From the Desk of John Kumpunen

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The concept of USP = unique selling proposition needs to be revisited. It has had its ride through the decades from 1940s when Rosser Reeves introduced it, but how limiting is it? Does it make sense outside of industrial buying process where a shortlist of manufacturers are compared feature for feature? Or is it just bullshit that became an urban legend and survives because people just can’t think outside of the box?

What did you buy recently because of perceived USP? Honestly, I can’t think of any other than a vegetable coctail that tastes better than the other stuff I have tried. But the manufacturer doesn’t advertise it as “tastes better than the other competing brands” because it wouldn’t make sense.

Maybe we need to come up with something parallel — like PSP = Personal SOLD Positioning, PBT = Personal Buying Trigger because, I have a feeling, most of our purchases are not based on USP. No kidding.

I think we should move closer to Elmer Wheeler’s concept of Tested Selling Sentence than USP. Gotta think about this one.