Before you can write effective ad copy, you need to know the USP
February 20, 2010 – 12:14 pmA lot goes into writing effective ad copy, but before you can write effective ad copy, you have to know the unique selling proposition (USP) of the product you are promoting.
USP is the proposition or selling point (feature, benefit, or advantage) that makes a product (service, company, or brand) unique, or differentiates it from the competition.
Domino’s all but took over the delivered pizza market with their USP: fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed! Domino’s did not even promise that the pizza would taste good. Of course, the USP has since been copied by many competitors, as is often the case with USPs that work, rendering it less than unique. So today’s USP may not be the USP you use tomorrow.
Anyone who grew up feasting on M&M’s can tell you what its USP was: M&M’s melt in your mouth, not in your hands. Does “melts in your mouth…” sound like a slogan? It was a slogan. It was also used as a headline. It was also what differentiated M&Ms from other candy-coated chocolate, hence it was the USP.
Again, USPs are often co-opted by the competition and must change when they are no longer unique. Anacin offered “fast, fast relief.” Now almost every pain medicine acts “fast.” Colgate used to say, “Cleans your breath as it cleans your teeth.” Try to find toothpaste that does not do that today. In fact, try to find a mouth rinse that does not clean your teeth!
So USPs can, and often do, evolve (or radically change) over time. Your job is, as copywriter, is to know what the USP at the time you are writing the ad copy. The degree to which you incorporate it into your ad will depend on a number of external factors, but I suggest that you should not start writing until you know what the USP is.
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Paul Lima is a freelance writer, copywriter, and business writing instructor. He is also the author of several books on business writing and the business of freelance writing, including Copy Writing That Works.
2 Responses to “Before you can write effective ad copy, you need to know the USP”
Spot on, Paul. I would just add that USP’s for copy do not have to be as dramatic as “melts in your mouth.” The main think about writing copy is one thing. I like to answer one of these three questions before I write copy: What’s the one thing I want people to know? What’s the one thing I want people to remember? What’s the one thing I want people to do?
By Jay Ehret on Feb 21, 2010
The USP’s for copy do not have to be as dramatic as “melts in your mouth.” However, before you answer the three questions (great questions; spot on!), you still want to know what it is and the extent to which you should (or should not) convey it. In short, you want to be making conscious decisions.
By Paul Lima on Feb 22, 2010