While you’ve heard the phrase “unique selling proposition” (USP), you may not know how it applies to you or your show. After all, the term is often used to describe how big companies are differentiating themselves from the competition. But the same marketing principles that big corporations use can — and should — apply to your product, too. EXPO checked in with Dr. Sheri Bridges, an Associate Professor of Marketing at Wake Forest University with brand-related consulting experience, to get the scoop on what a USP is and why you should care. What it is. A USP is, simply put, what allows your show to stand out in a positive way from the competition. “It’s what it is that you do or can do that isn’t being done by your competitors,” Bridges says.

Finding your USP. Finding out what your show’s USP is begins by examining the product through the eyes of your target attendee/exhibitor. Then, examine the entire marketplace, including your show and competitors’ shows. Bridges then recommends looking at the marketplace in the context of a series of questions.What are the exhibitors’ and attendees’ options? How valuable are those options? How does your show fit in? “The unique selling proposition is what of value you’ll be able to deliver to your customers over time,” she says.

Conveying the message. Having a USP is one thing; making sure your attendees and exhibitors appreciate the value of your USP is something totally different.

Bridges says a key to making your USP stand out is to avoid a tendency to promote the product as all things to all people. “A lot of organizations really want to be everything to everybody,” Bridges says. To stand out in a meaningful way, she says, you’ll need to emphasize the benefits that really matter to your customers.

For example, Bridges notes that BMW, which likely creates very safe vehicles, doesn’t promote safety in its commercials because Volvo owns the safety message. BMW highlights driving performance in its advertising, because that’s the message it can own in the market. “Let’s say you’ve got 10 wonderful things about your brand,” Bridges says. “You still need to narrow it down to convey the value to your target market.”

Give it time. Bridges says it’s an easy mistake to back down from promoting a USP if you don’t see immediate results. Given the cluttered media that many attendees and exhibitors are navigating, it may take a while for your message to resonate. Once you find your USP, resist the urge to switch it up if it doesn’t get you the results you want automatically. “You can’t be changing all the time,” Bridges says. “Marketing is really an investment in the future of your brand, and investments take a little while to pay off.”