The Unique selling proposition (USP) describes how your product or company differs from other similar offers on the market. The essence is to extract in a slogan the exceptional features which are the true benefit for consumers. Effective USP slogans become a memorable motto. For further pieces of advice, check also our previous blog post. Here are some examples of well-designed semantic phrases:
- FedEx – “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” It was the first company to specialize in night transportation and the first to introduce package tracking. The company no longer uses this slogan, but it was a promise to customers that it would deliver their goods safely and on time. Eventually, the company has replaced this corporate motto with “The World on Time” – a broader meaning but far less powerful because it doesn’t contain a USP.
- Domino’s Pizza – “You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less or it’s free.” The message is not short, but it is still an excellent USP. Ordering a pizza and delivering it is presented as a deal with clear terms. The company dropped this motto due to a series of supplier car crashes in an effort to reach the customer before the 30th minute.
- M&Ms – “The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand.” This is an example of how even a strange-sounding USP can attract customer interest. It proved that a clearly pointed-out benefit – if significant for the customers – makes the slogan highly effective. In this case, the M&Ms wrapper protects the chocolate inside from leaking and contaminating your hands which turns out to be a solid asset for the customers.
- Head & Shoulders – “Clinically proven to reduce dandruff.” To achieve this unique performance, it has taken years of research and testing of a particular ingredient. And it is proven to be effective in removing dandruff. The addition of the word “shoulders” to the product name suggests that it eliminates also white spots on clothing generated by dandruff.
- Avis – “We’re number two. We try harder.” That is an example of turning a weak point into a huge advantage. For many years, Avis was in the unfavourable position of being the second-largest car rental company, after Hertz. When the company decided it was time for an image makeover, it hired a famous advertising agency to drag them out of the hole. The “We Try Harder” campaign was so successful, Avis’ market share went from 11% to 35% in just four years.
- Canva – “Empowering the world to design”. The message defines the idea of the online design platform, focused on facilitating the creation of vector graphics. The USP slogan sets Canva’s tools on a pedestal. And differentiates the platform from opponents like Adobe PhotoShop, Illustrator and ProCreate, whose products are produced for trained professionals.
To formulate your corporate unique selling proposition, you need to be aware of the strengths of your product or service. If you manage to bring out the features with their impressive for the client qualities, you will succeed in concentrating consumers’ attention on your brand.
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