In the world of marketing, there is no time for tardiness. New ideas are being generated every day which leaves less room for creators to expand their ideas in a unique way. Coming up with ideas which are not already out there is a struggle.

Before you can sell an idea, product or service, it’s quite important to be fully convinced with what you’ve created. 

You can’t really sell an idea to someone until and unless you’ve sold yourself that idea. 

It’s astonishing how people come up with unique ideas and execute them in an orderly fashion. 

We often question ourselves how can we effectively sell our product or service? 

That’s where the concept of a unique selling point comes in. 

What is USP? 

For those of you who are unaware of this term. USP or Unique Selling Point in the world of marketing and advertising is a term commonly used by professionals who identify that “USP is that one aspect, element or quality which makes your idea, product or service stand out in a crowd”. 

Sometimes people may not remember what product you were advertising but a unique idea never miss the eye of the customer. In fact, it is one of those elements in an ad or a campaign which leads to it being etched in the memories of potential customers. 

Creative heads must understand the significance of being able to pinpoint what makes their idea or product unique. Because if they can’t, then they won’t be able to mark their territory in the market of homogeneous competitors.  

The Two Routes to approaching your USPs

There are always a few ways to look at a situation. For instance, if you want to come up with ideas for your selling strategy, you must know what approach to use. 

This may be done by taking a look at what you’re good at and how you can get the most out of it. 

So, for easier understanding, you can take a look at the product approach versus the customer approach. 

• The product approach

In the world of advertising, people look at a certain product. They familiarize themselves with the features which are presented by an advertiser. The job of the advertiser is to beautify the existing features of a product and present in an attractive way. This is done to hook the potential customer to the idea that this product is a great deal. 

Brands like Nokia use the product approach where they remind the user how their product, i.e. a smartphone coming up with multiple new models, uses best of the best features alongside quality to ensure that it’s a great deal. 

• The customer approach

This approach looks at a broader perspective where it targets the potential customer’s nature. It picks up certain factors which can make an idea, product or service sound like it’s made for them. For instance, look at the Q-Mobile. It is one of those smartphones that encompasses emotion alongside the concept of utilizing human traits.

In their TVC Ad aired in 2019, Q Mobile was shown to remove distance among people by highlighting how their mobile doesn’t differentiate between class, age and types of people. Q-mobile was shown being used by people of various sub cultures, color, ages, gender. It featured people who are not just part of a group but individuals as well. Such an approach which helps the customer to be able to relate to a product or service helps them to connect better.

What can you do to identify your USP? 

• Insight 

Sometimes the best way to go down a path is through your gut. When people are experienced in a field all they need is their intuitive nature to help them identify what could count as their USP. 

• Research

The best and most common way to understand the hidden creativity inside oneself is by taking a look at the research. Research serves the purpose of knowledge enhancement as well as getting an inspiration. The research will help you strengthen what you already know, will introduce you to new traits about your product and lead to understanding which segmented audience can be targeted as their potential customers. 

• Competitor analysis 

The most interesting part about advertising is the competitive streak this market upholds. There exist direct competitors like Pepsi and Coke whose products look and taste the exact same. But to maintain their loyal customer base they compete on a regular basis. They do a great deal on their part to study their rivals and see what the others have to offer. This leads to the elimination of common traits and looking for direction. 

• Brainstorming

This is one of those common terms used as an approach for any sort of creation. Whether it may be generating ideas for a campaign, project, presentation or anything else, brainstorming is the key.

This is the part where you go back to the basics and jolt your memory. You sit down with a group of people and pop up one after another idea. This way whatever is present in the subconscious mind usually makes its way. 

• Knowing your product/service 

The most important trait or key element of developing your USP revolves around the concept of knowing yourself. Only when you know yourself, you will be able to make others believe in your product or service. You must be self-aware because any knowledge following that would be secondary in playing a part. 

Now you know! 

So for those of you who didn’t know what is meant by USP and why it is important, by now you will be able to understand the basics and get a clear-headed direction.