A "Truly" Unique Selling Proposition

[David Jackson]

Twenty years ago, my girlfriend and I vacationed in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One day while we were driving on crowded University Drive, I saw the oddest thing.

It was a little yellow car with big black mouse ears on the roof, and a big black tail on the back of the vehicle. It even had black whiskers painted on the front of the car. It looked like a big yellow toy mouse on wheels - something you'd see at Disney World. I had never seen anything like that on the road before anywhere. I was staring at that thing like I was a little kid. I simply couldn't take my eyes off that car.

Anyway, it turns out that little yellow mouse car belonged to one of the most successful pest control companies in the state of Florida - a company called Truly Nolen. I found out later, they had a whole fleet of those yellow mouse cars.

I've been in marketing for over twenty years. I thought I'd seen everything. But that particular Unique Selling Proposition really made an impression on me.

Here's what master copywriter, Michel Fortin had to say about a USP in his article How to Hook (More) Copywriting Prospects.

"Time and time again, I’ve told many aspiring copywriters and marketers that a USP is what distinguishes you from the pack. It increases perceived value, expertise, and credibility — without needing to state it outright.

Just by being 10% different, unique, original, or special is enough to make you stand out like a sore thumb in an overcrowded, hypercompetitive marketplace."

What about you? What can you do differently to make your business stand out in the crowd - to beat the competition and bring in more business? Do you have your thinking cap on?

Remember, "Just by being 10% different, unique, original, or special is enough to make you stand out like a sore thumb in an overcrowded, hypercompetitive marketplace."

David Jackson

[RedScooter]

This is so true. I've seen countless companies try to differentiate themselves by saying they have the best price, the best service, no hidden fees... Even if it does truly differentiate them, if their competitors claim all the same things, then customers won't perceive them as any different. It's not only the difference, but the perception of difference that makes a company stand out.

[David Jackson]

Here's another outstanding USP: Remember the cartoon The Flintstones? While on our Florida vacation, we ate dinner at a restaurant someone had recommended in Sunrise, FL called The Caves. It was supposed to have pretty decent steaks and seafood.

Anyway, when we got there, all the servers were dressed up like cave men and women, in leopard-print outfits like The Flintstones. They were even carrying those big over-sized clubs. I was half- expecting someone to yell, "Yabba-Dabba Do!"

But wait, it gets even better. When our waitress seated us, we were seated at a table in our own private, candlelit little cave. I kid you not! And on the menu, they had fried pterodactyl. How unique is that?

What was the most unusual USP you've ever seen? Feel free to share it with the forum.

David Jackson