How To Write a Compelling Value Proposition: 5 Examples (2025)

Why do customers buy from you? What motivates people to choose you over hundreds of alternatives? What makes your brand and products stand out as better than the rest?

The answer: Your value proposition.

If you can perfect a value proposition that resonates with your target audience, you can increase your conversion rate and improve your marketing strategies. Learning to present the value your company delivers in a compelling way is one of the most high-value, wide-reaching marketing activities you can prioritize for your business.

In this article, you’ll learn what makes a great value proposition, how to write a value proposition, and take a look at some real-world examples of unique value propositions.

Plus, get a simple value proposition template with a winning formula you can use to craft your brand’s own powerful statement.

What is a value proposition?

A value proposition is a concise statement that communicates the unique benefits and value a product or service offers to its target audience. It highlights the specific problem it solves, the advantages it provides, and why it is superior to its competitors. A good value proposition helps differentiate a business from the competitive landscape and attract more qualified customers.

Value proposition vs. mission statement

A value proposition and mission statement might seem similar, but they serve different purposes. A mission statement is about your brand and acts like your company’s North Star. It tells everyone (employees, customers, stakeholders) why your business exists and what you stand for. 

By contrast, a strong value proposition is all about your customer. It’s the clear-cut reason why someone should pick your product over others. It answers the consumer’s question, “What’s in it for me?” and convinces potential customers that you’re worth their time and money.

Importance of a value proposition

A solid value proposition is the foundation of your business strategy. Consider it an elevator pitch that makes potential customers choose you over competitors. Without a clear value proposition, you’re throwing darts in the dark, hoping to hit something valuable to your audience.

Done right, a value proposition helps you:

• Nail your marketing message. When you know exactly what value you provide, every social post, email, and ad naturally flows from that core messaging.
• Guide product development. Each new feature or update should reflect your core promise to customers, keeping your product focused and purposeful.
• Drive sales. Sales conversations become more effective when they can clearly articulate why your product is the perfect fit for your customers.

💰If you’re seeking investors, keep in mind that they love to see a well-crafted value proposition. It shows you understand your market and have a game plan for success. 

Value proposition examples

• Unbound Merino
• Graza
• Dieux Skin
• City Seltzer
• Death Wish Coffee

Use these value propositions from popular brands to inspire your own:

1. Unbound Merino

Unbound Merino has multiple value propositions. Let’s break down two of them. The first is:

“Simple. Versatile. High performance.”

On the Unbound Merino homepage, the brand promises high-performance clothing—but the quality claim must run deeper than promise.

The next value proposition makes the logical jump from high performance to the product’s holistic impact on the customer’s life:

“Pack less. Experience more.”

This value prop translates the quality and versatility of the product into its real-world application. Since merino wool is odor-resistant, you can get more wear out of a single t-shirt, and therefore pack less when traveling. With this value proposition, Unbound Merino is making a promise about quality of life, not just quality of product.

2. Graza

Graza’s value proposition features prominently on its homepage:

“High-quality olive oil that’s meant to be squeezed, not saved.”

This value proposition effectively sums up the problem Graza solves: Home cooks want good olive oil, but since it tends to be expensive, they may only use it for special occasions rather than everyday cooking.

“Olive oil in North America has always been positioned as something that you shouldn’t cook with,” Graza founder Andrew Benin says on the Shopify Masters podcast. “On one side, things were really luxurious, and on the other side, things were really pared-back and private-label and no investment in product quality. I found a way to cut right through the middle.”

Graza’s one-sentence value proposition emphasizes the product’s quality and immediately differentiates it from the competition with “squeezed, not saved”—indicating that it’s meant for everyday use. Plus, the “squeezed” part of the tagline highlights another unique feature of Graza’s product: the squeezable bottle.

3. Dieux Skin

Skin care company Dieux’s value proposition is:

“Rituals, not miracles.”

Featured on the brand’s homepage, this short and sweet sentiment emphasizes what sets Dieux apart from other brands: a commitment to consistency.

Dieux focuses on education rather than promising overnight effects.

“I want people to understand what our products do and what they don’t do,” cofounder Charlotte Palermino says on the Shopify Masters podcast. “I would not tell you that Instant Angel [Dieux’s lipid-rich moisturizer] on its own is enough. I would tell you in a routine how to use it and how it may work for you. And I find that when you do it that way, you have a high loyalty rate.”

