All too often brand managers’ focus on features not benefits. Customers couldn’t care less about features. They care about the benefits that features deliver.
How do you distinguish features and benefits? Simple. It entails using the words ‘which mean that’.
For example:
“We have clients in Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia” (feature)
which means that
“…we understand the idiosyncrasies that shape brand building in those markets”
“…we know how to conduct insightful research in these markets”
“…we can draw on our extensive network of contacts to help you launch your brand overseas”
See the difference? Customers are interested in the knowledge, experience and network of contacts, not the fact you have clients or operate in those markets.
If we develop this idea further the good news keeps coming because this approach helps you tease out multiple benefits from one feature (as above). You can then map the benefits one feature delivers to your segments and so tailor the brand experience you deliver accordingly. Good times. All too often brand marketers short-change themselves by focusing on features. Hopefully this simple trick will help you avoid doing that as well.
Note: A big thank you to Clive Booth for sharing this pearl of wisdom. Learn more about Clive here. Top guy.