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04/24/2006: "Are You Forgetting to Use the Unique Selling Proposition in Your Marketing?"

Famous copywriter Rosser Reeves invented the well-known USP or Unique Selling Proposition. That's perhaps the most famous acronym in business and advertising.

In his book, Reality in Advertising, he laments that the popularity of the USP does not reflect a wide-spread understanding of the term.

He defines the USP in three parts:

Reeves recommended thinking of the USP as something the consumer takes from the ad, rather than as something the copywriter puts into the ad.

Reality in Advertising was published in 1961 --- that's a lifetime ago. Yet the USP still matters and it still sells. Trouble is, many advertisers have forgotten it. In their effort to make ads look cute and funny and in some cases to win awards they forget to use the USP to sell the product.

Advertisers and copywriters would be well advised to get back to the basics of advertising. That's the way to start making more sales.

Does this look like you?

by hugh macleod
Gapingvoid.com