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Table of Contents

  1. Topic pack - Marketing - introduction
  2. 4.1 The role of marketing - notes
  3. 4.1 The role of marketing - questions
  4. 4.2 Marketing Planning - notes
    1. Marketing planning
    2. The marketing mix
    3. The Total Product Concept
    4. Ethics of marketing
    5. Marketing audit
    6. Porter's five forces
    7. Porter's five forces - activities
    8. Marketing objectives
    9. Market research - introduction
    10. The role of market research
    11. Primary and secondary research
    12. Primary research - information gathering techniques
    13. Observations - case studies
    14. Group-based market research
    15. Market research - summary
    16. Questionnaires
    17. Sampling
    18. Methods of sampling - introduction
    19. Main methods of sampling
    20. Sampling errors
    21. Market segmentation
    22. Consumer Profiles
    23. Types of segments
    24. Demographic segmentation
    25. Psychographic segmentation
    26. Psychographic segmentation - case study
    27. Geographic segmentation
    28. Industrial markets
    29. Targeting
    30. Positioning
    31. Corporate image
    32. Position/perception maps
    33. Unique selling point/proposition USP
    34. Marketing strategies and tactics
    35. Sales forecasting
    36. Qualitative forecasting/data
    37. Forecasting and correlation
    38. Forecasting techniques
    39. Constructing time-series analysis
    40. Moving average
    41. Four point moving average - worked example
    42. Identifying the seasonal variation
  5. 4.2 Marketing planning - questions
  6. 4.3 Product introduction - notes
  7. 4.3 Product - questions
  8. 4.3 Product - simulations and activities
  9. 4.4 Price - notes
  10. 4.4 Price - questions
  11. 4.4 Price - simulations and activities
  12. 4.4 Promotion - notes
  13. 4.5 Promotion - questions
  14. 4.6 Place (distribution) - notes
  15. 4.7 International marketing - notes
  16. 4.7 International marketing - questions
  17. 4.8 E-commerce - notes
  18. 4.8 E-commerce - questions
  19. Printable version

Unique selling point/proposition USP

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Unique selling point

The unique selling point or USP (also known as a unique selling proposition) is the key aspect of a product or service that sets it apart from the competition.

USP.pngIn his book Reality in Advertising, Rosser Reeves gives the definition of a unique selling proposition as it was understood at his company at the time (Ted Bates and Company):

  1. Each advertisement must make a proposition to the customer: "buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit."
  2. The proposition itself must be unique - something that competitors do not, or will not, offer.
  3. The proposition must be strong enough to pull new customers to the product.

Reeves was a pioneer of early television advertising and some of his slogans have survived to this day. For example, M&Ms "melt in your mouth, not in your hand". However, Reeves warned against basing a USP on what he calls "The Deceptive Differential" - a uniqueness that is too small or too technical for customers to observe the differences in actual practice.

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Look at the following outline Prezi presentation on Corporate Image and USP:


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USP Activity

In groups of 3 - 6, create a similar presentation on your school, or other organisation of your choice, identify its Unique Selling Points, mission, and image. Incorporate a range of images and media from podcasts to video. You can present this in a range of ways.

Prezi allows free use, but with limited functions - however students and teachers have access to private presentations through a free education account.

A basic tutorial can be found here.