Providing your customers with a reason to buy your products seems quite obvious. The challenge lies in clearly formulating what benefit your product or service provides them and expressing why it provides more value than similar offerings. As such, a value proposition is probably the most important element of your marketing messaging. And that’s why creating a truly successful headline is crucial. Yet, according to HubSpot only 64% of businesses have established value propositions. Now, we’d like to share some great examples on how to create a value proposition that is to-the-point and appeals to a customer’s strongest decision-making drivers.
What Is a Value Proposition?
A company’s value proposition summarizes why the customer should choose that company, why they should buy from them. It describes the reason the company’s product is great, what makes it attractive and how it differentiates them from competitors. Essentially, it is a written promise of what your brand will deliver, explaining why people should do business with you. A value proposition explains who you are as a company, what you stand for, the benefits you can offer, and what makes you unique.
What Makes a Good Value Proposition?
A good value proposition should communicate the specific benefits that your customers will get. It should also provide a solution to customers’ problems or pain points and describe how the product will improve their lives. It should also communicate your company’s USPs or differentiators. To surely attract your future customers’ attention the most visible place for your value proposition is your home page and, if you’d like, your product pages.
Creating the perfect value proposition helps you increase your conversion rate.
A good value proposition:
- Is memorable, tangible, and easy to understand
- Provides a solution to specific pain points
- Differentiates your company
How to Create a Successful Value Proposition
In order to create a successful value proposition, know your customer and use their voice. Interview them to learn how they describe your brand and what motivated them to choose you. Consider what your customers want, their motivations and desires. Examine their pain points, how severe they are, how frequently they occur. Then, list all of your product’s features and think through which ones help your customers get what they want. Assess which of your product’s unique benefits will help buyers eliminate these pain points or achieve their desired outcome or result.
In the case of new or niche products, customers might not even be aware of the problem. In that case, you need to let them know what desires your product helps them achieve. In this case there’s no need to differentiate yourself from your competitors — just focus on the solution you provide. However, for products that are more established in the market, the level of customer awareness will be higher. People already know about the problem, and they are comparing solutions. You “only” have to explain why they should want your product specifically, so you need to put emphasis on differentiating yourself.
Once you have an established product and well-defined values, you can reward your most loyal customers using the framework of a loyalty program and develop brand messaging that resonates more with your customers’ values. For a 360-degree view of the loyalty market, download our Customer Loyalty Reports.
20 Impressive Value Propositions
Putting together a compelling value proposition is no easy task. The greatest challenge in creating an effective value proposition is striking a balance between being clear and communicating enough value. Let’s see some of the companies that nailed it.
1. Uber – Offering Convenience
Uber has operations in approximately 72 countries and over 10,000 cities. Its services include ride-hailing, food and package delivery, couriers, and more. Their uniqueness lies in having the largest network of active drivers. The company has two value propositions: one aimed at passengers and another for drivers. For passengers, Uber understands their pain points and acts on it by providing them with an easy, stress-free way to travel at the tap of a button in over 10,000 cities.
Why it works:
- Addressing passengers’ pain point of being able to travel stress-free.
- “Get paid”, along with the rest of the value proposition being short and to-the-point, suggests that drivers can earn money quickly and easily.
- “Largest network of active riders” indicates that there’s plenty of work available so drivers won’t struggle to make ends meet.
2. Slack – Credibility and Productivity
Slack is a workplace productivity and messaging app. Their value proposition emphasizes ease of use, enhanced productivity, and pleasantness. Their focus is on simplifying communication, even between large teams. The platform offers more than a basic communication app. It’s a collaborative software tool that facilitates data sharing, Slack polls, and project management. It also offers templates for managing projects with remote teams.
Why it works:
- Slack’s value proposition focuses heavily on the pain points suffered by remote teams.
- The remote work revolution has led to many teams using complicated systems to create “virtual offices” – communication simplicity in this situation is a big plus.
- Productivity is always on team leaders’ and managers’ minds when managing remote teams. A solution to that is very appealing.
3. Grammarly – Great Writing, Simplified
Grammarly helps users review and correct their spelling, grammar, punctuation mistakes. The company’s headline makes it simple to understand what exactly they offer. Its target audience is anyone who wants to make their writing better. Grammarly has taken a unique approach to communicating their value proposition — the company uses video content to give potential customers a clear visual of how they can use the service.
Why it works:
- They show that the tool speeds up the work process and makes users feel confident about how they communicate.
- The videos provide a nice touch that shows, clearly and exactly, how Grammarly works.
- The company shows that their product works in desktop applications and sites across the web, so customers can easily use it on the go.
