Three Requirements of a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) as Defined by the Man who Invented the Term

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Three Requirements of a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) as Defined by the Man who Invented the Term

Posted in Landing Page Optimization	October 3, 2006

Permalink: http://daily.mequoda.com/i//landing_page_optimization/three-requirements-of-a-USP-unique-selling-proposition_253-1.html

By Kim Mateus , Managing Editor Mequoda Daily and Library

Rosser Reeves wrote a classic advertising book in 1961 titled Reality in Advertising. Many of us newcomers have never read this book, mostly because it's widely unavailable.

But lucky for us, Robert W. Bly spent $95 for it on eBay and shared with us at this year's Mequoda Summit Reeves' three requirements of a USP (Unique Selling Proposition):

Each advertisement must make a proposition to the consumer. Each advertisement must say to the reader: "Buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit."
The proposition must be one that the competition either cannot, or does not, offer. It must be unique—either a uniqueness of brand or a claim not otherwise made in that particular field.
The proposition must be so strong that it can move the mass millions, i.e., pull over new customers to your product.

Rosser Reeves (1986). Reality in Advertising.
New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. (Original copyright 1960, 1961)

Bob points out that the #2 requirement can be especially hard for publishers, because we all have lots of competition. We don't have a monopoly. There are lots of people who publish content on cooking or investing or HR. So how will we stand out?

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Bob says that whatever it is that we choose to make us different from our competition can't be minor or questionable. We must undoubtedly deliver more benefits than the next guy. We must be able to explain that our product is the only one that:

Does _____________ (what?)
For ______________ (whom?)
By _______________ (how?)

This content was part of Bob's seminar titled "World's Best Kept Copywriting Secrets", which he delivered at the Summit. The summit proceedings are now on sale and Bob also has a book by the same title.

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