4. City Seltzer

City Seltzer’s value proposition is:

“Fizz without the shizz.”

This playful value statement emphasizes that its seltzer is made with 100% natural flavors—no “shizz.” Since City Seltzer is a small brand, it has to differentiate itself from large, entrenched competitors.

“We have to reach people and communicate some of that humanity, authenticity,” City Seltzer cofounder Josh McJannett says on the Shopify Masters podcast. “I think people want to feel something in the choices that they make.”

5. Death Wish Coffee

Death Wish Coffee is known for selling the world’s strongest coffee. Since its humble beginnings in 2012, founder Mike Brown shared the narrative of Death Wish Coffee: “We live to rebel against blah beans—and a boring, lackluster life.” 

But Death Wish Coffee doesn’t just talk the talk. It supports this core claim through premium quality standards, ethical sourcing, and authentic brand storytelling. The brand has carved out a unique space in the coffee market by targeting enthusiasts who want strength and sophistication, pairing its rebellious identity with USDA Organic certification and Fair Trade practices. 

Death Wish Coffee’s evolution from local roaster to NASA collaborator demonstrates how a focused value proposition can fuel remarkable growth while maintaining brand authenticity.

Three elements of a successful value proposition 

Using that formula, a compelling value proposition should meet three criteria:

• It’s specific: What are the specific benefits your target customer will receive?
• It’s pain-focused: How will your product fix the customer’s problem or improve their life?
• It’s exclusive: How is it both desirable and exclusive? How well does it highlight your company’s competitive advantage?

“At its core, a value proposition is a promise you make to your customer post-purchase,” Unbound Merino co-founder Dan Demsky says on Learn With Shopify. “You’re essentially saying, This purchase will outperform your expectations and solve the problem that needs solving.”

Don’t confuse brand slogans, catchphrases, or even a positioning statement with a unique value proposition—they’re all different things.

Your value proposition should focus on the superpowers that potential customers get from the product, not the product itself. Rarely is your value proposition about the product itself or its features. Instead, it’s the way your brand or product fixes a meaningful pain point or improves the lives of your target market, as well as the way it makes them feel.

A value proposition should be front and center when a visitor arrives on your site. Although it’s often found above the fold on the homepage, you should be aware of other common entrance points (e.g., a landing page, category pages, blog posts, and product pages).

Even if you manage to create an effective customer value proposition, it won’t drive sales if it’s tucked away in a dusty corner of your website or absent on high-purchase-intent pages. So make sure your proposition stands out just as much as you want your product to stand out. 

The value proposition canvas

• Customer jobs
• Customer pains
• Customer gains

The value proposition canvas is a framework developed by business consultant Alex Osterwalder for the book Value Proposition Design. It involves identifying customer jobs, customer pains, and customer gains and then using those insights to help you write an acceptable value proposition.

Customer jobs

Your product should help the customer accomplish specific jobs—tasks they might struggle to achieve without it.

“Think of your product from the perspective of being hired to do a job,” says Unbound Merino’s Dan Demsky on Learn With Shopify.

What job would your target customer hire your product to do? What would its job description look like?

For Unbound Merino, its clothes are hired to streamline and upgrade a customer’s wardrobe with a few quality pieces of gear that perform day in and day out.

Customer pains

You can also use your value proposition to highlight how your product addresses customer pains, or common frustrations. Think of your product as a solution to your customer’s pain points. What problems or obstacles or risks does your product help alleviate?

Take the first product launched by Dieux Skin, the Forever Eye Mask.

“That was an idea that I came up with because I was so tired of throwing out eye masks,” says Dieux co-founder and CEO Charlotte Palermino on the Shopify Masters podcast.

The pain point was the wastefulness of single-use moisturizing under-eye masks.

Dieux launched its reusable silicone gel eye pads with the tagline “The last eye mask you’ll ever need.”

The product page highlights the Forever Eye Mask as the solution to the problem of overconsumption:

“We all deserve deliverance from the plight of discarding sheet masks after every use. These masks allow you to treat yourself daily without accumulating unnecessary waste.”

Customer gains

Customer gains are the positive outcomes your target customers want: saving money, saving time, feeling good, looking good, etc. 

