The simplest answer to the question of what USP, or Unique Selling Proposition, stands for is a unique selling advantage. To be honest, we don't know if every brand has one, but what we do know is that it should and can. USP is what sets you apart from others, the reason why someone should choose your product or service. If you don't know that reason, how will your customers? Often, it's not just one advantage but a combination of several.
How do you expect to sell if you don't have an answer to why someone should buy from you rather than someone else?
What is USP?
So, USP is a unique element, characteristic, or aspect of a product, service, or business that differentiates it from the competition and makes it more attractive to the target audience. It's essentially what justifies your price. If you're more expensive than the competition, the USP is the reason why you can have that price. If you're cheaper than the competition, that can be your USP.
Why do you need to know what USP is?
Because, without offense, if you don't know your USP, you basically don't know why you exist and what sets you apart from others. If you don't know what you're better at, how will customers know?
This is what you'll base your marketing strategy on. It will be the centre of your message and it's how you'll enter the minds of potential customers.
What can be a USP or how you can differentiate yourself?
The list of things that can make you unique can be incredibly long, but for example's sake, here we'll show some elements that can be used as a USP using the example of a product - sports shoes.
- Quality, maybe you use more durable materials, which means your footwear won't wear out in one season. You're so sure about this that you can offer a guarantee, and that's why you can charge more than the competition.
- Price, this can also be a form of a USP. Maybe your biggest advantage is that you're more affordable than others. True, you may not be able to guarantee the longevity of your footwear in this case, but you can guarantee that you're the most affordable.
- Innovation, you were the first to introduce something new. If we stick with sports shoes, perhaps you were the first to come up with technology that connects your shoes to an app that counts steps, energy expenditure, step quality, and its impact on the body, and so on.
- Design, you have a recognizable name, design, or something that not only sets you apart but that everyone knows about. A customer who buys your product buys that name and design that you've invested a lot to make recognizable, so you have the "right" to charge for it.
- Speed/efficiency , perhaps your store offers the fastest delivery for online shoe orders. Something like that is certainly a USP that makes a difference in purchase decisions.
- Social responsibility, maybe you're the only one using a completely ecological approach, or with every shoe sale, you donate a portion of the amount to a specific humanitarian issue. This is also something you can highlight as your uniqueness.
- Specialty or specification, maybe your product is ideal for a certain age group or people with special interests. Maybe it's not, but you can present it that way. For example, your footwear is universally suitable for everyone, it's an excellent choice for both walking and running. If you present it as an excellent choice specifically for running, you gain that uniqueness and the trust of runners that you wouldn't have if you had shoes for everyone.
What's the USP of your brand, and how to determine it?
When determining your unique USP value, a branding agency, can help you, but any process that leads you to a clearer picture of your brand's USP is a good one. However, if you don't know where to start, here's a suggestion:
- Write down all the characteristics of your product or service (price, quality of materials, warranty, potential results, design, name recognition, delivery speed, the number of previous customers...)
- Compare these with the competition in the same segments (where you're better and where you're worse).
- Does the competition offer something you don't?
- What are all the possible reasons why customers seek your product or service?
- What problems does your product or service solve?
- Of all the possible reasons for purchase, has one remained uncovered by your product or service?
- Does anyone in the competition solve it?
- During the comparison with the competition, did you see an element that nobody else offers except you?
That's your USP!
So? Can every brand have a USP? Not only can, it must! Just think, can you come up with any service or product where a USP isn't important? Is there a single product or service where you wouldn't compare which is the better option for you as a buyer? If you think of one, let us know. We're here waiting for you.
