What makes your product or service stand out?

If you can’t define unique features and benefits that make you special or different, then your selling on the only other option – low price. Unless you have some distinct operational efficiencies (like Walmart), you don’t want to play the low price game because even when you win, when you really think about it, you actually lose. This is why clearly identifying how your products and/or services are different from the competition – in ways that are meaningful to your target market – is crucial.

Granting you already have a nice, neat and well-thought-out value proposition in place, you should now ask yourself if your marketing clearly articulates your message across all your marketing materials. Indeed communication is the final step in the marketing process. Once you understand the unique value you bring to your target market, you must communicate this value effectively in all your various marketing channels. It may seem very basic, but creating and communicating your most powerful value proposition is the foundation upon which your entire marketing program rests!

Is your marketing delivering your value proposition?

We’ve seen this mistake before: Marketing develops an ad campaign that doesn’t effectively deliver a company’s value proposition, or creates an ad that does not match or is inconsistent with a firm’s website or other marketing materials. Often, companies hire outsiders to develop ad campaigns for them, but they may end up focusing more on “award winning” design than they do on the actual message.

A targeted value proposition is all about having one coherent message coming from all parts of your organization. Every single person in your company should know what your strengths are and should be reflected in all your marketing materials.

Confused Prospect Get Frustrated

When marketing develops a clear, consistent message, you’re less likely to confuse your prospects. Your goal should be to let prospects know who you are and why they should buy from you. Remember, a confused prospect gets easily frustrated and will most likely shop elsewhere. If you have a clearly defined value proposition that attracts and connects with your target market, then your chances of making more profit will increase. And this is something both sales and marketing departments can be happy about.

The Happy Dent Test

One campaign that succeeds in being creative while still sticking to its value proposition is this Indian ad for Happy Dent, a teeth-whitening chewing gum. Not only does the ad entertain, it clearly communicates what the product is about and what the consumer can get from it. The ad was first showed long before social media and consumer information sharing boomed. Had it been launched sooner, it would almost surely have gone viral.

Are you confusing your prospects?

Would your marketing communication pass the “Happy Dent Test”?

Tagged as: Value Proposition