Competitive firms are examples. Competitive advantages of the organization and their types. Competing in the global market

Strategic management is designed to ensure the survival of the company in the long term. Of course, when we are talking about survival in the market competitive environment, there is no question that the company can drag out a miserable existence. It is very important to understand that as soon as someone from those who are associated with the company, this connection becomes not a joy, he moves away from the company, and after a while it dies. Therefore, survival in the long term automatically means that the company is quite successfully coping with its tasks, bringing satisfaction to those who enter into the sphere of its business interaction with its activities. First of all, this applies to customers, employees of the company and its owners.

The concept of competitive advantage

How can an organization ensure its long-term survival, which must be inherent in it so that it can cope with its tasks? The answer to this question is quite obvious: the organization must produce a product that will consistently find buyers. This means that the product must be, firstly, so interesting to the buyer that he is ready to give money for it, and, secondly, more interesting to the buyer than a product similar or similar in consumer qualities produced by other firms. If a product has these two properties, then the product is said to have competitive advantages.

Therefore, a firm can successfully exist and develop only if its product has competitive advantages. Strategic management is called upon to create competitive advantages.

Consideration of the issue of creating and maintaining competitive advantages involves an analysis of the relationship and, accordingly, the interaction of three subjects of the market environment. The first subject is “our” company that produces a certain product. ect is a buyer who may or may not buy this product. The third killer is competitors who are ready to sell their products to the buyer that can satisfy the same need that and a product manufactured by "our" firm. The main thing in this market "love" triangle is the buyer. Therefore, the competitive advantages of a product are the value for the buyer contained in the product, which encourages him to buy this product. Competitive advantage does not necessarily arise from comparing "our" firm's product with competitors' products. It may be that there are no firms on the market offering a competitive product, yet the product of “our” firm is not for sale. This means that it does not have sufficient value for the buyer or competitive advantages.

Types of competitive advantages

What creates competitive advantage? It is believed that there are two possibilities for this. First, the product itself can have competitive advantages. One kind of competitive advantage of a product is its price feature. Very often, the buyer purchases a product only because it is cheaper than other products with similar consumer properties. Sometimes a product is bought just because it is very cheap. Such purchases can occur even if the product has no utility for the buyer.

The second type of competitive advantage is differentiation. In this case, we are talking about the fact that the product has distinctive features that make it attractive to the buyer. Differentiation is not necessarily related to the consumer (utilitarian) qualities of the product (reliability, ease of use, good functional characteristics, etc.). It can be achieved at the expense of such characteristics that have nothing to do with its utilitarian consumer properties, for example, at the expense of the brand.

Second, in addition to creating a competitive advantage in a product, a firm may be trying to create a competitive advantage in its product. market position. This is achieved by securing the buyer, or, in other words, by monopolizing part of the market. In principle, this situation contradicts market relations because the buyer has no choice. However, in real practice, many firms manage not only to create such a competitive advantage for their product, but also to maintain it for a long time.

Strategy for creating competitive advantage

There are three strategies for creating competitive advantage. The first strategy is price leadership. With this strategy, the focus of the firm in the development and production of the product is cost. The main sources of creating price advantages are:

Rational business management based on accumulated experience;

Economies of scale by reducing costs per unit of output with an increase in production volume;

Savings on diversity as a result of cost reduction due to the synergistic effect that occurs in the production of various products;

Optimization of intra-company communications, contributing to the reduction of company-wide costs;

Integration of distribution networks and supply systems;

Optimization of the company's activities in time;

The geographic location of the company's activities, which allows to achieve cost reduction through the use of local features.

Bringing to life pricing strategy To create a competitive advantage for a product, a firm should not forget that its product must at the same time meet a certain level of differentiation. Only in this case, price leadership can bring a significant effect. If the quality of the price leader's product is significantly lower than the quality of similar products, then to create a price competitive advantage, it may be necessary to reduce the price so much that it can lead to negative consequences for the firm. However, it should be borne in mind that the price leadership strategy and the differentiation strategy should not be mixed, and even more so should not be attempted to implement them at the same time.

Differentiationis the second strategy for creating competitive advantage. With this strategy, the company tries to give the product something distinctive, unusual, that the buyer may like and for which the buyer is willing to pay. A differentiation strategy aims to make a product different from what competitors do. To achieve this, the firm has to go beyond the functional properties of the product.

Firms do not necessarily use differentiation to gain a price premium. Differentiation can help expand sales by increasing the number of products sold, or by stabilizing consumption, regardless of fluctuations in market demand.

In the case of implementing a strategy for creating competitive advantages through differentiation, it is very important to focus on consumer priorities and the interests of the buyer. Earlier it was said that the differentiation strategy involves creating a product that is unique in its own way, different from the products of competitors. But it is important to remember that in order to have a competitive advantage, it is necessary that the unusualness of the product, its novelty or uniqueness be of value to the buyer. Therefore, the differentiation strategy assumes, as a starting point, the study of the interests of the consumer. For this you need:

It is enough to clearly present not just who the buyer is, but who makes the decision on the purchase;

To study consumer criteria by which a choice is made when purchasing a product (price, functional properties, guarantees, delivery time, etc.);

Determine the factors that shape the buyer's idea of ​​the product (sources of information about the properties of the product, image, etc.).

After that, based on the ability to create a product of an appropriate degree of differentiation and an appropriate price (the price should allow the buyer to purchase a differentiated product), the company can begin to develop and manufacture this product.

A third strategy that a firm can use to create competitive advantage in its product is focus on the interests of specific consumers. In this case, the company creates its product specifically for specific customers. Concentrated creation of a product is associated with the fact that some unusual need is satisfied. certain group people (in this case, the company's product is very specialized), or a specific system of access to the product is created (a system for selling and delivering the product). By pursuing a strategy of concentrated creation of competitive advantages, the firm can use both price attraction of buyers and differentiation at the same time.

As can be seen, all three strategies for creating competitive advantages have significant distinctive features that allow us to conclude that the company must clearly define for itself what strategy it is going to implement, and in no case mix these strategies. At the same time, it should be noted that there is a certain relationship between these strategies, and this should also be taken into account by firms when creating competitive advantages.

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In December, we started a series of articles about texts: we managed to tell why they are needed at all, what to write for specific pages of the site, what should be the structure of the selling text for the main one. In January, we talked about titles, remembered the basic rules for compiling Title and Description.

Let's continue our manual on writing texts and talk about how to sell trust in a company, product or service.

Let's say you got to work: developed a SL, came up with a USP, made up strong attractive headlines, sketched out a text outline. And everything seems to be fine - you are the coolest, coolest and the products are super. But the trouble is, customers are now fastidious and just like that they won’t believe your word.

Why are you better than Vasya Pupkina or Worldwide Stroy Publishing Incorporated LLC? Why does the user have to spend their hard-earned money on you? Will you deceive him? What will be the end result for him?

You need to provide a person with evidence why you are really the best, demonstrate what benefits he will receive by purchasing a product or becoming a client of the company. This is a prerequisite for all texts. It’s not enough just to interest the user, you need to convince him to contact you.

How to communicate advantages over competitors?

Do a little research - analyze your competitors, their services and products. See what their strengths and weaknesses are, think about what you are cooler in. Remember, you don't just need to talk about your accomplishments or bare product features. It should show what they will give to the client.

Let's use examples to analyze what mistakes are most often encountered when trying to talk about a company and what to do with them:

1. Monotonous, stingy benefits with no evidence

   We often hear the following from clients: “Everything is like everyone else, there are no differences. I like the way site.com writes - here we have everything exactly the same, write the same way. So don't do it.

   Users always choose from several offers, and do not rush to the first one that comes across. And how to decide where to turn, if everywhere is the same?

   For example, you don't have to go far. Let's say you want to order sushi to the office. We start to choose and see the following picture on 4 different sites of delivery services:

   

   

   Find 5 differences between these 4 sites.

   All have the freshest ingredients, an attractive selection, fast delivery and great prices. And no, the blocks are not taken out of context - there is no detailed explanation for them anywhere, delivery time, discount amount and other information is not indicated - guess for yourself.

   Or another example:

   

   Such a set is suitable for absolutely any company: building houses, selling spare parts, delivering flowers, sushi and everything else. The site will be lost among thousands of similar ones.

   Now let's look at this option:

   Of course, the block is not perfect, there is room for improvement. But nevertheless, the time is indicated - from 60 minutes to receive the coveted rolls, and you can pay for the order by card, you do not have to run for cash.

   

   In this version, there is also a lack of factual information in places, but the benefits are still obvious, especially against the background of absolutely identical competitors.

   Another example, already from our website from the SEO service description page on the terms of subscription service:

   

   I think the difference between good option and bad you caught.

   What to do:

   Get rid of clichés and clichés. Don't forget specifics. Site owners - do not hide information and do not play spies. Give the copywriter all the data. We will not get tired of repeating: competitors will spend time and study your prices, advantages and chips, but the client will not do this - he will simply leave the site and will not return.

   Copywriters - to actively ask questions to the client, ask for factual information and not be limited to template phrases about favorable prices, high quality and a wide range.

2. Solid "we-we-we"

   Write not about how good you are, but about what benefits the user will receive by becoming a client of the company.

   

   You read this and the question arises, but what about me as a client? What will I get?

   And at the sight of the text about “young dynamically developing companies” one wants to cry at all.

   What to do:

   When describing the benefits, think from the person and their personal interests. Less We, more You.

   Focus on what the client will get. The user does not care whether you are developing dynamically or not, he wants to solve his problem with the help of a specific product or service. Show how this will happen.

   

3. Much water"

   Brevity is not always the sister of talent. But lengthy descriptions of the benefits of work will also not bring any benefit.

   

   No one will wade through this sheet of text, consisting of 90% of formulaic phrases.

   What to do:

   Write clearly and to the point, structure information, do not pour water. Don't forget to format your benefits in an easy to read way: use icons, lists, tables.

   

4. Lack of facts and evidence

   This has already been mentioned, but we will repeat it again. In words, all without exception are the best. If you are faster, more attentive, more reliable than your competitors - prove it, do not be modest. The client's doubts can be dispelled by the facts. Without them, he again receives another set of clichés that will not persuade him to buy from you.

