Is Your USP a POS? (Puffery of Sameness)

“Advanced Technology Inside!”

“Maximum Strength!”

“Used by Professionals!”

If your unique selling proposition could be claimed by any competitor, it isn’t unique.

It’s what I call a POS – Puffery of Sameness.

(I considered “Point of Sameness” but the other version is more… memorable.)

Let’s look at some real USPs versus POS claims:

ACTUAL USPs:

  • FedEx (1978): “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight”
  • Domino’s (1973): “Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less or it’s free”
  • M&Ms: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”
  • Head & Shoulders: “Clinically proven to eliminate dandruff”
  • Avis: “We’re #2, so we try harder”

POS Claims:

  • “Premium ingredients” (any food product)
  • “Advanced formula” (any skincare product)
  • “Professional grade” (any tool or appliance)
  • “Maximum strength” (any pain reliever)
  • “Ultra HD” (any modern TV)
  • “Military grade” (any rugged product)
  • “New and improved” (literally anything)

See the difference?

Real USPs are:

  • Specific and measurable
  • Actually unique
  • VERY hard to copy
  • Meaningful to customers
  • Usually guaranteed

A true USP should frustrate competitors. It should force them to say “we can’t claim that” or “we can’t match that.”

If your USP doesn’t make your competition squirm, it’s time for a rethink.

Some brands have successfully escaped POS territory:

Dawn dish soap evolved from “Tough on grease” (POS) to “The brand wildlife rescuers trust to clean oil-affected animals.” That’s unique, proven, and hard to copy.

Volvo transformed from “Premium quality” (POS) to owning safety innovation, introducing three-point seatbelts, side-impact airbags, and blind-spot monitoring before competitors.

Nike moved beyond “Superior athletic shoes” (POS) to “Just Do It” – connecting products to personal transformation and athletic achievement.

Dollar Shave Club broke free from “Quality razors” (POS) with “A great shave for a few bucks a month.” They owned convenience and value in a category drowning in technical specs.

Even commodity products can find unique territory: Morton Salt’s “When it rains, it pours” transformed a product feature (anti-caking) into a memorable promise that’s lasted over 100 years.

The key? These brands stopped talking about product attributes everyone claims. They found genuine differentiation in how they serve customer needs.

What’s your unique selling proposition? Could your biggest competitor copy it, or worse, claim the same thing?

(One historic USP oddity is the original Heinz ketchup bottle: “57 Varieties.” It wasn’t even true – they had more than 60 products at the time. But it stuck and became uniquely ownable. I don’t recommend making stuff up for your product.)

Laurier