What is the USP principle?
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 9:57 am
In a pew in a small New England church, old Calvin Coolidge sat patiently listening to a two-hour sermon. A moment later, a friend asked him what the sermon was about.
"Sin," Coolidge said.
"What did the pastor say?" the friend insisted.
"He was against it."
This story vividly illustrates one of the important principles of advertising:
“ The consumer tends to remember only one thing from an advertisement - one clear statement, or one strong idea. ” [1]
The term Unique Selling Proposition ( USP ) originated list of equatorial guinea consumer email in the first half of the 20th century at the American advertising agency Ted Bates & Company . Its author is Rosser Reeves (1910-1984), who joined the agency as a copywriter in 1940 and became its director 15 years later.
Rosser Reeves
Reeves explains the principles of USP in his book Reality in Advertising , first published in April 1961. Among other things, he points out that many people misunderstand and misuse the term. He compares their approach to the behavior of Valihrach in Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass : “When I say a word,” Valihrach said haughtily, “it means whatever I like it to mean—and nothing else.”[2] Reeves says, “USP is a precise term and deserves a precise definition.”[3] And here is his definition:
1. Every advertisement must present a specific argument to the consumer. Not just words and product praise or a meaningless advertisement. Every advertisement must tell every reader: 'Buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit.'
"Sin," Coolidge said.
"What did the pastor say?" the friend insisted.
"He was against it."
This story vividly illustrates one of the important principles of advertising:
“ The consumer tends to remember only one thing from an advertisement - one clear statement, or one strong idea. ” [1]
The term Unique Selling Proposition ( USP ) originated list of equatorial guinea consumer email in the first half of the 20th century at the American advertising agency Ted Bates & Company . Its author is Rosser Reeves (1910-1984), who joined the agency as a copywriter in 1940 and became its director 15 years later.
Rosser Reeves
Reeves explains the principles of USP in his book Reality in Advertising , first published in April 1961. Among other things, he points out that many people misunderstand and misuse the term. He compares their approach to the behavior of Valihrach in Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass : “When I say a word,” Valihrach said haughtily, “it means whatever I like it to mean—and nothing else.”[2] Reeves says, “USP is a precise term and deserves a precise definition.”[3] And here is his definition:
1. Every advertisement must present a specific argument to the consumer. Not just words and product praise or a meaningless advertisement. Every advertisement must tell every reader: 'Buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit.'