   

   

   What to do:

   Operate with facts: a wide range - exactly how many positions and what it will give the client, low cost - what is the minimum threshold and due to which the price is low, quality assurance - which one, for how many years, etc.

   Show advantages in comparison with competitors. Describe how things are for you, but as in other companies. Let the client visually make sure that it is clearly more profitable to order products from you.

5. Advantages for optimization or just "to be"

   Someone still believes that the text is only needed for optimization and it is important to cram as many keys into it as possible. About the fact that you need to write for people, and not for search robots, is often forgotten.

   The result is this:

   

   What are the advantages here - a mystery. What kind of purchase and trust in the company can we talk about? And search engines will not be happy with such text.

   What to do:

   Write for people, not for robots. Optimization should be organic and invisible, if the keyword doesn't fit well with your benefit description, don't use it.

6. Substitution of advantages by technical properties or characteristics of the product

   Another common mistake. The user is offered, under the guise of benefits, a memory capacity of 1 TB, 4K FullHD super technology, a unique method of singular spectral analysis, but they do not write what this will give the client.

   

   Not everyone will understand why he needs these terabytes of memory or how the innovative pistol for Karcher differs from all the others.

   What to do:

   Turn features into benefits. Think and tell what the compact size of an electric smoker will give the user, what is good about English sheep wool or an innovative box for an action camera. Explain to the user how much easier and better life will be with your services or products.

   

Instead of output:

Benefits block - important element text. The reader should immediately receive an answer to the question "what is advantageous for me here." You need to win over a person, gain his trust and push him to commit a targeted action.

How to do this, you ask? It is difficult to give a universal answer - after all, this is how new patterns and clichés are created. Each company, product or service has its own unique advantages, it is important to be able to highlight and show them. When working, we do not just present the company and products in a favorable light, but carefully study the needs of the target audience and tell customers what benefits and benefits they will receive. We will gladly help

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From this article you will learn:

• What are the types of competitive advantages of the company
• What are the main competitive advantages of the company
• How is the formation and evaluation of the competitive advantages of the company
• How to use competitive advantages to increase sales

Over time, humanity reaches new heights, receiving more and more new knowledge. This also applies to business. Each firm is "hunting" for the most profitable marketing solutions trying to do things differently and showcase their products in the best possible light. All enterprises sooner or later face competition, and therefore the competitive advantages of the company play an important role in the market, which help the consumer to decide on the choice of product.

What are the company's competitive advantages

Competitive advantages companies are those characteristics, properties of a brand or product that create a certain superiority for the company over direct competitors. Development economic sphere impossible without competitive advantage. They are part of the corporate style of the company, and also provide it with protection from competitors' attacks.

A company's sustainable competitive advantage is the development of a profitable development plan for the company, with the help of which its most promising opportunities are realized. Such a plan must not be used by actual or alleged competitors, and the results of the implementation of the plan must not be adopted by them.

The development of a company's competitive advantages is based on its goals and objectives, which are achieved in accordance with the company's position in the market for goods and services, as well as the level of success in their implementation. The reform of the functioning system should create a basis for the effective development of the factors of the company's competitive advantages, as well as create a strong relationship between this process and existing market conditions.

What are the types of competitive advantages of a company?

What are the company's competitive advantages? There are two types of competitive advantage:

1. Artificial competitive advantages: individual approach, advertising campaigns, guarantee and so on.
2. Natural competitive advantages of the company: product cost, buyers, competent management and so on.

An interesting fact: if a firm does not strive to get ahead in the market of goods and services, referring to a number of such enterprises, it somehow has natural competitive advantages. In addition, it has every opportunity to develop artificial competitive advantages for the company, spending some time and effort on this. This is where all the knowledge about competitors is needed, since their activities need to be analyzed first.

Why do we need to analyze the competitive advantage of a company?

An interesting note about Runet: as a rule, about 90% of entrepreneurs do not analyze their competitors, and also do not develop competitive advantages using this analysis. There is only an exchange of some innovations, that is, firms adopt the ideas of competitors. It doesn't matter who first came up with something new, it will still be "taken away". This is how clichés like this came to light:

• Highly qualified specialist;
• Personal approach;
• Top quality;
• Competitive cost;
• First class service.

And others that do not actually represent the competitive advantages of the company, since no self-respecting enterprise will declare that its products Low quality and the staff are newbies.

Oddly enough, you can look at it from the other side. If the competitive advantages of companies are minimal, then it is easier for start-up firms to develop, that is, to gather their potential consumers, who receive a wider choice.

Therefore, it is necessary to correctly work out strategic competitive advantages that will provide customers with a profitable purchase and positive emotions. Customer satisfaction must come from the enterprise, not from the product.

What are the sources of the company's competitive advantage

There is a fairly well-established structure of the company's competitive advantages. At one time, Michael Porter identified three main sources for developing a company's competitive advantages: differentiation, cost, and focus. Now in more detail about each of them:

• Differentiation

The implementation of this strategy of the company's competitive advantages is based on a more efficient provision of services to the company's customers, as well as the presentation of the company's products in the best light.

• Costs

The implementation of this strategy is based on the following competitive advantages of the company: minimum costs for employees, automation of production, minimum costs for scale, the ability to apply limited resources, as well as the use of patented technologies that reduce production costs.

• Focus

This strategy is based on the same sources as the previous two, but the company's accepted competitive advantage covers the needs of a narrow circle of customers. Customers outside this group are either dissatisfied with such competitive advantages of the company, or they are not affected in any way.

The main (natural) competitive advantages of the company

Every firm has a natural competitive advantage. But not all enterprises cover them. This is a group of companies whose competitive advantages are either, as they believe, obvious or disguised as conventional clichés. So, the main competitive advantages of the company are:

1. Price. Like it or not, one of the main advantages of any company. If the price of a firm's goods or services is lower than competitive prices, this price gap is usually indicated immediately. For example, “prices are 15% lower” or “we offer retail goods at a wholesale price." It is very important to indicate prices in this way, especially if the company operates in the corporate sphere (B2B).
2. Timing (time). Be sure to specify the exact delivery time for each type of product. This is a very important point in developing a company's competitive advantage. Here it is worth avoiding inaccurate definitions in terms (“we will deliver quickly”, “we will deliver just in time”).
3. Experience. When the staff of your company are professionals in their field, who know all the "pitfalls" of doing business, then convey this to consumers. They like to cooperate with specialists who can be contacted on all issues of interest.
4. Special conditions. They may include the following: exclusive supply offers (discount system, convenient location of the company, extensive warehouse program, included gifts, payment after delivery, and so on).
5. Authority. The authority factor includes: various achievements of the company, prizes at exhibitions, competitions and other events, awards, well-known suppliers or buyers. All this increases the popularity of your company. A very significant element is the status of a professional expert, which involves the participation of your employees at various conferences, in advertising interviews, and on the Internet.
6. Narrow specialization. This type of competitive advantage is best explained with an example. The owner of an expensive car wants to replace some parts in his car and he is faced with a choice: go to a specialized salon that services only cars of his brand, or to a standard car repair shop. Of course, he will choose a professional salon. This is a component of a unique selling proposition (USP) that is often used as a competitive advantage for a company.
7. Other actual benefits. Such competitive advantages of the company include: a wider range of products, patented manufacturing technology, adoption special plan for the sale of goods and so on. The main thing here is to stand out.

Artificial competitive advantages of the company

Artificial competitive advantages are able to help the company to tell about itself, if it does not have special offers. This may come in handy when:

1. The firm has a set-up similar to competitors (competitive advantages of companies in a particular field of activity are the same).
2. The company is located between large and small enterprises (does not have a large assortment of goods, does not have a narrow focus and sells products at a standard price).
3. The company is at the initial stage of development, without any special competitive advantages, client base and popularity among consumers. Often this happens when specialists decide to leave the workplace and create their own enterprise.

In such cases, it is necessary to develop artificial competitive advantages, which are:

1. Added value. For example, a company sells computers without being able to compete on price. In this case, you can use the following competitive advantage of companies: install an operating system and the necessary standard programs on a PC, and then slightly increase the cost of equipment. This is the added value, which also includes all sorts of promotions and bonus offers.
2. Personal adjustment. This competitive advantage of the company works great if competitors hide behind standard clichés. Its meaning is to demonstrate the face of the company and apply the WHY formula. He is successful in every field of activity.
3. Responsibility. Quite an effective competitive advantage of the company. It goes well with personality tuning. A person likes to deal with people who can vouch for their products or services.
4. Guarantees. Generally, there are two types of warranties: circumstance (for example, a liability guarantee – “if you haven’t received a receipt, we will pay for your purchase”) and product or service warranties (for example, the ability for a consumer to return or exchange an item within up to one months).
5. Reviews. Unless, of course, they are ordered. For potential consumers, the status of a person who speaks about your company is important. This advantage works great when the reviews are presented on a special form with a certified signature of the person.
6. Demonstration. It is one of the main competitive advantages of the company. If the company does not have advantages, or they are not obvious, then it can make an illustrated presentation of its product. If the company works in the service sector, then you can make a video presentation. The main thing here is to correctly focus on the properties of products.
7. Cases. But there may not be cases, especially for newcomers. In this case, it is possible to develop artificial cases, the essence of which is to provide services either to ourselves, or to a potential buyer, or to an existing client on the basis of netting. Then you will receive a case that will show the level of professionalism of your company.
8. Unique selling proposition. It has already been mentioned in this article. The meaning of the USP is that the company operates with a certain detail, or provides data that separates it from competitors. This competitive advantage of the company is effectively used by the company "Practicum Group", which offers training programs.

Personnel as a competitive advantage of the company

Unfortunately, today not every management sees in the staff an excellent competitive advantage of the company. Based on the developed strategies and goals, firms come to the need to build, develop and strengthen the personal qualities of employees they need. But at the same time, companies come to the need to apply a certain combination of developed strategies (this also applies to internal management).

Based on this, you need to pay attention to a couple of important points: identify and develop the qualities of personnel, creating a competitive advantage for the company, and explain the usefulness of investing in this resource.

If the goal of management is to create a competitive advantage for the company in the face of personnel, then work on personal characteristics employees, as well as the concept of the essence and effectiveness of the aspects that are revealed in teamwork (emergence and synergy).