4. Trello – More Than Work: Joint Work
Trello, the web-based list-making application, offers its target audience, business teams, a collaboration platform that works with their businesses’ unique needs and helps them manage their projects easier. The company’s headline provides a clear statement about what the product is and who it’s for, then gives customers additional context and benefits right away, in the sub-headline.
Why it works:
- Trello states how their product addresses customers’ pain points, helping them organize their work better, therefore simplifying their lives.
- Their sub-headline states: every single part of tasks can be managed, tracked, and shared with teammates. This is crucial in the hybrid work era.
- “The way your team works is unique”: shows how Trello is better and different from its competitors.
5. Stripe – A Complete Payments Platform
Stripe brings together everything that’s required to build websites and apps that accept payments. The headline on Stripe’s website clues the audience into its value proposition, making it clear what the product does and who can benefit from it. It also positions the brand as a leader among competitors.
Why it works:
- The headline immediately tells you what the company is about.
- “For the internet” – it gives a clear explanation of its exact target audience: online businesses.
- Positions the company as the best software platform for running an internet business.
6. Starbucks – The “Live Coffee” Mantra
Starbucks’ value proposition, the “Live coffee” mantra, emphasizes the importance of keeping the national coffee culture alive and driving home the idea that coffee is part of its customers’ lifestyle. It mostly focuses on three key points: the coffee quality, service philosophy and creating an upscale yet inviting store atmosphere.
Why it works:
- With their value proposition, Starbucks has created an experience around the process of consuming coffee.
- It highlights that they strive to offer their customers the finest coffee, produced by themselves.
- The stores promote a welcoming and warm atmosphere where everyone feels at home.
7. Zoom – Flawless and Clear
Seemingly overnight, Zoom went from a virtually unknown service to being crowned the number one video and web conferencing service by Gartner. In its simple and succinct value proposition, Zoom states that they empower people to accomplish more. The company addresses the pain points that its competitors have failed to, such as inconsistent experiences, difficult platforms, and hidden pricing.
Why it works:
- “Zoom for you” – everyone can find what they’re looking for.
- The company provides guidance when it comes to communication and connecting with others.
- Zoom positions itself as the best at what they do.
8. Unbounce – Offering Ease of Use
Unbounce, the landing page optimization platform, uses a clear, concise message that tells you exactly what the company sells. Its homepage also boasts a number of other features, like instant copy generation, and promises customers significant growth in conversion.
Why it works:
- The value proposition clearly lays out its offerings.
- It hits both goals and pain points: increasing ROI, driving conversions, and doing so without having to rely on IT.
- It’s clearly targeted toward marketers who want to improve results.
9. WordPress – The World’s Most Popular Website Builder
WordPress utilizes clear and concise points in its value proposition highlighting the benefits of being able to create a better website using WordPress. It also states how many businesses in the world have chosen WordPress. It gives customers the feeling that, no matter their type of site or style, WordPress will have a theme for them.
Why it works:
- WordPress’s value proposition clearly states that its service will help customers build a great website.
- It also addresses a common pain point by ensuring customers how easy this process is on the WordPress platform.
- The company uses plenty of social proof.
10. Fjällräven – Crafting Products for a Lifetime of Memories
The Swedish outdoor clothing and equipment company originally designed functional products for professional researchers going on expeditions. Now the brand is experiencing a boom amongst younger generations across Europe and North America. Their value proposition: “Crafting products for a lifetime of memories”, suggests that they sell high-quality, sustainably-made products which align with their conscious customer base’s desires.
Why it works:
- They are well aware of who their target audience is.
- The company emphasizes its product benefits.
- The company has found a voice that resonates with their younger audience as well.
11. Airbnb – A New World of Travel
Similar to Uber, Airbnb’s target audience consists of two groups: travelers who want a place to stay and hosts who want to rent out their spaces. Therefore they created a two-in-one value proposition: guests benefit from a truly local experience while hosts benefit from the extra income.
Why it works:
- “A new world of travel” – the company has smartly incorporated the recent situation into their value proposition and headline.
- Now that life is starting to return to normal, everyone is eager to travel again. Airbnb targets this motivation.
- They’re addressing the fact that people are traveling in different ways than they had earlier.
12. Mailchimp – Do It All With Mailchimp
Mailchimp started out as an email sender but has since become a platform that helps customers reach their goals faster by bringing their audience data, marketing channels, and insights. By helping users understand how to create more engaging emails, the company helps build better relationships and drive revenue.
Why it works:
- Mailchimp’s value proposition clearly details all the benefits they provide their customers.
- It highlights what customers can achieve with their platform.
- Focusing on convenience, they say customers can “do it all” from a single platform.
