| Recently I was presented with the opportunity to | | | | specific about details) and suggested that the |
| review a rather mundane new food product. The | | | | product marketing be built on the nurturing, |
| offering was a barbecue sauce. The taste was | | | | harvesting, artesian craftsmanship of the agricultural |
| excellent, formulated from an old family recipe. The | | | | techniques utilized and the specific unique geography, |
| entrepreneur was in love with the taste, the | | | | topography and climate necessary to derive the |
| appearance and the history of the product. It did | | | | luscious taste from the products most influential |
| have excellent presence. But, it did not have enough | | | | ingredients. |
| to be commercially viable as presented. Why? | | | | Then we suggested that the sauce be positioned as |
| In order for any new product to be successful the | | | | a 19th century, hand blended, slowly layered product, |
| item must offer a clearly recognizable Unique Selling | | | | cooked in small batches in a copper kettle, under |
| Proposition (USP). A USP is a fancy business school | | | | very low temperatures. This is the process feature |
| term for the special features and/or benefits that | | | | that further separates this sauce from the other |
| make any new product different, and hopefully | | | | mass produced products that are indigenous on store |
| better, from competitor's wares. These features and | | | | shelves and offer the sameness of taste and |
| benefits create the differences that enable a product | | | | blandness of character that make them virtually |
| to have an excellent chance at success. | | | | inseparable in consumer's minds. We created a |
| My barbecue sauce review was not positive, not | | | | process nomenclature unique to this sauce's recipe |
| from a sauce standpoint, but from a marketing | | | | and gave it a proprietary cooking terminology (again, |
| standpoint. Better ingredients, better recipe or | | | | under Secrecy Agreement). |
| formula, better components, better appearance or | | | | Now the sauce has a provenance and process story |
| taste, or Mom made it so it has to be good are not | | | | that is simple, understandable and stands apart from |
| difference makers. They are claims that every brand | | | | the mass marketed competition. The product can be |
| makes, and most brands already being successfully | | | | positioned as an upscale alternative, the kind of |
| distributed support such statements with big sales | | | | product that discriminating homemakers will be open |
| promotion budgets. Most start-ups and entrepreneurs | | | | to trying. The sauce is being readied now for a spring |
| do not have the ability to shout their story with any | | | | 2010 market launch in gourmet shops and high end |
| strength in a competitive marketplace. We had to | | | | gift stores. |
| address these issues before moving forward on the | | | | This is an elementary example of a product from a |
| project with any hope of success. | | | | most mundane category that can be positioned to |
| What to do? In order to create a USP for a new | | | | highlight a USP that gives it every chance for |
| product the entrepreneur must tell a story that | | | | success. This type of strategy can be customized to |
| creates separation between the new offering and | | | | fit almost any consumable product category: |
| the competition. In the case of the sauce we | | | | cosmetics, hair care, foodstuffs, supplements, |
| reviewed, we suggested a duality strategy, an | | | | house-hold cleaners, etc. The niche carved out by a |
| ingredient provenance and process story. | | | | clearly defined USP is crucial to successfully |
| We highlighted the two most distinctive herbs | | | | penetrating the consumer product market. Make your |
| (signing a Secrecy Agreement, which we do with all | | | | new product different, special and interesting. |
| products we review, does not allow me to be | | | | |