USP theory includes three aspects:
The first is that every advertisement not only relies on words or images, but also puts forward a suggestion to consumers, that is, the clear benefits that will be obtained by buying this product.
The second is that this proposal must be brand-specific, and competitive brands cannot or will never make it.
Third, this proposal must be strong enough to attract and touch consumers, attract new customers and buy your products.
Although this theory is also from the perspective of communication, it reveals three important factors that affect product sales, namely, the uniqueness of the product itself, the difference from competitors and the benefits to consumers.
Among these three elements, whether it is a unique product or the differentiation of competitors, the ultimate goal is to form the interests of consumers, so the consumer factor is its core.
Extension 1: positioning theory
In 1970s, Ellis and Jack Trout put forward the positioning theory, which is the third productivity revolution after Taylor's scientific management and Drucker's management.
The core idea of positioning theory is to determine the position of brand in the eyes of customers. He pointed out that marketing and business wars do not happen in any street or shop, but in the minds of customers, which is the final battlefield of competition.
Because of the richness of social goods and the homogeneity of product quality, the main task of marketing is to distinguish its own products from the competitive products that have occupied people's minds. He is a set of methods to occupy consumers' minds from the perspective of competition.
Extension 2: Ogilvy & Mather: On Brand Image
Positioning theory and Ogilvy's brand image theory are based on the same fact and are two ways of thinking.
Ogilvy said that since products are homogeneous and homogeneous products have occupied a certain position in consumers' minds, if we want to occupy consumers' minds, we must work hard on product images and acquire consumers' minds through different product images.
Trout said that since all products are homogeneous, and homogeneous products have occupied a certain position in consumers' minds, we only need to find the loopholes or weaknesses of competitive products that have occupied a certain position in consumers' minds, and then locate our products according to these loopholes or weaknesses, so as to occupy consumers' minds.
Extension 3: horizontal marketing theory
In 2005, philip kotler, the father of modern marketing, introduced the concept of horizontal marketing.
Kotler's understanding of the current market situation is that the number of brands has increased sharply, the product life cycle has been greatly shortened, updating is cheaper than maintenance, digital technology has triggered many market revolutions, the number of patents belonging to trademarks has risen rapidly, the market has been extremely subdivided, and the recommendation of new products with saturated advertisements has become more and more complicated, making it more and more difficult for consumers to impress.
Therefore, horizontal marketing advocates breaking the boundaries of product categories based on creativity. That is to break the boundaries of product functions, target consumer groups, methods of use, production and use, channels, prices, promotions and marketing combinations.
At the same time, horizontal marketing also puts forward six skills to break, replace reverse combination and exaggerate to remove order changes. Its essence is to realize the novelty of product form through entrepreneurship and occupy consumers' minds by creating the uniqueness of products.
Summary:
1, product uniqueness:
Leo Boehner's internal drama theory of excavating products and Ogilvy's brand image, and kotler's horizontal marketing theory all start from the perspective of products, endow products with unique images and create unique methods to occupy consumers' minds, that is, realize the uniqueness of products.
2. The difference with competitive products:
Positioning theory is to occupy consumers' minds by telling them that this product is more suitable for you than the one you are using, and the difference between manufacturing and competing products!
No matter which theory it is, it develops and perfects USP theory from different levels and angles, and puts forward corresponding methods. Finally, no matter the uniqueness of the product, the uniqueness of the image, or the uniqueness compared with the competitors, it is through USP's unique sales proposition to occupy the minds of consumers, so this is the ultimate direction of some mainstream marketing theories for marketing behavior!
Mind is also the ultimate direction of complex systems and marketing systems that we think are hidden behind advertisements, and the ultimate secret that we want to explore, because the formation of the market is the accidental relationship between enterprises and consumers through product value transmission. If this relationship occurs, consumers need to recognize the value of the product in their hearts, that is, the product can enter their minds. Marketing is a system to promote this relationship! In other words, the fundamental purpose of marketing is to let products occupy consumers' minds!