Rosser Reeves's Unique Selling Proposition revolutionized marketing in the 1950s.  Those pounding hammers sold tons of Anacin. The top writer at Ted Bates believed every ad must deliver three critical messages over and over and over again:

I agree that advertising should forge a connection between features and benefits.  I do not agree, however, with Reeves's idea that all ads should promise the same benefit. 

People buy brands for a variety of personal emotional reasons.  There can be no unique buying reason, so there can be no unique selling reason.

Ask 100 unique customers why they buy your brand and you'll likely get multiple buying "reasons" some of which may be at odds with each other.

Some customers may think your brand is way cool.  Others may appreciate its reliability, or taste, or some other nuance.

Why would you bet the ranch on only one selling proposition?

In Rosser Reeves's day there were only three TV networks and a dozen or so major national magazines.  Today's media blizzard allows us to tailor different selling propositions to different discrete audiences.

Case in point.  The two ads at the right for MUZZY, the BBC Language Videos for Children, addressed two entirely different mindsets.

"How to Create A Genius" ran in magazines such as Parents.  The ad described the way language learning expands the brain capacity of any child.  It appealed to Moms, mostly, who wanted to get their genius sons ready for Harvard early.

The other ad ran in in-flight & general interest magazines such as Newsweek.  It suggested that learning Spanish would be more fun and much easier at age 2 to 6 than waiting until High School.  The ad appealed to Dads, mostly, who wanted to do something good for their little girls.

Both ads set benchmark response levels in their respective magazine categories.  The ads don't look like each other.  There is no Unique Selling Proposition common to both.

Only a Unique Product!

In Direct Response Radio advertisers typically put all their money on one set of words delivered by one Powerful Announcer, who usually blends right in with all the other Powerful Announcers.  Incessant repetition is supposed to build response.

Once again, logic and empirical results suggest an alternative approach.

In most Direct Response Radio 10-day local tests the fastest and least expensive response usually occurs during the first few days.  An Optimum Effective Frequency Range of 1.0 to 2.5 is often enough to induce this week's Active Shoppers to call or click.  Added frequency will invariably produce diminishing response - until the Active Shopper component of a cume audience has time to refresh itself.

The same principle applies to Brand Advertisers.  It may require a frequency of 3 to 4 in network television to induce Trial of a slightly new & different grocery store brand.  Most prospects are probably fairly happy with their current Brand X.  You hope some Triers will become Loyal Customers and support the brand with repeat purchases.  Reminder advertising, if any, requires far lower frequency.

In Direct Response, the target audience usually has never heard of the brand, has not settled into a steady relationship with another Brand X, still has some unsolved problem on their minds, and thus requires far lower frequency to induce an inquiry.

I like to run two or three similar commercials during a test that each give prospects slightly different selling propositions.  The loyal cume will hear all three spots.  Everyone else will hear one or two. Testimonial campaigns are perfect for this method, but it works with Announcer Copy, too.

In network or spot radio rollouts, I'll run similar OEF Flights every week, month or six weeks based on the affordable MCPS and the Steam Speed of the average Active Shopper. 

Over several months or a year I may well accumulate an effective frequency of 6.0 to 10.0 against target.  To keep the brand fresh, I'll rotate six to ten similar but different commercials that each present a slightly different selling proposition.

Unique Brand. Unique Sound.  MSP.

MSP & OEF Flighting prevents burnout and keeps your brand fresh in the minds of Today's Active Shoppers and Tomorrow's.  Over time you can give everyone in your target audience Multiple Selling Reasons to call or click.  

The Basics of D.R. Radio

Local Test & Rollout

Media Cost per Sale

Optimum Effective
Frequency

OEF Flighting

Steam Speed

Predict & Prevent
Burnout

Complete Campaigns