For example, Unbound Merino sells clothing made from merino wool—a lightweight, odor-resistant fabric. Some of the gains could include time saved by not having to do as much laundry. That simplicity is the value prop.

How to write a unique value proposition

1. Understand your customer and their voice
2. Focus on clarity before creativity
3. Emphasize benefits, not hype
4. Use a template

Here’s where to begin when writing a value proposition statement:

1. Understand your customer and their voice

A good value proposition uses the exact words of your current customers to hook your future customers.

For example, if they were interviewed for a case study, how would your target customers describe your company’s product? How does it improve their lives? How do they describe your company? Why do they choose to associate with your brand?

Interview your customers or send out a survey to better understand how they speak about you, both to other people and to themselves. Pay attention to common words and phrases they use. You can keep track of responses and phrases in a simple Google Doc.

Your visitors should see themselves in your value proposition. The language you use plays a big role in shaping their perspective. If you want to go the extra mile, spend some time looking at value proposition examples of your competition. What are they doing right? What could they improve?

💡Take note of how your competition talks to their customers by signing up for their newsletters and email flows.

2. Focus on clarity before creativity

Above all, you must ensure your value proposition is clear. Sounds obvious, right? Your value proposition needs to serve many purposes, so achieving crystal clarity can be quite difficult.

When evaluating your draft, ensure it answers the following questions:

• What product are you selling?
• Who should buy your product?
• How will buying your product improve the visitor or their life?
• Why should the visitor buy from you and not your competitors?
• When will the value be delivered?

Your value proposition should be relatively short—two or three short sentences, maximum. Every word should improve clarity or make your main selling point more compelling. Otherwise, cut it out.

3. Emphasize benefits, not hype

How many “World’s Best Coffee” signs would you see in store windows walking down just one busy New York City street? Dozens. Each sign you encounter would make it a little more difficult to believe the previous one.

Hype, which can come in the form of superlatives (“best”) and exaggerations (“world’s best”), can be dangerous. Instead, focus on distinct benefits and the concrete value your product delivers.

If you need to use hype to sell your products, it’s a sign that your value proposition is not well defined. Or, perhaps, even that your product is not as valuable as you think. Don’t let the love for your product or service get in the way of viewing your brand objectively.

4. Use a template

When it comes to something as daunting as distilling your product’s value into a sentence or two, having a guide can help. This is where you can use value proposition templates to help you organize your thoughts.

💡Brainstorm without digital distractions by printing out a hard copy of the free downloadable template below.

Value proposition formula

The basic value proposition formula is:

Value proposition = [adjective] [product or service] for [aspiration]

This version of the formula is adaptable enough that any business can use it.

For example, here’s the value proposition from canned food brand Heyday Canning Co.:

“Create flavor-packed meals presto pronto with our line of canned (but never bland) beans.”

Compare that to the value proposition from underwear brand ThirdLove:

“In-demand bras that make you look great and feel even better.”

At first glance, the value props from Heyday and ThirdLove couldn’t be more different—one sells beans and the other sells bras—but they actually follow the same structure. Both value props position their product as the path to a better life, one in which you look and feel amazing in your bra while you whip up a meal in no time using canned beans.

Value proposition template

It’s easy to create a clear value proposition for your brand by using a template. This free downloadable template offers three variations you can customize to your brand, each with real-world examples from successful companies.

Understand your audience, perfect your sales pitch and take your business to the next level, with our free value proposition template.

How to test your value proposition

Creating an effective value proposition is easier when you get customer input. Here is how to test your own value proposition. 

Conduct customer surveys

Create quick online surveys using tools like Google Forms or TypeForm, and ask direct questions about what problems your customers face and how much they’d value your solution. 

Don’t just survey random people. Target those who match your ideal buyer persona. Honest feedback now can save you from expensive mistakes later.

A/B test your value proposition

Create two slightly different versions of your pitch or landing page, then show them to similar groups of people. 

Pay attention to which one gets more positive responses, clicks, or sign-ups. The beauty of A/B testing is that it gives you concrete data rather than just gut feelings about what works.

Analyze website metrics

Use web analytics to track how visitors interact with the value proposition on your site. Are they bouncing quickly or sticking around? 

Look at metrics like time on page, bounce rate, and conversion rates. These numbers tell you if your value proposition resonates with visitors or needs a refresh.