The process of becoming a team as a competitive advantage of the company is not complete without resolving some points that the company's management should take into account:

1. Competent organization of the activities of employees.
2. The interest of employees in the successful achievement of tasks.
3. Formation of the desire of the team to actively participate in the process of obtaining high results.
4. Support required by the company personal qualities of employees.
5. Development of company commitment.

It is worth paying attention to the essence of the proposed aspects that form the competitive advantage of the company in the face of its staff.

Not a few well-known large organizations win in the competition precisely due to the effective use of personnel as a competitive advantage of the company, as well as due to the gradual increase in the level of interest of employees in achieving their goals. The main criteria for success in the process of using all possible resources are: the desire of employees to remain part of the company and work for its benefit, the dedication of the staff to their company, the confidence of the staff in success and the sharing by them of the principles and values ​​of their company.

It is characterized by the following elements:

• Identification. Assumes that employees have a sense of pride in their firm, as well as a factor in the appropriation of goals (when employees take the tasks of the firm as their own).
• Involvement. It assumes the desire of employees to invest their own strength, actively participate in achieving high results.
• Loyalty. It implies a psychological attachment to the company, the desire to continue working for its benefit.

These criteria are extremely important in shaping the competitive advantage of the company in the face of personnel.

The degree of employee loyalty is closely related to the level of staff response to external or internal stimulation.

When developing the competitive advantage of the company in the face of the staff, it is worth noting some aspects that reveal the dedication of employees:

• Dedicated employees strive to improve their skills.
• Dedicated employees stand by their views without being manipulated or otherwise negatively influenced.
• Dedicated employees strive to achieve maximum success.
• Committed employees are able to take into account the interests of all members of the team, to see something beyond the boundaries of the goal.
• Dedicated employees are always open to something new.
• Committed employees have a higher degree of respect not only for themselves, but also for other people.

Loyalty is a multifaceted concept. It contains the ethics of the team, and the degree of its motivation, and the principles of its activities, and the degree of job satisfaction. That is why the competitive advantage in the face of personnel is one of the most effective. This commitment is reflected in the relationship employees have with everyone around them in the workplace.

When management wants to create a competitive advantage in the face of staff, the challenge is to build employee loyalty. The prerequisites for the formation are divided into two types: personal characteristics of employees and working conditions.

Competitive advantages of the company in the face of personnel are formed with the help of the following personal characteristics of employees:

• Reasons for choosing this field of activity.
• Motivation of work and labor principles.
• Education.
• Age.
• Family status.
• existing work ethic.
• Convenience of the territorial location of the company.

The competitive advantages of the company in the face of the staff are formed using the following working conditions:

• The level of interest of employees in achieving the maximum success of the company.
• Employee awareness level.
• The degree of stress of employees.
• The degree of satisfaction of important needs of employees (wages, working conditions, the opportunity to show their creative potential, and so on).

But it is necessary to take into account the dependence of loyalty on the personal characteristics of the staff and the atmosphere in the companies themselves. And therefore, if the management set out to create a competitive advantage for the company in the face of its personnel, it first needs to analyze how much the problems in this company are exacerbated that can negatively affect the loyalty of employees.

Brand as a competitive advantage of the company

Today, in order to fight competitors, companies include Additional services in the list of the main ones, introduce new methods of doing business, put both the staff and each consumer in priority. Competitive advantages of the company arise from market analysis, development of a plan for its development, obtaining important information. Firms in progress competition and constant change, it is necessary to work both with the internal management of the organization and with the development of a strategy that ensures a strong position of stable competitiveness and allows you to follow the changing market situation. Today, in order to maintain competitiveness, it is important for firms to master modern principles management and production of products that will create a competitive advantage for the company.

A trade mark (brand) of a company, if properly used, can increase its income, increase the number of sales, replenish the existing range, inform the buyer about the exclusive benefits of a product or service, stay in this field of activity, and also introduce effective methods development. This is why a brand can serve as a competitive advantage for a company. Management that does not take this factor into account will never see their organization among the leaders. But a trademark is a rather expensive option for a company's competitive advantage, which requires special management skills, knowledge of the company's positioning methods, and experience in working with a brand. There are several stages in the development of a brand, related specifically to the topic of its relationship with competition:

1. Goal setting:
   • Formulation of the goals and objectives of the company (the initial stage for the formation of any competitive advantages of the company).
   • Establishing the importance of the brand within the company.
   • Establishing the necessary position of the brand (characteristics, long-term, competitive advantages of the company).
   • Establish measurable brand criteria (KPIs).

1. Development plan:
   • Evaluation of existing resources (the initial stage for the formation of any competitive advantages of the company).
   • Approval of customers and all performers.
   • Approval of development deadlines.
   • Identification of additional goals or obstacles.

1. Assessing the existing position of the brand (applies to existing brands):
   • Popularity of the brand among customers.
   • Brand awareness of potential customers.
   • Brand loyalty to potential customers.
   • The degree of brand loyalty.

1. Assessment of the state of affairs in the market:
   • Assessment of competitors (the initial stage for the formation of any competitive advantages of the company).
   • Evaluation of a potential consumer (the criteria are preferences and needs).
   • Evaluation of the sales market (supply, demand, development).

1. The wording of the essence of the brand:
   • Purpose, position and benefits of the brand for potential customers.
   • Exclusivity (competitive advantages for the company, value, characteristics).
   • Trademark attributes (components, appearance, main idea).

1. Brand Management Planning:
   • Work on the development of marketing elements and clarification of the brand management process (included in the brand book of the organization).
   • Appointment of employees responsible for brand promotion.

1. Introduction and increasing the popularity of the brand (it is on this stage that the success of the company's competitive advantages in terms of brand promotion depends):
   • Media plan development.
   • Ordering promotional materials.
   • Distribution of promotional materials.
   • Multifunctional loyalty programs.

1. Analysis of the effectiveness of the brand and the work done:
   • Evaluation of the quantitative characteristics of the brand (KPI) established at the first stage.
   • Comparison of the obtained results with the planned ones.
   • Making changes to the strategy.

Necessary criterion effective implementation trademark as a competitive advantage of the company is following a single corporate style, which is a visual and semantic integrity of the company's image. The corporate style components are: product name, trademark, trademark, slogan, corporate colors, employee uniforms and other elements intellectual property firms. Corporate style is a set of oral, color, visual, individually designed constants (components) that guarantee the company the visual and semantic integrity of the company's products, its information resources, as well as its overall structure. Corporate style can also act as a competitive advantage of the company. Its existence suggests that the head of the firm aims to make a good impression on customers. The main purpose of branding is to evoke positive feelings in the client that he experienced when buying the products of this enterprise. If other components of marketing are at their best, then the corporate style is able to create some competitive advantages for the company (precisely within the framework of the topic of opportunities for competition):

• It has a positive effect on the aesthetic position and visual perception of the company;
• It enhances the effectiveness of collective work, can rally the staff, increases the interest of employees and the feeling of their need for the organization (competitive advantage of the company in the face of staff);
• Contributes to the achievement of integrity in the advertising campaign and other marketing communications of the organization;
• Reduces communication development costs;
• Increases the effectiveness of advertising projects;
• Reduces the cost of selling new products;
• It makes it easier for customers to navigate information flows, allows them to accurately and quickly find the company's products.

The brand association consists of four elements that are also important to consider when developing a company's competitive advantages:

1. intangible criteria. This includes everything that has to do with brand information: its idea, degree of popularity and distinctive features.
2. Tangible criteria. Here, the influence on the sense organs plays a very important role. These criteria are functional (a special form for more convenient use, for example), physical, as well as visual (brand display on promotional materials). Both tangible and intangible criteria are essential in developing a company's competitive advantage.
3. emotional characteristics. A brand is a competitive advantage for a company when it inspires positive emotions and customer confidence. Here it is necessary to use tangible criteria (for example, a unique advertising campaign). Experts argue that these criteria create an opinion among customers about the intangible characteristics of the brand.
4. Rational characteristics. They are based on product performance criteria (e.g. economical vehicles from Volkswagen or Duracell batteries that last “up to ten times longer”), the way they communicate with consumers (Amazon is an example), and relationships. between customers and the company that owns the brand (promotions for regular customers from various airlines). Accounting for rational characteristics is very important in the formation of the company's competitive advantages.

When developing the competitive advantages of a company, it is necessary to know the main carriers of the corporate style components:

• Elements of service components (large stickers, large panels, wall-mounted calendars, and so on).
• Components of office work (corporate letterheads, recorder forms, blocks of paper materials for notes, and so on).
• Advertising on paper (catalogs, all kinds of calendars, booklets, brochures, and so on).
• Souvenir products (fountain pens, T-shirts, stationery for the office, and so on).
• Elements of propaganda (materials in the media, design of halls for various events, propaganda prospectus).
• Documentation (business cards, passes, certificates for staff, and so on).
• Other forms (corporate banner, packaging materials with company symbols, employee uniforms, and so on).

The trade mark also influences the competitive advantage of the company in the face of personnel, contributing to the rallying of employees who feel their importance to the organization. It turns out that a trademark is an element of the company's development process, increasing its income and sales, as well as contributing to the replenishment of the product range and increasing customer awareness of all positive aspects service or product. These conditions enhance the competitive advantages of the company.

