USP

Definition

Unique selling proposition: a feature of a product that makes it different from and better than other similar products and that can be emphasized in advertisements for the product.

The Unique Selling Proposition (a.k.a. Unique Selling Point or USP) is a marketing concept that was first proposed as a theory to explain a pattern among successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s.

It states that such campaigns made unique propositions to the customer and that this convinced them to switch brands.

The term was invented by Rosser Reeves of Ted Bates & Company.

Today the term is used in other fields or just casually to refer to any aspect of an object that differentiates it from similar objects.

Target audience

Definition

The particular group of people to which an advertisement, a product, a website or a television or radio programme is directed:

Niche market

Definition

A small area of trade within the economy, often involving specialized (= unusual and made for a few people) products