13. HubSpot – There’s a Better Way to Grow
HubSpot’s value proposition emphasizes that their free CRM software offers something that makes work easier for every member of the team. The platform has all the tools one might need for marketing, sales, content management, and customer service – and it’s free, which makes it a great CRM for small businesses and large enterprises alike.
Why it works:
- Targets a pain point for active CRM users who are tired of handling over-complicated systems.
- Emphasizes ease of use and high visibility across systems.
- States that they help customers boost sales and make customers’ jobs easier.
14. Tortuga Backpacks – Pack Light. Go Further.
Tortuga Backpacks targets hardcore travelers who are annoyed at the thought of being weighed down by heavy luggage. It’s a bag made for travelers by travelers. “Pack everything you need for your next big trip”, focuses entirely on the brand’s biggest benefit: you can fit everything that’s necessary for a trip in a single bag.
Why it works:
- The company makes it clear who their target audience is.
- The value proposition focuses on a major pain point for many travelers: paying for luggage and having to carry multiple bags or heavy backpacks around.
- Their headline addresses all of the benefits with one well-written sentence.
15. Bitly – Short Links, Big Results
Bitly summarizes what it actually does — shortens links — and what it leads to — big results. Their simple value proposition greatly reflects these traits as well. A short URL can make your link more memorable, so people can easily recall and share your link with others.
Why it works:
- Their headline is easy to remember and tells customers exactly what the brand does.
- The company summarizes its services in one straightforward, concise sentence.
- Focusing on its usefulness, Bitly says they boost results by making customers’ links more memorable.
16. Salesforce – The World’s No.1 CRM Tool
Salesforce’s value proposition is the promise of improved sales results, better service, and greater customer insight. The company also highlights its number 1 market position. Salesforce’s value lies in its flexibility and ease of management, facilitating small, medium, and enterprise business administration. The platform is continuously evaluated by users, allowing the company to make improvements.
Why it works:
- It is clear on what the company provides.
- The company positions themselves as the best by letting customers know that they’re #1 when it comes to CRM.
- They say their system is a great fit for companies of every size.
17. Evernote – Accomplish More With Better Notes
Who doesn’t want to remember everything and live a more organized life? Evernote enables its customers to take better notes and sort through them faster. It also helps them in project planning and provides easy ways to find what they need, taking the burden of having to remember everything off their shoulders.
Why it works:
- It highlights the product’s flexibility.
- It lets their customers know that the company is here to help them save time and boost productivity.
- They say their service provides a solution to a key pain point for busy professionals: having to remember everything.
18. Nike – Expanding Human Potential
Nike’s unique headline, “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”, is based on the innovative design, finesse and quality of their product line. Innovation has been a constant driving factor of Nike since the company’s inception. Their value proposition focuses on satisfying customers with a superior product.
Why it works:
- It’s inspiring.
- Suggests that their products rely heavily on quality, innovation, and brand status.
- Customers are encouraged to want to be a part of the brand’s successful reputation.
19. Apple – Unique and Best Experience
Apple’s marketing is focused on the experience rather than their products. Instead of competing with other devices on the market, they promote a brand experience that people aspire to have. It’s not about what Apple gives you — it’s about who you will become when you purchase an Apple product and what you can achieve.
Why it works:
- It’s simple and emphasizes that Apple offers a unique experience that others can’t provide.
- It transmits a feeling that the brand is part of a desirable lifestyle.
- It focuses on the overall experience, not just the device.
20. Shopify – Empowering Independent Business Owners Everywhere
Shopify’s value proposition essentially says that it can do everything customers need, all on a single platform. The company helps their users create an eCommerce website that helps them find customers, drive sales, and manage their day-to-day operations, backed by powerful tools.
Why it works:
- Their value proposition makes it clear for users that their product is the basis of commerce.
- It handles all of shoppers’ eCommerce needs anywhere in the world.
- They provide social proof by saying that millions of other companies already trust them.
Show Them What You Got
Your value proposition (and headlines) is a powerful tool to drive sales and build a customer base. Therefore, it’s worth taking the time to come up with a remarkable one. It may be the reason a customer chooses you over the competition. However, keep in mind that as customers and markets change over time, your value proposition should evolve as well to meet the evolving needs of your shoppers.
Antavo is a loyalty management platform specializing in unique reward journeys — something that may make a great value proposition for your customers. If you are interested in retaining the customers you have gathered with your marketing and fostering long-lasting brand love, feel free to get in touch with us, or book a demo right away.
Barbara is a Loyalty Program Specialist at Antavo and a Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional - CLMP. She is also a writing expert with several years of experience in marketing and also in the information technology industry. In her free time she likes traveling the world, reading crime stories, and doing crossword puzzles.