Competitive advantages of the company: examples of global giants

Example #1. Competitive advantages of Apple:

1. Technologies. This is one of the main competitive advantages of an innovative company. Each element of software and technological support is developed within the framework of one enterprise, and therefore the components harmonize perfectly in the aggregate. This makes the work of developers easier, provides a high quality product and reduces costs. For the consumer, comfort in use and elegant appearance of devices play an important role. A complete set of necessary parts and programs is not only a competitive advantage for the company, but also a fact that makes consumers buy new gadgets.
2. H.R. One of the company's leading competitive advantages is its staff. Apple hires high-quality professionals (the most capable, creative and advanced) and tries to keep them in the company, providing a decent wages, various bonuses for personal achievements. In addition, it saves costs for unskilled employees and for child labour at Inventec and Foxconn suppliers.
3. Consumer confidence. With the help of an effective PR strategy and a marketing company strategy, an organization manages to create a permanent client base for itself, as well as increase the popularity of the brand. All this increases the success of the application of competitive advantages. international company Apple. For example, the company collaborates with promising musicians (YaeNaim, Royksopp, Feist, and so on). The most famous organizations (for example, SciencesPoParis) enter into agreements for the complete acquisition of their libraries with the company's products. Around the world, there are about 500 stores that sell only products from Apple.
4. Innovation. This is the main competitive advantage of an innovative company. By investing in R&D, the organization quickly responds to emerging customer needs. An example is the Macintosh, developed in 1984, which gained commercial popularity and had graphic elements that were in demand among users, and also had changes in the command system. In 2007, the first iPhone was released, which gained immense popularity. MacBookAir does not lose its position, still remaining the thinnest laptop of our time. These competitive advantages of the company are a great success, and they are undeniable.
5. Organization of the supply chain. The popularity of the Apple brand contributes to the fact that the company has entered into many productive agreements with supplier factories. This provides the firm with its own supply and cuts off supply for competitors who need to purchase the right components in the market at a higher cost. This is a great competitive advantage for a company that weakens competitors. Apple often invests in supply chain improvements that generate more revenue. For example, in the 90s, many companies transported computers by water, but Apple on the eve of Christmas overpaid about $ 50 million for transporting products by air. This competitive advantage of the company eliminated competitors, because they did not want or did not guess to transport the goods in this way. Moreover, the company maintains strict control over suppliers, constantly requesting documentation of expenses.

Example #2. Competitive advantages of Coca-Cola

1. .Main advantages Main competitive advantage trading company Coca-Cola is its popularity, because it is the largest brand among soft drink manufacturers, with about 450 types of products. This brand is the most expensive in the world, it includes 12 more manufacturing companies (Sprite, Fanta, Vitaminwater, Coca-Cola Lite, and so on). The competitive advantage of the company lies in the fact that it is the first supplier of all types of soft drinks.
2. Technologies from Coca-Cola(this is the main competitive advantage of the company). There were many who wanted to know the secret recipe for drinks. This recipe is located in the bank vault of the Trust Company Of Georgia in the USA. Only a few top managers of the organization can open it. The already made base of the drink is sent to manufacturing plants, where it is mixed with water using a specialized precise process. To create this basis of the drink today is far from the easiest task. The trick is that the composition of the drink contains "natural flavors", the specific elements of which are not specified.
3. Innovation(this includes the competitive advantage of the company in the field of ecology):
   • The company wants to increase the low level of sales with the help of modern equipment. Such devices are capable of pouring more than 100 types of drinks and making original mixes (light and diet cola, for example).
   • The Coca-Cola Company's environmental competitive advantage lies in the development of the Reimagine recycling program. This contributes to the fact that the management of the company will be easier to recycle and sort waste. In such a machine, you can put containers made of plastic and aluminum, excluding the sorting process. In addition, the device accrues points that are used to buy company drinks, branded bags and visit various entertainment projects.
   • This competitive advantage of the company works great, because the company strives to produce an environmentally friendly product. In addition, Coca-Cola is developing a program to use eStar cars that run without harmful emissions due to electric motors.
4. Geographic advantage. The geographical competitive advantage of the company as a construction company is that it sells its products in 200 countries around the world. For example, in our country there are 16 Coca-Cola manufacturing plants.

Example #3. Competitive advantages of Nestlé.

1. Product range and marketing strategy. The competitive advantage of the company lies in the fact that it operates with a wide range of products, as well as a large assortment of brands that strengthen it in the market of goods. Products consist of approximately 30 major brands and a huge number of local (local) brands. Nestle's competitive advantage lies in creating a national strategy that is based on the needs of the people. For example, Nescafe coffee drink, which has different structure manufacturing for different countries. It all depends on the needs and preferences of the buyer.
2. Efficient Management and structure of the organization. A very significant competitive advantage of the company. An indicator of success is the increase in sales of the company by 9% in 2008, which was considered a crisis. The organization is successful management personnel and effective financing of new projects and programs. These programs are the purchase of shares in other firms, even competing ones. Thus, the competitive advantage of the company lies in its expansion. In addition, the decentralized management system of the company and the competent management of its structures help Nestle quickly respond to market changes.
3. Innovation. The most significant competitive advantage of the company is that it is the largest investor scientific projects And technological innovation, contributing to the development of the company through the introduction of technologies that meet the needs of customers, product differentiation, as well as improving taste sensations. Moreover, innovations are used in the modernization of manufacturing processes. This competitive advantage of the company solves the issue of optimization of manufacturing and production of an environmentally friendly product.
4. Global presence in world markets. An indisputable competitive advantage of the company, which is based on the history of its creation, because from the moment it appeared on the market, it has gradually expanded and improved, covering the whole world. Nestle is interested in bringing the consumer closer to the company. It allows its departments to independently appoint managers, organize the production and delivery of products, and cooperate with reliable suppliers.
5. Qualified personnel. This competitive advantage of the company in the face of personnel lies in the large costs of the company for training its employees at the international level. Nestle forms a highly qualified team of managers from its employees. The headquarters of workers in our country has approximately 4600 people, and the world human resource The company has about 300 thousand employees.

Example number 4. Competitive Advantages of Toyota

1. High quality products. The main competitive advantage of the company is a top-level product. In our country in 2015, about 120 thousand cars of this brand were sold. The fact that this competitive advantage of the company is decisive, said its ex-president Fujio Cho. And therefore, buying a Toyota car, the consumer is guaranteed a set of modern technological developments.
2. Wide model range. Toyota showrooms operate with all models of the brand's cars: Toyota Corolla (compact passenger car), Toyota Avensis (universal and comfortable car), Toyota Prus (new model), Toyota Camry (a whole series of cars is presented), Toyota Verso (a car for the whole family), Toyota RAV4 (small SUVs), Toyota LandCruiser 200 and LandCruiser Prado (popular modern SUVs), Toyota Highlander (all-wheel drive crossovers), Toyota Hiace (comfortable, small car). This is an excellent competitive advantage of the company, because the model set of cars is presented for consumers with different preferences and financial capabilities.
3. Effective marketing. An excellent competitive advantage of the company is the certification of cars with inspections from Toyota Tested. Customers who buy such a car in our country get the opportunity to receive round-the-clock assistance, which consists in the constant work of services for technical support. The company's cars can be purchased under the Trade-In program, which simplifies the purchase due to favorable offers from Toyota.
4. The client comes first. Another important competitive advantage of the company, for which Toyota developed the Personal & Premium program in 2010, presenting it at the international automobile show in Moscow. The program includes the availability of favorable loan offers when buying a car. Specialists from the New Car Buy Survey found that Russian consumers are most loyal to Toyota.
5. Effective company management. This competitive advantage of the company is expressed in the presence of an effective ERP program that can control the entire set of Toyota car sales activities in Russia online. The program was developed in 2003. The uniqueness of this program in Russia lies in its combination with the position in the market, with various features doing business in our country, with our existing laws. Another competitive advantage of the company is a holistic corporate structure, which helps the company and its partners to quickly operate data on the availability of certain product models in showrooms, warehouses, and so on. Moreover, Microsoft Dynamics AX contains all the documentation for the operations carried out with cars.

Example number 5. Competitive Advantages of Samsung Group

1. Consumer trust. The company was founded in 1938 and over many years of hard work has achieved tremendous results (for example, 20th place in brand value, second place in the field of equipment). Consumer confidence is the most important competitive advantage Samsung group. The document management organization turned out to be “the most reliable” in the world. These are indicators that demonstrate how the history of the formation of the company, its trademark and the trust of customers turn into a huge competitive advantage of the company.
2. Company management. This competitive advantage of the company lies in its vast experience in the field of management, as well as in constantly improving methods of management in a changing market. For example, the recent reform of the firm in 2009 resulted in the company's divisions gaining more independence, thereby simplifying the entire management process.
3. Technologies. This competitive advantage of the company lies in the fact that it works with high technology. Samsung Group pioneered the technology of reciprocating and rotary compressors, optical fiber, energy application and concentration. In addition, the company has developed the thinnest lithium-ion power supplies. The competitive advantages of the company as a construction company are manifested in the fact that it ranks first in the development of communication systems for business areas of activity and moves ahead in the field of creating technologies for gas and oil pipelines, as well as other areas of construction.
4. The presence of an innovative advantage of the company. This competitive advantage of the company lies in the fact that it works tirelessly in the field of equipment modernization and innovative product components. The organization contains many scientific divisions around the world. They carry out research activities in the field of chemical current resources, software and various equipment. Samsung is implementing a scheme to promote electrical engineering, and is working on ways to retain energy resources. The competitive advantage of the company is also the hiring of highly qualified employees from different parts of the world. In addition, the corporation is partnering with the best technological universities in the world, investing in their developments and ideas.
5. Successful marketing system of the company. The company's competitive advantage is also a strong marketing campaign in many areas of activity (in its competition with Apple Corporation, Samsung conducted a rather aggressive advertising policy, trying to surpass it). A division of the company called "Cheil Communications" works in this area. It works in the field of advertising, marketing analysis and analysis of the market situation. In addition, an element of the company's competitive advantage is its assistance in the field of charity, which wins over the consumer and increases its popularity. The corporation also has special departments for charity.

How is the formation of competitive advantages of the company from scratch

Of course, any organization has its pros and cons, even when it does not occupy a leading position and does not stand out in the market. In order to analyze the causes of these phenomena and develop effective competitive advantages for the company, you need to turn, oddly enough, to your own consumer, who, like no one else, is able to correctly assess the situation and point out the shortcomings.

Customers can point to different competitive advantages of the company: location, reliability, simple preference, and so on. It is necessary to compose and evaluate this data in order to be able to increase the profitability of the enterprise.

However, this is not enough. Describe the strengths and weaknesses (what you have and what you don't) of your firm in writing. In order to develop effective competitive advantages for a company, it is worth specifying all the details clearly and specifically, for example:

Abstraction	specifics
Reliability guarantee	Our reliability is our feature: we insure transportation for 5 million rubles.
Professionalism Guaranteed	About 20 years of experience in the market and more than 500 developed programs will help us understand even the most difficult situations.
We produce high quality products	We are three times ahead of GOST in terms of technical product criteria.
Personal approach to everyone	We say "no!" briefs. We work only individually, working through all the important details of the business.
First class service	Technical support 24 hours, seven days a week! We solve even the most complex tasks in just 20 minutes!
Low production cost	Prices are 15% lower than market prices due to the production of our own raw materials.

