Although Yaro wrote about “selling benefits, not features” a while ago, his post is still among the most popular ones on Small Business Branding. For good reason: this is a strategy that has proven to be successful for millions of business owners.
When I first started implementing this same strategy for my clients, I tried to use the pharmaceutical industry as an example. Without a doubt, pharmaceuticals have you brand their products based on the benefits. Their benefits are basically their features. After all, few companies are using their product packaging as a branding-tool. Most of them have to rely on problem-solving based branding strategies.
Only a handful of doctors and scientists know, and care about, what is actually in the drug (features), what consumers care about is the result (benefits). Thanks to smart marketing, we all know how Cialis will change your life, and how aspirin can save your day. Most, but not all, pharmaceutical companies serve as a poster child for smart branding. They either sell benefits (Bayer Aspirin), or create inexplicable curiosity (Yasmin) without giving away any details. Both strategies work quite well, especially within the tight regulations that govern these campaigns.
Next time you are thinking of a marketing strategy, turn on your TV and look at a few pharma ads. It might help you think about your own product’s benefits, instead of focusing on its features.
