If you are selling anything, whether a product or a service, you DO need a USP, a Unique Selling Proposition. Here's how to develop yours.

1. What the heck is a USP?
And do I need one?
Copyright 2014 Liz Craig
All rights reserved.

2. The Mighty USP
Devised by Rosser Reeves, the original Mad Man
! Unique
! Selling
! Proposition

3. Fast, fast, fast relief!

4. Unique?
! Unique means:
Only you (your company,
product or service) can or do
claim this benefit.
Example:
Hormel Square Hot Dogs?

5. Selling?
! Selling means: The unique claim you make must be
compelling enough so that your competitors’ customers
stop buying from them and start buying from you.

6. Proposition?
! Proposition means: If you buy my X, you will get Y
(benefit).
! Hormel says, “If you buy our square hot dog, it won’t
roll off the bun.”
! USP?

7. The proposition
! A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is a compelling
(selling) statement only you can (or do currently) make,
which promises, “If you buy my X, you will get Y
(desirable benefit).”
! What’s yours?

8. Marketing strategy
! Competitors: #, $$,
?
! Target audience: Who?
! What benefit do you have that
your logical competitor(s) don’t
have?
! What benefit do they have that you don’t have?
! Marketing messages and media: What and where?

9. Marketing strategy (cont’d.)
! SWOT – related to competitors in the marketplace:
! Strengths – Build on them.
! Weaknesses – Be honest with yourself. Address and
eliminate weaknesses vs. your competition.
! Opportunities – Where can you make inroads?
! Threats – Competition, legal, regulatory?

10. Creative strategy
! How do you present your USP in a way that grabs
attention in a crowded, noisy marketplace?
! AIDA – The familiar formula
! How do you turn attention into
interest, desire and action?
! What voice do you use, in
language and graphics?

11. Media
! Which media are best for promoting your product to your
target audience, within the constraints of your budget?
! Print – Ads, brochures, direct mail, flyers
! Broadcast – TV spots, YouTube, radio, webcast
! Web – Web site, blog, paid ads,
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,
Web thingies
! Outdoor - Billboards
other

12. Putting it all together
! USP development
! Marketing strategy
! Creative strategy
! Budget
! Media
! Timeline

13. Questions?

14. Contact info
! Liz Craig, Writer
!
liz@lizcraigwriter.com
!
http://lizcraigwriter.com
! Twitter: @LizCraig1
! LinkedIn
! 913-236-7595
! Thank you!