What Are the Elements of an Effective Value Proposition?

What Are the Elements of an Effective Value Proposition?

In the modern world’s ultra-competitive marketplace, a critical factor in determining the success of a company is how well it identifies, expresses, and communicates a unique value proposition to potential customers.

A company’s unique value proposition is a primary marketing tool. A value proposition is a concise statement of the value that the company offers through its goods or services.

The proposition is crafted to communicate the idea that consumers can receive the highest possible value or benefit from purchasing the company’s products—greater value or benefit than they can receive from other companies’ products. A company’s value proposition is often included in its mission statement.

Having an easily communicated and recognizable value proposition is increasingly important in the modern world where people are bombarded by an overload of information from a variety of media sources and where there are numerous competitors for a company’s business.

Successful firms craft their unique value propositions prior to entering the marketplace and design their business operations in accordance with their value propositions.

Understanding Elements of an Effective Value Proposition

Target Market

There are essentially three elements to a good value proposition. The first involves identifying the company’s main target market, the consumer group likely to provide the bulk of the company’s sales.

A business needs to have a clear idea of who its ideal customer is and shape its value proposition to appeal to that customer. A company must identify key demographics, such as age, singles versus families, or income levels, then design its value proposition to speak to that target market.

Specific Value

The second key element of a value proposition is the specific value the company’s products offer. A company must clearly answer for its potential customers the question of why they should choose the company’s products over all other available choices.

Some companies offer value in the form of the lowest price. Others offer the value of the highest quality. Time-saving is another potential value. If a company markets a proprietary technology or product not available from any other source, then that is a unique value it offers consumers.

Customer Connection

The third element of a value proposition covers how a company meets the individual needs or desires of its customers. This element is aimed at appealing to customers’ emotions and establishing a relationship that hopefully engenders ongoing brand loyalty.

Some of the most famous brands in the world trade on this sort of goodwill as a primary driver for their business.

Effective Value Proposition Example

As an example of using a well-crafted, unique value proposition, assume a small business in the highly competitive market of film lighting equipment seeks to enter the market with a strategy that enables it to compete with larger, well-established companies.

The company identifies its target market as lighting directors in the film and television industry who are concerned with providing the best possible production lighting. The lighting company distinguishes itself from its larger competitors that carry every possible equipment brand, by carrying only one equipment brand, the brand that research has shown is the industry-consensus best.

The company then goes to market with the slogan, “Do you want to be known for providing the best lighting or the cheapest lighting?” Not only can the company be successful in gaining a large market share, but it can also do so while selling the higher-priced, premium equipment brand.