Comments on: Brandspeak: A Glossary of Branding Terms

By: Twinkle twinkle little star… (how I wonder what you are) | More Than Branding

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:25:09 +0000

[...] The Financial Brand [...]

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:50:27 +0000

You can have a Value Proposition that is relevant to consumers but not differentiated from your competitors. For example, a big box retailer could promise/deliver “low prices on a wide selection,” which clearly promises value to consumers even though all the retailer’s competitors could probably make the same claim.

If a Value Proposition is distinct and differentiated, then it is probably rising up to something more like a Unique Selling Proposition or Brand Position/Promise. This is certainly what an organization should be seeking. A Value Proposition should be unique, and yet the value most organizations offer consumers is undifferentiated.

Also note: There may be a big difference between the Value Proposition as defined/intended by the organization and what consumers truly find valuable in the brand.

By: Cliff Zugay

Cliff Zugay — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:36:07 +0000

I was just using that example to suggest that a value proposition may ot be unique, but if they are not competitors that is not a problem. The note that made me curious suggested that a value proposition need not be unique. I’ve not heard that before and wonder in what instance that statement applies.

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:32:55 +0000

I’m not sure that I would characterize “The Bay Area’s Largest” as a formal Value Proposition. There is no immediate value to consumers from simply shopping at the Bay Area’s largest retailer. A statement of size may hint at certain things consumers do find valuable (e.g., small = personal, big = selection and cheaper), but such a statement itself makes no promise of value. It merely draws attention to a fact — a differentiator that has no direct value or relevance to consumers.

I think a statement like “The Bay Area’s Largest” is probably more like a slogan than a Value Proposition.

By: Cliff Zugay

Cliff Zugay — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:32:11 +0000

Great article….Brand Gap, I love it. It will be the phrase of the week here.

However, under Value Proposition, you suugest the proposition need not be unique. Now I can agree that there can be two brands that claim to be “The Bay Area’s Largest” as long as one is San Francisco Bay, and the other Tampa Bay. But I’d like to hear that defended if we are talking about direct competitors.