The Effect of Simple Words

Unique Selling Proposition

Scrolling through the Internet, an advertisement for TOMS shoes popped up. This ad had a picture of two feet both wearing the same shoe. The two feet were divided with a dotted line representing two different people. In the middle was the TOMS logo along with its unique selling proposition right underneath it saying, “One for One”. The unique selling proposition of this advertisement for TOMS is very effective in wanting to purchase these shoes because you know you are helping somebody when you do.

The way the advertisement is set up shows two people wearing the same shoe. However, one leg is represented in an “obvious everyday urban environment” and the other is represented in an “obvious indigenous environment”. This illustration goes along with the unique selling proposition. It is saying that when you buy a pair of TOMS shoes, another pair is donated to somebody that needs them. These words are very effective in making someone want to buy these shoes. It lets you know that you are helping somebody in need by doing so. These words lure you into thinking about all the people that desperately need shoes and makes you want to buy a pair so that they could send a pair out to those in need. They are very effective words that will make you think twice before you buy their product.

An advertisement for an almost identical shoe, BOBS, has a unique selling proposition as well. Theirs says “Helping the World”. Although this shoe company has a unique selling proposition that will make you believe that you are helping others, it does not specify how you are helping. It is not as effective as the TOMS unique selling proposition because “One for One” tells you that you are helping by sending another pair of shoes to kids who need them. However, “Helping the World” does not specify how and who you are helping. Therefore, TOMS is more effective in luring customers into buying their shoes and letting them know how they are benefiting others.

All in all, the unique selling proposition comes down to companies that are selling similar products. Customers will look at their unique selling proposition and decide which one affects them the most, and that is how they choose the product they buy. Therefore, it is important for companies to have effective unique selling propositions to keep themselves in business and win over customers that may buy products similar to theirs.