Not all competitive advantages of the company should be reflected in this block, but here it is important to indicate all the pros and cons of the organization, from which it will be necessary to build on.

Focus, divide a sheet of paper into two parts and start putting the pros and cons of your company there. Then evaluate the shortcomings and turn them into competitive advantages of the company. For example:

Flaw	Turning into an advantage
Distance of the company from the city center	Yes, but the office and warehouse are nearby. Then buyers will be able to park their car without any problems, and evaluate the quality of products right on the spot.
Price is higher than competitive	The price includes additional services (for example, installation of an operating system and all major programs on a computer).
Long delivery time	But the assortment includes not only a standard set of products, but also exclusive products for individual use.
Newcomer firm	But the company has modern qualities(mobility, efficiency, a new look at things, and so on).
Limited product selection	But confidence in the originality of a particular brand and a more detailed knowledge of the products.

Everything is not so difficult here. Then, using this list, it is necessary to develop the competitive advantages of the company from the primary to the most insignificant. They should be clear to the potential client, concise and effective.

There is also an aspect kept secret by many firms. It can be applied periodically when other competitive advantages of the company cannot be realized or when it is necessary to activate the effectiveness of its advantages. The advantages of the organization must be correctly combined with the satisfaction of the needs of the consumer.

Illustrative examples:

• Was: Experience - 15 years.

• It became: Cost reduction by 70%, thanks to many years of experience of the company

• Was: Reduced prices for goods.

• It became: The cost of production is lower by 20%, and the cost of transportation - by 15% due to the presence of their own vehicles.

How is the company's competitive advantage assessed?

The success of a company's competitive advantage can be assessed by fully evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the company's position in the competition and comparing the results of the analysis with those of competitors. The analysis can be carried out by referring to the method of exponential assessment of KFU.

A well-designed action plan can turn the disadvantages of competing firms into competitive advantages for your company.

The criteria for this analysis are:

• The stability of the firm in protecting its position in the framework of market changes in the field of its industries, fierce competition and competitive advantages of competing companies.
• The presence of effective competitive advantages in the company or a lack or lack thereof.
• Opportunities to achieve success in the competition when operating this action plan (the position of the company in the competitive system).
• The level of stability of the company in the current period.

Analysis of competitors' activities can be carried out using the method of weighted or unweighted estimates. The former are determined by multiplying the firm's score by a certain indicator of competitive opportunities (from 1 to 10) by its weight. The second presupposes the fact that all performance factors are equally important. The most effective competitive advantages of the company are realized when it has the highest ratings.

The last stage assumes that the company's specialists must identify strategic mistakes that negatively affect the formation of the company's competitive advantages. An effective program should include ways out of any difficult situation.

The task of this stage is to create a coherent list of problems, the overcoming of which is of paramount importance for the formation of the competitive advantages of the company and its strategy. The list is displayed on the basis of the results of the assessment of the company's activities, the situation on the market and the position of competitors.

It is impossible to identify these problems without referring to the following points:

• In what cases is the adopted program unable to protect the company from external and internal problem situations?
• Is a decent degree of protection against the current actions of competitors provided by the adopted strategy?
• To what extent does the adopted program support the competitive advantages of the company and is combined with them?
• Is the adopted program in this area of ​​activity effective in taking into account the impact of driving forces?

Today, it is no longer enough to create a brand, a strategy for its promotion and development, and work on positioning, hoping for customer loyalty and love for the company. The whimsical buyer wants to trust the company. To know that he can give his money and get what he expects without risk. Therefore, it is important for any company to present its competitive advantages to its potential client, showing that it is it that can satisfy its needs. In this article, we will talk about what is competitive advantage, why they are needed, what they are and how to find, select and group them.

Competitive advantages and benefits: what is it and how do they differ

The concept of competitive advantage refers to the superiority of a company, product, service or brand over other existing market participants - competing companies working with you in the same niche. For business, competitive advantage helps to solve a number of critical tasks:

• Strengthens the company's position in the market;
• Creates the prospect of stable growth and uninterrupted operations;
• Creates difficulties for competitors who enter the market.

But the most important value of competitive advantages is their ability to bring profit to the company. Any company works for profit, for its development and expansion of its customer base. And competitive advantages, like nothing else, help her in this. They become the main motivator for the consumer, encouraging him to take the actions that we need.

Benefits and benefits. Same?

In both marketing and Internet marketing, you have probably come across the concept of advantages and benefits more than once. When developing a quality landing page, a block with a list of advantages and / or benefits is an indispensable part of the selling strategy and structure. But many business owners perceive the two concepts as equivalent, which is a big mistake.

Benefits and benefits are identical in value and impact on the customer. They bring the same result. But they differ in meaning, so it is important to understand what they are, as well as to know how and when to use them.

Advantages are formed based on the characteristics of a product, service or company as a whole. With their help, the client understands why and how your company is better and why it's best for him.

Benefits are the derivative of the benefits provided by the feature. They help the client solve their problem, make life easier, save time, money, or what is relevant for the buyer at the moment.

Despite the fact that the competitive advantages of the organization and the benefits in their specifics are different, they are united uniform requirements. They have to:

• Stand out from competitors;
• Satisfy the needs of customers;
• To be stable and unchanged in a volatile market;
• Be unique and make it clear that no other company will provide such advantages and benefits;
• Work for the profit of the enterprise.

Competitive advantages should be based on the desires of the target buyer, which must be studied. After the benefits are formed, you can highlight the benefits based on them and demonstrate to your buyer. Let's take an example based on a laptop repair service.

Client Desires (I WANT):

• I want my laptop to work without failures and glitches;
• I want my laptop not to slow down or heat up;
• I want to be comfortable working on my laptop.

Client Criteria (AS I WANT):

• I want it not to be more than the amount I'm counting on;
• I want my laptop repaired in 1-2 days;
• I want original spare parts installed;
• I want to be given a repair guarantee of at least 6 months;
• I don't want to go to the service center myself.

Based on the analysis of the criteria set by the potential client , we form the advantages:

• Laptop repair from 100 UAH;
• Repair time - 1-2 days;
• Installation of original spare parts Asus, Acer, Samsung. We do not use Chinese analogues and fakes;
• Repair warranty - 12 months;
• Courier delivery of a laptop to a service center and hands after its repair.

The benefits are defined. Let's move on to the benefits:

• Save time - repair takes only 2 days;
• Saving money - laptop repair will cost 20% cheaper than in other service centers;
• Saving effort - the courier will leave the laptop there and back.

Ideally, both advantages and benefits should be stated. Any information affects the conversion of the site, so be sure to work it out and show it to your buyer.

If you are planning to open a company selling consumer goods, which are sold by fifty other companies in your city, and it seems to you that it is impossible to single out competitive advantages, then you are deeply mistaken. For any company, you can develop strong advantages that will set it apart from the rest. The main thing is to know how to do it. And we'll be happy to tell you more.

What are the types of competitive advantage

Competitive advantages can be natural or artificial. Natural advantages state a fact and convey truthful information. Artificial advantages are manipulative, but can be of great benefit if presented correctly.

What is included in the group of natural benefits

Very often, companies do not demonstrate natural advantages, thinking that they are obvious. And this is a big mistake, since even the most common values ​​among competitors can be very powerfully presented. Next, we list what is included in this group.

1. Price / income

Perhaps the most powerful advantage. Especially if your competitors don't have it. But here it is important to correctly format the information. Do not write formulaic phrases: “Low price”, “Discounts for regular customers”, “Wholesale prices”, “Prices from the manufacturer”, etc. Write specifics: “25% discount on refrigerators”, “prices 30% below market prices”. Always speak in numbers. This is very important, especially for B2B companies. Information about earnings is also very good at catching a potential buyer. This is very often used by information businessmen, presenting the opportunity for the user to earn money as an advantage of the service.

2. Timing / energy savings

Your client always wants to save their time. Give him this opportunity by specifying specific deadlines. If your logistics department is well developed and you guarantee fast delivery, write how many days it will take to ship the goods from one point to another. It is also important here to exclude clericalism and formulaic phrases, such as " Fast delivery". Write "Delivery in 1 day from Kyiv to Dnipro" or "Delivery in 1 hour to anywhere in the city." A valuable advantage can be information about the benefits that will help the consumer save his strength, energy, time or increase his own productivity (for example, when using the services of a cleaner, the client pays for cleaning and saves his energy by getting clean in his house). Such customer care inspires confidence and motivates the consumer to take action.

3. Your experience

Here it is very important not to cross the fine line, approaching the hackneyed phrase "We are experts in the field ...". Such expressions no longer work and are of no interest to anyone. If you decide to declare your experience, then speak in fact - what you have done in 10 years of your activity: built 150 houses, opened 15 branches throughout the country, introduced a new production line of goods, etc. Your client is looking for facts about your success, not information about your years of work.

4. Terms of cooperation

Here, any features of cooperation can be an advantage. Don't be afraid to list the ones your competitors also list. The fact that you accept cash and non-cash payments can significantly increase the chances of a sale, as it provides convenience to the buyer. Indicate all the factors of cooperation: the presence of a showroom, the possibility of manufacturing a product model to order, the geographic location of the office near a public transport or metro stop. Even the possibility of self-delivery and your own warehouse or any information that gives the client the benefit of saving their time or effort, as a competitive advantage, can play into your hands by providing the buyer with maximum comfort.

5. Achievements

Diplomas, diplomas, certificates, a list of partner companies and large client companies with their logos work as social proof that inspires confidence in the company, which is main goal competitive advantages. With the help of documents that you demonstrate to your potential clients, you will emphasize your experience, status, and authority. And this is very important for buyers, as it says that you are working for the future and development, which means that your company will not close tomorrow.

6. Specialization

If your company operates in narrow specialization, then you definitely need to tell your client about it. Imagine that you are using an Ariston brand washing machine. And one day it broke. Which company will you contact - the one that only repairs Ariston washing machines or the one that repairs all brands of washing machines? Surely, in the first place, since you subconsciously conclude that its employees are more experienced in matters of your washer.

