Any brand that wants to be successful in an industry has to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack by creating some kind of unique offer that’s different from what others offer.
While this can be simple when it’s an industry that isn’t already saturated, if your industry has a lot of competition, finding your brand’s USP becomes even more important.
What is a USP?
USP is an abbreviation for the term Unique Selling Proposition, also called a Unique Selling Point.
It refers to the unique characteristics that make a brand or product stand out amongst its competitors.
Put simply, your USP is what makes your product or brand different from others in your market.
In the eyes of your customers, your USP helps them decide whether they can trust your brand and products to give them what they’re looking for.
Hallmarks of a Good USP
The best USPs describe a product or service in such a way that it catches the attention of your target customers and compels them to look deeper into what you’ve got on offer, while using as few words as possible.
A successful USP must be memorable, so people can remember it and associate it with your brand in their mind.
It should also be relevant to the product or service you are offering, and build upon your brand theme.
Additionally, a good USP must be designed from the perspective of the consumer and what features they want to see in a product or service.
Examples of Stellar USPs
Below are a handful of brands killing it with a strategic and effective USP.
Tiffany & Co.
The classic tag line of Tiffany & Co. is ‘the right one is worth waiting for.’ Not only in terms of your life partner, but also in terms of the right ring for you! Clever, eh?
They also have another unique selling point, which is their claim of using responsibly-sourced diamonds.
Canva
Canva is a design and publishing platform that creates content on the cloud. Their USP is a great example of turning a supposed weakness into strength; it states ‘empowering the world to design.’
Their platform can be used by anyone to create and share graphics, both amateur and experienced artists alike.
This fact is being monetized by using their excellent USP and separating themselves from potential competitors like Adobe Photoshop––which is better suited to more experienced artists and designers.
AirBnB
‘Book unique places to stay and things to do,’ this is the tagline for AirBnB.
This sentence makes a clear distinction between the brand and its competitors.
AirBnB offers an unprecedented number of unique places you can stay found nearly everywhere in the world.
Incorporating the ‘things to do’ part makes AirBnB’s USP even more unique and innovative because it communicates they are more than just a typical bed and breakfast company.
Soundcloud
The USP for Soundcloud clearly states that it gives you the space to create, find and connect with artists.
From this, we can see how they have designed their USP to highlight their biggest feature: how their platform is a place for new artists to grow using word-of-mouth for promotion.
They know their place in the market, and they are using it to their advantage.
Emirates
Emirates’ tagline, or USP, is ‘don’t just fly, fly better.’ This short sentence gives the customer as much information about the airline as they need. Emirates makes a promise, and it delivers.
They invest in the best Boeing fleets to provide their customers a high-quality flying experience!
What’s Your Unique Offer?
As you can see, defining your unique selling point is key in positioning your brand successfully. When you’ve got a unique offer that resonates with your target market, success is all but guaranteed!
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