Features, benefits, privileges

Most of us have heard that, in marketing, it’s more effective to describe benefits than features. You may have also heard that the best marketing changes the product (e.g. learning and executing user feedback), not the ads alone.

We have an opportunity to go further: to let marketing change not only the buyer’s product experience but our trusting audience’s world, by privileging them. This comes with promises from you to them:

Example 1:

• Feature: Self-setting clock functionality
• Benefit: Convenience of not manually updating the time.
• Privilege: Never again wonder what time it is.
• Your promise: You will ensure that the clock never breaks or stops, and you’ll replace it immediately if it does.

Example 2:

• Feature: Batteries included.
• Benefit: Product is ready to use, right out of the box.
• Privilege: Never see a sad face on your child when they open a gift from you.
• Your promise: You will learn their child’s preferences every gift season, to be sure the gift they buy is always a perfect fit.<

Privileging your audience means giving them the gift of an unpayable debt. It’s an opportunity to serve at a much deeper level.