7. Business features

Any fact specific to your business can become a competitive advantage. The use of a certain technology or equipment, a range of products that exceeds the competition, the purchase of raw materials in Europe - all this will help you get into the kings. Keep this information in mind when generating benefits.

What advantages can be called artificial

Such advantages can help out a company that operates in a very popular niche. It is usually very difficult for such firms to find competitive differences, since all organizations most often work on the same principle. Or, the formation of artificial advantages will help a young company that has just entered the market and cannot “compete” with established participants stand out. Let's list what can serve as such advantages

1. Added value

Suppose you are selling women's dresses. In this niche, it is very difficult to compete with similar companies that may even buy from the same supplier as you. There is a way out - to create added value: to offer your client something that competitors do not offer. For example, when buying a dress, an accessory as a gift. In other words, any even the most ordinary action will help you create an advantage over competitors and attract the attention of buyers.

2. Responsibility for the product / service

It works very well, but on the condition that you are ready to be really responsible for what you sell. For example, you claim that the doors you sell will last 30 years because you know they are made from oak without the use of cheap substitutes. Customers will be drawn to you if your statements are persuasive.

3. Warranty

Any guarantee will become a competitive advantage if its conditions are met. A guarantee can be given for both the service and the product. For example, you can guarantee the possibility of returning and exchanging goods within 30 days, despite the fact that by law this can only be done within 14 days. Or guarantee a refund if the service does not bring results. Don't worry that customers will often return goods or demand a refund. Generally, if the user is not satisfied with the purchase, he forgets about guarantees. But this is not a reason to offer low-quality goods / services in the hope that compensation will not be required for them.

4. Demonstration of your offer

If your product or service does not have clear advantages (which is quite common), then you can simply show your potential client what is being offered to him in the form of a demo. If this is a product, then you can make a video about it appearance to show the person what he really looks like. If the service is the process of its execution. Remember, a person perceives 85% of information visually. Therefore, demonstrating your offer will be a significant advantage for your company.

5. Testimonials from your customers

It is important that the reviews are real. In this case, they will become social proof, a reason to trust your company and its activities. It will also create a competitive advantage over other firms. They work better with video reviews, where real customers express their opinion about a company, product or service. But if this option is difficult to implement, you can use a text review by inserting a phone number, a link to social network or address Email client with prior agreement on the publication of his personal data.

6. USP

We won't go into detailed description unique selling proposition and its value, as it has already been done. Let's just say that with the right analysis of business and target audience, as well as the competent construction of a USP, it can become a powerful advantage for your organization and increase its sales.

Creating competitive advantages: how to turn “simple” into “golden”

Before you begin to develop a competitive advantage, you need to conduct two critical analyzes - the target audience and competitors.

Target audience analysis

You need to understand who your client is, how old he is, what social status. And, most importantly, what problems he wants to solve with the help of your product, service or company as a whole. Problems can be completely different: from the urgent need to buy a product here and now due to lack of time to meeting the requirements for its safety. For example, a person wants to make sure that all the tools in your beauty salon are disinfected.

If your target audience consists of several various groups, you need to select one, which will be focused on your site and the development of benefits. Ideally, the developed competitive advantages should satisfy the needs, address fears and solve problems of the entire target audience, even if it consists of several groups. But sometimes this is impossible to do, so it is advisable to work out competitive advantages for the most important and promising group.

Competitor analysis

Advantages would not be called competitive if they were not superior to your competitors. When analyzing market participants in your niche, it is important to highlight their strengths and weaknesses. Understand their advantages - what they do better than you. And, on the contrary, to determine their weaknesses, which in the future you can make your superiority over them.

Stages of developing competitive advantages

After you are already familiar with your target audience and competitors, proceed to the main thing - work step by step on highlighting the benefits.

Stage 1. Determine all the competitive advantages of the company / product / service

Highlight all the benefits that you know. This is very important in order to further highlight those that will become competitive. If you are identifying the benefits of a product or service, you can ask your customers which benefits are more important to them.

Stage 2. Benefits ranking

Once you've compiled a list of benefits, you need to sift through those that are least important to your consumer and those that are most important. This is necessary in order to highlight the most valuable factors that will help you grow your business and be able to "overcome" your strong competitors.

Stage 3. Comparison with competing companies

The list of selected advantages must be compared with the advantages of competitors. You need to know which of them companies in the market have and which do not. And also know what they are better and worse at.

Step 4: Highlight Unique Benefits

You need to highlight absolute benefits- those that your competitors can't copy. These are the benefits that only your company, service or product has. For example, only your company uses German equipment that allows you to print in a unique format. Or only your company presents the product in a unique limited edition packaging.

Stage 5: Develop false benefits

It is not always possible to develop natural competitive advantages, especially in very popular and saturated niches. The only way out is to create false advantages.

False advantages are advantages that work on the emotions and persuasion of the consumer that your company / product / service is unique. For example, in an ad for Jacobs coffee, it is announced that it has "aromoxomite magic." The concept of "aromoxamite" does not exist in nature, but this brand's unique selling proposition has become its most important advantage.

Stage 6. Development and control

Formation of competitive advantages should end with the development of a plan. You need to strategize how to develop based on the identified advantages and how to keep them in the future.

The most common mistakes in developing competitive advantages

A huge number of companies in the formation of their advantages make critical mistakes, after which, while working, they wonder why they can’t break out into the leaders because of the great competitive pressure. Such errors are so common that they occur all the time. Most often, this is the use of stamps and stationery. Here are the TOP 6 most common competitive advantages that have long ceased to be them.

We can do what you don't need

Very often, companies, making up their competitive advantages, completely forget about their customers. They talk about what they have to offer, forgetting what their target customer really needs. As a result, such benefits do not work. They simply do not arouse interest, since the person understands that they will not bring him absolutely no benefit.

Tip: When creating advantages, focus on the desires of your buyer, leaving your opportunities in the background.

We help you increase your profit by 40% with our business plan.

15 years of experience

Almost every company considers it their duty to indicate their work experience. But this information is no longer valid for a potential client. He does not care that you have worked 5, 15 or 30 years in the market, never closing. He cares what you have done during this time.

Tip: If you want to list the experience of your company, be sure to indicate what you have achieved during this time.

Over the 10 years of operation of the Gradostroy company, we have built 2 nine-story new buildings, in which 70 families already live.

High level of service/quality

To be honest, your client absolutely does not care that certified specialists work in your company. The presence of certificates does not affect the quality of service at all. Therefore, the use of template phrases: “We guarantee a high level of service” or “We provide a high quality product” is just a waste of time.

Tip: Always be specific and condition your statements. Tell the consumer how he will be provided with a high level of service.

The service station will perform a free diagnosis of the automatic transmission of your car and provide a 2-year warranty upon completion of the service.

Individual approach

A boring, hackneyed and annoying phrase that already hurts the eyes and ears. By using this phrase to your advantage, be sure that your potential customers won't believe you. At least because it is used by a dozen of your competitors and thousands of other companies with whom they met.

Advice: Do not use this ill-fated phrase never and under no circumstances. If you want to show your customer that you work for special conditions, say so directly.

You can buy this product under the order; we will develop a custom-made layout taking into account your dimensions; We will deliver the goods by courier at a convenient time and place.

Affordable prices

Leading the way in all the pompous benefits that companies like to use is the affordable/loyal pricing claim. Your client will not even perceive this phrase, not to believe it.

Tip: Be specific, speak the language of numbers.

Cheaper than market prices by 10%; 5% discount for every customer; save 30% when buying this set.

A wide range of

And for dessert, a phrase that will surely appear before your eyes on the website of an online store or in an advertisement for any commercial company. This advantage has become so boring and banal that potential customers do not even realize it.

Tip: If you want to focus on the assortment, speak specifically about the assortment of which product you are talking about.

1000+ models of women's boots made of leather, suede and nubuck.

Your company benefits don't have to be traditional and hackneyed. Try to highlight unique features that can not only grab the reader's attention, but also motivate them to take further action. After all, this is exactly what you expect from your potential client.

Tips on how to write competitive advantages and benefits

The best friend of competitive advantage is specificity. Each benefit must be clearly disclosed so that the potential buyer does not invent something superfluous and completely unnecessary. We will give recommendations on how to and how not to present the advantages and benefits of the company through examples.

Only in fact

Rid your client of vague phrases that do not carry value. Always be precise, to the point.

• We are the best in our niche;
• We sell the highest quality goods;
• We cooperate with large companies;
• A wide range - only with us.

• We do not use wet mixes to reduce the construction time of a house;
• All products have been tested by the sanitation station and comply with GOST standards;
• When buying a frying pan, we offer a choice of 10 models of lids;
• We cooperate with the WOG, Gefest and Parallel petrol stations.

Without anonymity

Anonymity is confusing, and understatement only raises doubts. All claims must be substantiated. Experienced users can easily see through your farce, so bring the facts.

• We use the best parts for your car.

• We use new BMW parts from the manufacturer.

Only with evidence

Everything is clear here. If the client does not clearly highlight his benefit, then your statements are empty.

• We offer profitable terms cooperation.

• Saving 35% when purchasing a cinder block in the amount of 20,000 UAH.

Possibility of verification

Your customer must trust you. And trust does not appear in a vacuum. Therefore, give him the opportunity to verify your statements.

• We build modern and comfortable objects for life.

• You can visit and inspect the facilities built by the company at a convenient time for you.

Orientation to target audience

Not always a competitive advantage is focused on all groups of the target audience. Therefore, only partially can be useful. It is very important to understand who the competitive advantage is designed for, otherwise it will not bring efficiency.

• Headphones transmit clear sound and do not get confused in your pocket.

• Earpods have a sensitivity of 113dB, which allows for accurate sound reproduction for sound engineers. Frequency response range - 8 - 27000 Hz, which will allow you to enjoy clear, deep bass and crystal clear high frequencies without distortion;
• The fabric braid prevents the headphones from getting tangled in your pocket, you will not waste time unraveling them.

It is very important to demonstrate truthful benefits. Otherwise, fictional facts will only cause a negative impression of the company or product from the buyer, and he will go to your competitors.

