Linking Features and Benefits

I'm sure that you've had those Eureka! moments, too. When a piece of information suddenly helped yousee or understand something that hadn't been apparent before.

For me, one came when I discovered means-end analysis, a marketing concept that helps us understand whylisteners or readers might respond - or not respond - to our messages. It does this by clarifying therelationship between product features and the benefits experienced by consumers.

I also believe it has great potential for developing communication strategies.

But first, let's review the marketing connection: Consumers know about products in three general ways:

* by the attributes (features) they possess;

* by the consequences of 'consuming' those attributes; and

* by the way the consequences help satisfy personal needs.

As the list suggests, these types of knowledge are linked, providing connections among attributes, consequences,and the value-fulfillment benefits we derive from them.

For example, a luxury car offers a number of attributes (features) that make it distinctive. Owning anddriving one has some personal consequences, which might include showing others that the owner is affluentand successful. That, in turn, satisfies the owner's value-driven need to be seen as successful...

Now, let's look at the same example another way. A low-end car's attributes might include an inexpensivepurchase price and economical operation. One personal consequence of owning a car with these attributesmight be to have more money available for saving. And, that could provide value satisfaction by givingthe owner a sense of accomplishment as she watches her savings account grow.

In developing a communication strategy, the means-end concept offers a couple of important tools. First,it suggests a way to structure messages. Start with attributes, link those attributes to personal consequences,and then link the consequences to satisfying personal value-needs. Second, it may help us predict theimpact of our messages.

For example, say your manufacturing plant is about to buy and install a major piece of machinery, andyou want employees to know about it. For the plant newsletter, you write an article, starting with attributesof the new machinery. Now, link those attributes to personal consequences: The new equipment enhancesthe long-term viability of the plant, which makes employees' jobs more secure. And, secure jobs satisfyan important value requirement among employees, which is to provide their families with a good standardof living.

But, suppose you finish writing about the attributes, and you can't get a grip on the personal consequencesfor employees, or how it will satisfy their value needs. That should help you predict that the messagewill fall on deaf - perhaps even hostile - ears.

Given that knowledge, you can rethink what you're doing, what you're saying, or how you're saying it.

In summary, by linking features and benefits, we give ourselves an opportunity to understand and constructeffective messages, for both marketing and other purposes.

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