easier than it seems at first glance.