Learning to develop a company's competitive advantages based on its weaknesses

Not all companies, especially young ones that are just entering the market, can compete with their competitors. To stay afloat, they have to inflate prices, extend the delivery time due to the not yet fully formed logistics department. All this can negatively affect the business, alienating customers. After all, no one wants to pay more or wait for their order longer when competitors have everything much cheaper and faster.

But there are special tricks that help to make an advantage out of disadvantages. These are the facts that become a counterbalance to your weak points. Let's bring concrete examples.

Inconvenient office location, far from the center	The company's office has a showroom where you can see the goods live. The warehouse is on site. There is convenient parking, including for trucks. Local pickup and delivery available.
The price is much higher than in competing stores	Yes, but the package includes additional "goodies": an operating system updated to the latest version, a case, headphones and a protective glass as a gift.
Long delivery on order	It is possible to order spare parts from the manufacturer without intermediaries. It is possible to order rare spare parts.
Young company with no experience	Sending goods on the day of order Ukrposhta, Nova Poshta, Intime or Delivery, free consultations, no prepayment.
Very small selection of products	Narrow specialization in a particular brand. Detailed advice on the specifics of the product.

As you can see, even those shortcomings that can lead a company to failure can become powerful competitive advantages that even established firms in the market cannot provide.

Examples of competitive advantages in different areas of the company's business

Theoretically, it is much easier to develop competitive advantages for companies in the field of trade than for those in more niche businesses. Therefore, we will give specific examples for some niches that can become inspiration for you and the basis for your ideas.

Benefits for the tourism business

1. Tours to remote corners of the planet;
2. Discounts on last-minute tours up to 80%;
3. Free guide;
4. Free transfer by luxury car;
5. Gifts from the tour operator when ordering certain tours.

Benefits for a law firm

1. Specialization;
2. Availability of lawyers, notaries and other highly specialized specialists;
3. Geographic location of the office;
4. Free online consultation;
5. 15 years of company experience and 98% of successfully completed cases in favor of the plaintiff.

Benefits for the transport company

1. Own car park with different tonnage;
2. Free delivery and escort of cargo when ordering for a certain amount;
3. Built-in navigation in the car and the ability to track its location;
4. Responsibility for the condition of the cargo upon arrival;
5. Official contract for cooperation.

Benefits for a cleaning company

1. Collaboration by agreement. Full responsibility for the result;
2. Cleaning is carried out using professional equipment from sulfate-free detergents;
3. Financial responsibility for the condition of expensive interior items;
4. Financial responsibility for the safety of material assets;
5. Work with difficult pollution.

Brand value development

The value of a brand is not only the positive characteristics and quality of the product. These are the emotions and associations that the name evokes in a potential buyer, allowing him to be confident in himself and in the company. When a brand becomes famous and wins love, it becomes the strongest motivator of a person to action. Logically, if we know that a particular brand of toothpaste will help reduce tooth sensitivity, then we will choose it, and not any other, whose advertising announces a similar feature of the product.

How to develop brand value?

There are many ways to create brand value and further develop it. But, first of all, it is necessary to analyze the target audience, its needs, desires. You need to understand what is most important and valuable to them in order to emphasize this when forming values. Once the target audience has been analyzed, you can use one of the following methods to form and develop values.

Value + Benefit

It is very effective to present to the buyer not only value, but also the clear benefit that the brand will provide to him. For example, Head&Shoulders shampoo for women not only creates volume in hair, but also eliminates dandruff. This means that girls using this brand's shampoo will get clean hair, voluminous hair and self-confidence due to the absence of dandruff. The important thing to note here is that the benefit is real and the brand really lives up to its claims.

Expectation Formation

Brand value can be developed based on the formation of any expectations. At the same time, a person subconsciously creates for himself a certain picture, image and feelings that he expects to receive using the brand. Even if the actual result is not as powerful as expected, the consumer will experience it to the maximum, as he has already convinced himself of this. For example, the slogan of the energy drink Red Bull: "Red Bull inspires." This does not mean that a person will be able to fly. But he makes it clear that the boost of energy that he will receive after drinking the drink will allow him to feel a significant surge of strength.

Help effect

This method involves creating conditions under which the consumer participates in solving any problems. For example, McDonald's periodically arranges promotions to help orphans. When ordering fast food, the client is given a palm-shaped sticker where he indicates his name. Thus, he is given to understand that he gave part of the money with his purchase to help those in need to these children.

Creation of an alter ego

Some brands demonstrate their value in the ability to shape the customer's alter ego. A person gets the feeling that, using this particular brand, he is capable of something that he would not have dared to do before. Such brands very often work for a provocation. Often this method is used in brands fashion clothes. Or for perfumes. For example, Ax men's deodorant is positioned as a way to reveal your sexuality and attract the attention of women.

Brand value works very well for the company as a whole. With the right value development, the company will receive stable growth and a constant increase in consumers due to the effective positioning of its brand.

Developing Benefits and Creating Product Value

It is not always possible to compete on the advantages of a product, especially if the product is in a very common niche. However, if your company is a manufacturer or you are the first to bring goods to the market, then you have every chance of becoming a leader.

But do not forget that your competitors are not asleep, and after a while they will present a similar product to consumers. Therefore, it is very important to develop absolute advantages that competitors cannot take from you. And, first of all, it is necessary to analyze the target audience, identifying their desires and needs. Based on the resulting portrait of the target consumer, form the benefits of the product. It could be:

• Low price compared to competitors;
• Unique product in one, several or many properties;
• Unique composition or use of very rare ingredients;
• Special type, shape, volume or packaging of the goods;
• The product is more efficient than analogues;
• You, as a manufacturer, create an innovative product;
• The product is sold under special conditions.

When you become an innovator by introducing an entirely new product concept to the market, you can create value for it. With its help, the recognition of your product and, consequently, its sales will increase. For example, Apple, having released the iPhone, advertised an absolute innovation in the field of smartphones - a unique operating system, unique processors. This became the main value of the product at the stage of its introduction to the market.

Each developed advantage of the product should be beneficial for the consumer. That is why it is important to know exactly what your the target audience by purchasing a product.

Benefits of a product / service as an emotional component

The sale of a product or service has the most important goal in terms of consumption or use - to satisfy the main need of the buyer. A person who buys something in your store wants positive changes to happen in his life with their help. He wants to get something, to become someone, or to avoid something that might bring him discomfort.

Therefore, first of all, the key advantage of the product is its ability to satisfy the desires and emotions of the buyer. Agree, because once a month you visit a hairdresser not to get a haircut, but in order to look more attractive and more confident after the hairdresser's service.

Marketers and specialists in the promotion of goods and services distinguish 7 areas, one of which is the most powerful motivator for the purchase of a particular product / service, depending on their specifics. Let's take a look at each one and give specific examples.

Money

The client / buyer wants to make a profit or not lose it.

We save your money when promoting with the help of SEO-audit for website development

When ordering a service, a client, you will certainly avoid all sorts of mistakes in the development of the site, which will negatively affect the promotion. Result: saving money on finalizing the site and eliminating errors.

Energy/time

When purchasing a product or ordering a service, a person’s goal may be an urgent need to save time or effort: to facilitate or speed up work, to increase their personal productivity.

Lose weight without getting up from your favorite couch

Preparations based on natural ingredients will help you lose weight and get the figure of your dreams without wasting your time and energy on trips to Gym and grueling workouts.

Health/beauty

An important motivation for buying a product or ordering a service can be the desire to improve one’s health or the health of a loved one, get rid of illness/pain, or maintain one’s health at a certain level.

This remedy is your self-confidence

With the help of this line of cosmetic products for the care of problem skin, you will get rid of imperfections on the skin, eliminate oily sheen. As a result, you will get healthy skin and self-confidence, your attractiveness.

Status/affiliation

By purchasing goods and services, a person may aim to emphasize his individuality, taste with their help or attribute him to any group or, conversely, highlight him.

You are unique in this dress.

When you buy a one-of-a-kind haute couture dress, you emphasize your personality and individuality. Declare yourself by letting others know that you are an independent woman.

Safety is above all

With our Cuckoo alarm you will increase the safety of private property, life and health.

Recognition/compensation

The motivation to purchase a product or service may be the desire to receive confirmation of its value or avoid criticism.

We are not united by one price or how to develop a competitive advantage of a product without affecting the issue of its cost

Too many entrepreneurs believe that the single most powerful competitive advantage of their product can be price. If the price of a product is lower than that of competitors, then your company will instantly receive an increase in profits. And this is quite possible. But not always the company can reduce the price due to the alleged damage. And not always customers are only interested in price.

Consider on what characteristics of the product it is possible to form its advantages and benefits for the buyer.

Features of the product itself

The unique characteristics of the product will create its competitive advantage. They can be the main motivator to buy, even if the product is more expensive than your competitors. Benefits may include:

• Functionality;
• Corporate identity, symbols, logo;
• Appearance;
• Range;
• No need for maintenance;
• Quality dominance.

Place of sale of goods

Significant benefits for the product will be:

• Location of the point of sale of goods;
• Availability of the product;
• Display of goods;
• Ease of access to the product.

Staff and people

It can be important for the consumer who represents the product and when demonstrating the benefits in this category, they become a powerful motivator to purchase. These benefits can be:

• Employees of the company who provide free advice on the characteristics of the product;
• Staff outlet, ready to recommend or consult about the product;
• Manufacturer, whose name characterizes the quality of the goods;
• Public figures advertising the product.

Is it always necessary to demonstrate competitive advantages and benefits?

In a fierce market competition, demonstrating to consumers the advantages of a company, product or service and the benefits that they will receive as a result becomes almost the only way advance your business and work for the future. This is a fairly simple option for promoting and positioning your name, which does not require financial investments, but at the same time is an effective tool for competitive struggle. Therefore, do not ignore our recommendations, work on your competitive advantages in order to take a leadership position in your niche in the near future.

Honestly, competitive advantages This is a topic that I am of two minds about. On the one hand, rebuilding a company from competitors in the market is a very interesting task. Especially when the company, at first glance, is like everyone else, and does not stand out in anything special. In this matter, I have a position of principle. I am convinced that any business can be rebuilt, even if it is one in a thousand and trades at prices above the market average.

