Businesses write unique selling propositions (USPs) to clearly communicate what makes them stand out from competitors.
For skin care brand Beekman 1802, a new USP helped shape the company’s branding and marketing strategy.
In this guide, you’ll learn why you need a USP and how to write one, with advice from Dr. Brent Ridge, Beekman 1802’s cofounder. You’ll also see examples from other popular brands to help inspire your USP.
What is a unique selling proposition?
A unique selling proposition is the key benefit or feature that sets your business or product apart from competitors. It’s a clear, focused statement that answers a potential customer’s first question: “What makes you different?”
Your USP should be visible across your business. For example, Brent describes Beekman 1802’s USP as “a kind ecosystem for healthy skin.”
The brand’s USP shows up throughout its marketing messages and customer experience:
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Customers are called “neighbors.”
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Ingredients are cruelty-free.
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Kindness is listed as an ingredient on every product.
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Customers can ship their empties to Terracycle for recycling at no cost.
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The brand’s mascot, Goatie, has big eyes and soft edges to evoke nurturing feelings.
“People feel the kindness in every aspect of the brand, in every brand interaction, whether it’s they land on our website, they get served [our content] on their For You page, or even if they’re standing at Ulta,” Brent says. “They’re going to feel the kindness before they even pick up the product.”
Why your business needs a USP
A strong unique selling proposition anchors your marketing strategy, messaging, visual branding, and copywriting.
Beekman’s USP is reflected in its design and product choices. Its color palette, mascot, and product formulations all represent the idea of a kind ecosystem for your skin.
“If you look at our Shopify website,” Brent says, “you see that the most prominent color is sunshine yellow. Of all the colors, yellow has the greatest ability to spike serotonin levels in the blood when you visualize it. So when people see the color yellow, they naturally have this feeling of happiness. Globally, there’s no culture where yellow has any sort of negative connotation, whereas lots of other colors do have negative connotations in some cultures.”
The brand also introduced its mascot, Goatie, which it describes as a Global Ambassador for Kindness. “The reason he is designed in that specific way, in the kawaii aesthetic, is because of a field of science called neoteny,” Brent says. “Some people call it the science of cute. A character that has a large head, a small body, and large eyes (a kawaii look), stimulates oxytocin in the blood because it mimics what babies look like.”
How to write a compelling USP
- Identify your differentiators
- Write your USP statement
- Incorporate your USP into your marketing materials
Follow these steps to write a unique selling proposition that works for your business:
Identify your differentiators
List what makes your brand unique and be specific. Saying “We sell high-quality products” is too generic. Strong products and marketing solve specific problems and communicate benefits in your customers’ words.
And keep in mind that marketing offers like discounts, free shipping, or 24/7 support aren’t differentiators. These aren’t unique, since competitors can easily copy them.
Beekman worked with a branding agency to identify its USP, inviting them to its farm in New York to immerse themselves in the brand. As a result, they identified two primary differentiators the brand still focuses on today: the clinical science behind goat milk and kindness.
“Even though I think people felt that up to that point, we had never used ‘kindness’ to define what people felt,” Brent says. “That was such a eureka moment for us. When someone asked, ‘What’s your company about?’ it made it easy for us to answer, ‘We’re about kindness.’ That was a real turning point.”
If your differentiators don’t feel super clear, a branding agency or a consultant with a fresh perspective might be able to help.
Write your USP statement
Write a statement that’s succinct and clearly demonstrates what makes your brand unique.
To get started, try a template. Here’s one that helps you think of your brand holistically:
[Your brand] offers [product or service] for [target market] to [value proposition]. Unlike [the alternative], we [key differentiator].
Incorporate your USP into your marketing materials
Beekman’s USP led it to developing its tagline, which appears on its website: “There’s beauty in kindness.”
Beyond the tagline, the brand represents its USP of “a kind ecosystem for healthy skin,” in their website copy, promising a product that is “kind in every way:”
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Kind to skin
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Kind to animals and planet
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Kind to community
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[Backed by] Kind science
3 USP examples
The best way to understand powerful USPs is to see them in action. Here are three businesses that created memorable USPs that help their brand stand out:
1. Pip’s Snacks
You can buy popcorn anywhere, but Pip’s Snacks carved out its own market by focusing on heirloom corn. On its homepage, it breaks down the differences between heirloom corn and conventional corn, making it easy for a customer to see how anything from farming to the flavor profile differs from other brands.
Pip’s reinforces its unique selling proposition on its packaging, its product pages, and its social media. In one Instagram post, Pip’s introduces its audience to a family-owned farm that harvests its heirloom corn. This gives viewers a better look into how thoughtful the brand and its partners are in creating this product.
2. Kloo
Kloo’s USP revolves around its high-quality coffee concentrate created by the brand’s Q Grader cofounder. “My mom invented our proprietary brewing process and all the quality aspects of the brand,” cofounder Claudia says.
Claudia’s mom’s story is an important part of the brand’s marketing because her expertise is what makes the brand different. On the homepage, there’s a video showing Mariella at work beside an explanation of what a Q Grader is.
Another way the brand shows off its knowledge about coffee is by sharing graphics about where its products originate, the type of roast, and emergent flavors. These images include thorough information to show how stringent its process is.
3. ThirdLove
In the lingerie industry, Thirdlove needed a way to compete with legacy brands. Its USP focuses on the idea that customers shouldn’t have to choose between comfort and sexiness. Its selling proposition is that it offers a third option: a “better option designed for your body that lets you have both.”
It emphasizes this USP through its Find My Fit quiz, Fit Education resources, and half sizes.
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Unique selling proposition FAQ
How do you write a unique selling proposition?
1. List what makes your brand and products unique.
2. Narrow it down to your main differentiator.
3. Write your statement and reiterate.
Why do you need a unique selling proposition?
A strong USP helps you stand out in your market and guides your business strategy. It tells customers exactly why they should choose your brand and product. Your USP becomes the foundation for your branding, messaging, and marketing materials.
What’s an example of a compelling USP?
Beekman 1802’s USP, “A kind ecosystem for healthy skin,” communicates that it’s selling kindness in addition to science-backed skin care—something that sets it apart from competitors.
What’s the difference between a unique value proposition and a unique selling proposition?
A USP differs from a unique value proposition (UVP), which is a more specific statement that focuses on how your product will benefit your customer. For example, clothing brand Unbound Merino’s unique selling proposition revolves around its use of Merino wool, the softest and finest kind of wool. Its unique value proposition, on the other hand, guarantees that the fabric won’t wrinkle or smell and that it’ll keep the wearer’s temperature regulated.
