What is a features and benefits exercise?

The ability to translate features of a product or service into benefits to a customer or client is essential to all effective sales efforts; all sales and marketing teams rely on this process to conceptualize their products and services.

• A feature is a physical attribute of a product that a company is trying to market. Features are important, but consumers do not buy features -- they buy benefits.
• A benefit is something that the consumer gets, either directly or indirectly, by purchasing or using the features of a product or service. Benefits are what the consumer really buys in any economic exchange of goods or services. Advertising agencies focus on primary benefits when they create advertising concepts. Benefits may be logical and utilitarian, psychological and emotional, or authority and credibility related. Truth in advertising requires that you be honest about features, and not stretch the benefits you claim for them -- to do otherwise can have some negative results.
• The concept is a claim which must be supported by pointing to specific features of a product or service as physical evidence.

In market-oriented business writing (for example, coming up with advertising campaigns), it is important to be able to describe the features of a product or service in terms of the benefits they provide. This ability is essential in other kinds of persuasive communication as well, such as resume writing. You have "features" as a prospective job applicant, but employers buy the "benefits" that your features (skills and experiences) generate.

Directions:

• Choose an ordinary household product (or the product your instructor has provided for you).
• On paper, make two columns. In the first column, list the features of the product; in the second, describe the benefits that each feature provides a user/consumer.
• Prioritize the benefits which you feel are most likely to sell the product.
• Write a concept statement which you feel might direct an advertising campaign.

Example:

Product -- household cleaner

Features................Benefits:

chlorine bleah..........disinfects

sprinkle can............easy to use

micro-abrasives.........facilitates stain removal

Highest priority benefit -- disinfects

Concept -- Kills Germs as it Cleans Your Sink!

Objectives:

• Thinking critically.
• Examining assumptions.
• Constructing Arguments.
• Assessing consequences.