{"id":3556,"date":"2014-11-17T17:10:09","date_gmt":"2014-11-17T22:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/?p=3556"},"modified":"2014-11-17T17:10:09","modified_gmt":"2014-11-17T22:10:09","slug":"how-to-develop-a-unique-selling-proposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-a-unique-selling-proposition\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Develop a Unique Selling Proposition"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

The character of Don Draper, the dapper protagonist of the multi-Emmy Award winning program Mad Men<\/a>, is a composite drawn in part from a number of real-life advertising people.<\/p>\n

Draper\u2019s professional accomplishments are said to be based on those of Rosser Reeves. Among other notable contributions to the profession, Reeves helped develop the idea that advertising must highlight a product\u2019s Unique Selling Proposition (USP –\u00a0sometimes referred to as\u00a0unique value proposition<\/a> or UVP).<\/p>\n

Reeves\u2019 more famous applications of the USP principle include \u201cMelts in your mouth, not in your hands\u201d for M&Ms candy, and \u201cBetter Living Through Chemistry\u201d for Dupont Corporation.<\/p>\n

\"unique<\/a><\/p>\n

Draper demonstrates his ability to distill and highlight a product\u2019s USP in the very first episode of Mad Men, entitled \u201cSmoke Gets in Your Eyes\u201d.<\/p>\n

It’s the early 1960s, a time when cigarette smoking was at its zenith, but also a time when consumers became more aware of its health risks.<\/p>\n

In one scene, executives of the Lucky Strike cigarette company are about to leave, unimpressed that Draper and his colleagues were unable to get around the health question. But a passing remark tweaks Draper\u2019s imagination and he calls them back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the greatest advertising opportunity since the invention of cereal\u201d, says Draper. \u201cWe have six identical companies making six identical products.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can say anything we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Draper asks the execs about the cigarette-making process, and toasting the tobacco is one of the steps they mention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere you go,\u201d says Draper. And he writes \u2018It\u2019s Toasted\u2019 on a chalkboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut everyone else\u2019s tobacco is toasted\u201d, replies an exec.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u201d, replies Draper.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone else\u2019s tobacco is poisonous. Lucky Strike\u2019s is ‘Toasted’.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lucky<\/a><\/p>\n

USPs and Online Conversion Optimization<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fast forward five decades from Mad Men times and USPs are more in demand now than ever. With mere seconds to capture a visitor\u2019s attention on websites and landing pages, digital marketers rack their brains to come up with clear USPs to quickly set their products apart and drive conversions.<\/p>\n

But it seems that the passage of time has also blurred the vision of a USP. Today, to develop a USP, companies are advised to find the one thing they do that\u2018s not done by any of their competition. Or at least that\u2019s how most digital marketers interpret the idea of a unique selling proposition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From using the personality of an owner or employee, to developing unique packaging or processes, like Man Crates, businesses are frantic to find something that is absolutely different about their offer. They struggle to define their USP.<\/p>\n

Make no mistake, if there is something that is absolutely unique about your company or product, then you have an excellent USP. But \u201cif\u201d is the biggest word in that sentence.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a Unique Selling Proposition<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As well as it works, it\u2019s a simplification of the process to make your USP dependant on a unique characteristic. It\u2019s an over-emphasis on \u2018unique\u2019. And it\u2019s an easy solution; find something unique about your product and, poof, you have your USP.<\/p>\n

But what happens when everyone is \u201cdedicated to customer service\u201d, \u201cexceeds expectations\u201d and \u201csaves you money\u201d? Developing a unique \u201cselling proposition\u201d takes a little more work.<\/p>\n

A USP should propose something that will help you convert and sell. Something that customers will uniquely associate with your company. And that something does not need to be unique to your company. How so? Think about the \u201cIt\u2019s Toasted\u201d story.<\/p>\n

You need to look only as far as some famous advertising slogans for examples of USPs that don\u2019t represent anything different about a company, but that suggests something to customers that they uniquely associate with the company or brand.<\/p>\n