Does your brand have a USP?

We are constantly working on client rebrands or new branding projects. Many people are decided to start their own businesses due to affects of the poor economy, but many company brands or product brands feel the need to upgrade because much of the strategic and research work was not done previously to properly evaluate the brand positioning, the unique value offering and target market before hurrying off to create all of the marketing material. This is very common. Unfortunately, these brands now find themselves with a brand message that’s not working as it should and not communicating their unique proposition effectively to seperate themselves from the competition.

Strategic brand positioning and a USP(unique selling proposition) in the market is often overlooked at the early stages. Many people don’t understand the difference between these two crucial aspects of developing a successful brand. A clear understanding of USP can make the difference between selling lots of product or not. The USP is a device, not a strategy.

Promoting a product’s benefit does not differentiate the product in a significant enough way. If a particular campaign doesn’t work or gets stale, you ask the agency to come up with another USP.

Positioning: the Battle for Your Mind, likes to say it’s the single word that comes to mind when the brand is mentioned. For Volvo it’s “safety”. For Whole Foods it’s “organic”. These words come from the essence of the brand. It begins with the corporate mission and the vision for the product. It incorporates corporate values and culture. It’s the brand story, the brand platform, the brand presence. It’s the people associated with the brand at all levels of the supply chain. It’s the leadership of the company and of the brand champions within and outside the company. And it’s the word-of-mouth and status the brand enjoys.

The USP does not normally communicate a genuine product position. There needs to be more than a benefit at the root of the brand and its position. Suffice to say that positioning is a strategic activity and developing a unique selling proposition is a sales or advertising tactic.

Need to re-vitalise your brand? Email or call us TODAY on 01 8330081