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A lot of companies, surprisingly, get this wrong in marketing and focus way too much on the feature when they should be focusing on the benefit to the customer. That’s a bit of an oversimplification – so let’s dive in a bit more. That leads us to the question of what is the difference between feature and benefit?
It seems like basic stuff, but if your team is struggling with that concept, it’s OK, many teams are. But you can make a wonderful marketing career if you can help companies market, the benefit to sell the feature.
So let’s use an example here. As I’m sitting outside and watching college football the benefit of all the products I’m using is basically that they allow me to enjoy the outdoors while I can also watch the games.
Do consumers care about features or benefits?
Well, the common talking point seems to be that marketing should always focus on what is the benefit to the consumer. So, I suppose benefit. And perhaps that’s true in some instances. But when the feature helps the consumer accomplish whatever it is they are trying to accomplish, maybe they do care about the feature. Or perhaps they care about the feature being helpful. Which I guess is the benefit.
At the end of the day, we don’t need to split hairs over benefit or feature. We should focus on how are we helping our customers do whatever it is they are trying to do.
So, let’s look at my sitting outside watching football example.
To really enjoy it, I need the right setup. I’m looking for a TV that’s the perfect size for my outdoor space and works well in that environment. The benefit is that the things I use work and help me enjoy my football-watching weekend.
To make it all come together, I’ll need reliable WiFi, a sturdy TV stand, and some way to create shade so I can actually see the screen when it’s sunny out. Those are the features.
Reliable internet starts with a mesh system
Comfort is also a big priority for me when I’m relaxing outdoors. That means I need a good set of outdoor furniture to make my space inviting. A fire table is great for those cooler days. And I definitely want to get some umbrellas – they’ll be great for shade on hot days and might even keep me dry if there’s a light drizzle. I position them in a way to minimize glare on the TV. With all of this, I’ll be able to kick back and truly enjoy my time outside.
The benefit I’m looking for is that these products help me with that. The features are the things that get it done.
So, in short, it’s certainly good to understand the difference. But where the rubber meets the road is where we use the right messaging at the right time for the right consumers. And that means that sometimes we talk about the benefits. Other times, we talk about specific features.
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