Types of competitive advantages

Conventionally, all the competitive advantages of any organization can be divided into two large groups.

1. Natural (price, terms, delivery terms, authority, customers, etc.)
2. Artificial (personal approach, guarantees, promotions, etc.)

Natural benefits carry more weight because they are factual information. Artificial advantages are more of a manipulation, which, if used correctly, can significantly strengthen the first group. We will return to both groups below.

And now the most interesting. Even if a company considers itself the same as everyone else, inferior to competitors in terms of prices and believes that it does not stand out in any way, it still has natural advantages, plus, you can make artificial ones. You just need to spend a little time to find them and formulate them correctly. And here it all starts with competitive analysis.

Competitive analysis that is not

Do you know what is the most amazing thing about Runet? 80-90% of businesses do not conduct a competitive analysis and do not highlight the company's advantages based on its results. Everything, but what is enough time and energy in most cases is to look at competitors and tear some elements from them. That's the whole setup. And it is here, by leaps and bounds, that clichés grow. Who do you think was the first to come up with the phrase “Young and dynamically developing company”? It doesn't matter. Many have taken and ... Quietly adopted. Under the noise Similarly, clichés appeared:

• Individual approach
• Highly qualified professionalism
• High quality
• First class service
• Competitive prices

And many others, which in fact are not competitive advantages. If only because not a single company in its right mind will say that amateurs work for it, and the quality is slightly worse than none.

I am generally surprised by the attitude of some businessmen. You will communicate with them - everything “somehow” works for them, orders “somehow” go, there is a profit - and that’s fine. Why invent, describe and count something? But as soon as things start to get tight, that's when everyone remembers marketing, detuning from competitors and the advantages of the company. It is noteworthy that no one counts the money that was not received due to such a frivolous approach. But it is also a profit. Could be...

In 80-90% of cases, the Runet business does not conduct a competitive analysis and does not show the company's advantages to its customers.

However, there is a positive side to all of this. When no one shows their advantages, it's easier to rebuild. This means that it is easier to attract new customers who are looking for and comparing.

Competitive advantages of products (goods)

There is another blunder that many businesses make when they formulate benefits. But here it is worth mentioning right away that this does not apply to monopolists. The essence of the error is that the customer is shown the benefits of the product or service, but not the company. In practice, it looks like this.

That is why it is very important to correctly place emphasis and bring to the fore the benefits and emotions that a person receives and experiences when working with an organization, and not from buying the product itself. Again, this does not apply to monopolists that produce a product that is inextricably linked to them.

Main competitive advantages: natural and artificial

It's time to return to the varieties of benefits. As I said, they can be divided into two large groups. Here they are.

Group #1: Natural (Actual) Benefits

Representatives of this group exist on their own, as a fact. Only a lot of people don't write about them. Some, thinking it's obvious, others because they hide behind corporate clichés. The group includes:

Price- one of the strongest competitive advantages (especially when there are no others). If your prices are lower than those of competitors, write by how much. Those. Not " low prices”, and “prices, 20% below market”. Or "Wholesale retail prices". Numbers play a key role, especially when you work in the corporate segment (B2B).

Timing (time). If you deliver goods from today-to-today - tell us about it. If you deliver to remote regions of the country in 2-3 days, tell us about it. Very often, the issue of delivery time is very acute, and if you have thoroughly worked out the logistics, then write specifically where and for how much you can deliver the goods. Again, avoid abstract clichés like “fast/prompt delivery”.

Experience. If your employees “ate the dog” on what you sell and know all the ins and outs of your business, write about it. Buyers like to work with professionals who can be consulted. In addition, when buying a product or service from an experienced seller, customers feel more secure, which brings them closer to buying from you.

Special conditions. If you have any special conditions deliveries (deferred payment, post-payment, discounts, showroom availability, geographic location, wide warehouse program or assortment, etc.). Everything that competitors do not have will fit.

Authority. Certificates, diplomas, major clients or suppliers, participation in exhibitions and other certificates that increase the importance of your company. A big help is the status of a recognized expert. This is when company employees speak at conferences, have a promoted YouTube channel or give interviews in specialized media.

Narrow specialization. Imagine that you have a Mercedes car. And you have two workshops in front of you: a specialized service that deals only with Mercedes and a multidisciplinary one that repairs everything from UAZs to tractors. Which service do you apply to? I bet the first one, even if it has higher prices. This is one of the varieties of a unique selling proposition (USP) - see below.

Other actual benefits. For example, you may have a wider assortment than your competitors. Or a special technology that others do not have (or that everyone has, but which competitors do not write about). Anything can be here. The main thing is that you have something that others do not have. As a fact. This is also your USP.

Group #2: Artificial Advantages

I especially love this group, because it helps out a lot in situations where the customer's company does not have advantages as such. This is especially true in the following cases:

1. A young company, just entering the market, has no customers, no cases, no reviews. As an option, specialists come out of more big company and organize their own.
2. The company occupies a niche somewhere in the middle: it does not have a wide assortment, like large retail chains, and there is no narrow specialization. Those. sells goods, like everyone else, at prices slightly above the market average.
3. The company has a detuning, but the same as that of competitors. Those. everyone in the niche is using the same actual benefits: discounts, experience, etc.

In all three cases, the introduction of artificial advantages helps. These include:

Added value. For example, you sell laptops. But you can't compete on price with a bigger seller. Then you go to the trick: install an operating system and a basic set of programs on a laptop, selling it a little more. In other words, you are creating added value. This also includes various promotions a la "Buy and win ...", "When buying an apartment - a T-shirt as a gift", etc.

Personal adjustment. It works great when everyone around is hiding behind corporate clichés. Its essence is that you show the face of the company (for example, directors) and engage. Works great in almost any niche: from selling children's toys to armored doors.

Responsibility. A very strong advantage that I actively use on the site of my laboratory. Perfectly combined with the previous paragraph. People love to work with people who are not afraid to take responsibility for the products and/or services they sell.

Reviews. As long as they are real. The more authoritative the person who gives you feedback, the stronger the impact on the audience (see the trigger “ ”). Testimonials on letterhead with a seal and signature work better.

Demonstration. The best presentation is a demonstration. Let's say you don't have any other benefits. Or is, but implicit. Make a visual presentation of what you are selling. If these are services, show how you provide them, shoot a video. At the same time, it is important to correctly place the accents. For example, if you check each product for performance, tell us about it. And this will be an advantage for your company.

Cases. This is a kind of visual demonstration of the tasks solved (completed projects). I always recommend describing them because they work great for sales. But there are situations when there are no cases. This is especially true for young companies. Then you can make so-called artificial cases. The bottom line is simple: do yourself a favor or a hypothetical client. As an option - to a real client on a net basis (depending on the type of service, if possible). So you will have a case that you can show and demonstrate your expertise.

Unique selling proposition. We have already talked about it a little higher. Its essence is that you enter some detail or disclose information that sets you apart from your competitors. Here, take me. I provide copywriting services. But copywriting services in a wide range are provided by many specialists. And my USP lies in the fact that I give a guarantee of the result, expressed in numbers. Those. I work with numbers as an objective measure of performance. And it's gripping. You can find out more about USP in.

How to find and correctly describe the advantages of the company

As I said before, I firmly believe that every company has its own advantages (and disadvantages, but it doesn't matter now :)). Even if she is a strong middle peasant and sells everything like everyone else. And even if it seems to you that your company does not stand out in any way, the easiest way to understand the situation is to ask directly the clients who already work with you. However, be prepared that the answers may surprise you.

The easiest way to find out the strengths of your company is to ask your customers why they chose you.

Some will say that they work with you because you are closer (geographically). Someone will say that you inspire confidence, but someone just liked you. Collect and analyze this information and it will increase your profit.

But that is not all. Take a piece of paper and write down the strengths and weaknesses of your company. Objectively. As in spirit. In other words, what you have and what you don't (or don't have yet). At the same time, try to avoid abstractions, replacing them with specifics. See examples.

Far from all the benefits can and should be written on the same site. However, on this stage the task is to write out as many strong and weaknesses enterprises. This is an important starting point.

Take a pen, paper. Divide the sheet into two columns and write down the advantages in one and the disadvantages of the company in the second. You can have a cup of coffee. Do not look at the mountain ash, it is here so, for the entourage.

Yes, we have, but this

See examples:

Flaw	Turning into an advantage
Office on the outskirts	Yes, but the office and warehouse are in the same place. You can see the item right away. Free parking even for trucks.
The price is higher than competitors	Yes, but rich equipment: a computer + an installed operating system + a set of basic programs + a gift.
Long delivery on order	Yes, but there are not only standard components, but also rare custom-made spare parts.
Young and inexperienced company	Yes, but there is mobility, high efficiency, flexibility and the absence of bureaucratic delays (these points need to be disclosed in detail).
Small assortment	Yes, but there is a specialization in the brand. Deeper knowledge in it. Opportunity to advise better than competitors.

You got the idea. So you have several types of competitive advantages at once:

1. Natural (factual information that you have that sets you apart from your competitors)
2. Artificial (amplifiers that also set you apart from competitors - guarantees, personal approach, etc.)
3. “Changelings” are flaws that are turned into virtues. They complement the first two points.

little trick

I use this trick from time to time when there is no way to show the dignity to the fullest, as well as in a number of other cases when something more “weighty” is needed. Then I don’t just write the benefits of the company, but combine them with the benefits that the client receives from the product or service. It turns out a kind of "explosive mixture".

See what it looks like in practice.

• Was: Experience 10 years
• It became: Budget savings up to 80% due to 10 years of experience

Or another example.

• Was: Low prices
• It became: Price down 15% plus reduction transport costs by 10% due to own fleet.

You can learn in detail about how to correctly generate benefits from.

Summary

Today we examined the types of the main competitive advantages of the company and, using examples, analyzed how to formulate them correctly. At the same time, it is important to understand that everything that we did today should, by default, be part of competitive strategy(if it is developed). In other words, everything will work better when it is tied into a single system.

I really hope that the information in this article will expand your opportunities and allow you to more effectively conduct competitive analysis. In turn, if you have any questions - ask them in the comments.

I'm sure you will succeed!