Comments on: The End of the Unique Selling Proposition

By: You Need a Great USP to Attract Customers– How’s Yours Doing?

You Need a Great USP to Attract Customers– How’s Yours Doing? — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:19:34 +0000

[...] says we have reached the end for the USP. No such thing any more. Now we need to worry about the ESP, the emotional selling proposition.Â Their argument is thatÂ nothing is reallyÂ unique anymore so [...]

By: Jamie Turner

Jamie Turner — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:40:55 +0000

You might be right, Ed. That said, one thing is for sure — marketing theory continues to evolve and change. Whether it’s the USP, the concept of positioning or new ideas about what constitutes a “brand,” there’s only one thing for sure — in marketing, nothing stays the same.

Best,
Jamie

By: Ed Martin

Ed Martin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:07:23 +0000

Not sure I’d call out the end of USP just yet for small businesses. They can have unique offerings or deliveries. But I can see your point on a macro level.

By: Jamie Turner

Jamie Turner — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:47:08 +0000

Hi, Shannon –

Great comment on “what’s really being sold is a ‘dream’ or a ‘possibility.’”

Jeanette McMurtry — the woman I mentioned in the post — has a list that highlights what it is that people are really buying when they buy something. I can’t remember the full list, but I’ll track her down to see see if she can add it to this comment stream.

Best,
Jamie

By: Shannon Nicholson

Shannon Nicholson — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:07:29 +0000

Well said, Jamie. I would even go as far as to say that what is being sold to the consumer is a “dream” or “possibility”. It’s the possibility of being slim, or chic, or a rock star, or whatever. People buy based on the emotional response they experience from a particular possibility they see.