Key
Benefits

As startups make the shift to corporate, "Key Benefits" as we know them begin to change. The days of the singular product mindset with small, tight-knit teams working together as one, has given way in the name of corporate ambition.

Acquisition and line-extension become the natural road to expansion: a profitable defense against creeping foes both big and small.

But as products and services grow, so do the challenges.

"Key Benefits" are merely a memory of what they were in the startup phase. Multiple offerings mean new departments, with new goals, and new cross-functional roles.

What was once an easy "1 + 2 + 3 = This Is What We Do," is suddenly no more.

In the journey to corporate brand, at Charley + Company, we confide to clients that "Key Benefits" come to bear at the company level, serving as "a product filter" or (top-of-the-hierarchy reference). Risk of un-alignment increases when the responsibility therein lies in individual product departments to "self-align."

Thus, the mindset must shift, as "Key Benefits" exist no longer to simply define individual products, but to bring everyone—every developer, service, attribute and aim back together (under one roof).

As an example, “Key Benefits" for a digital retail store also evolving into a digital solutions business may look like:

• World-class product selection
• Customer-centric experiences
• Innovative value at the lowest price possible

What is especially important, is understanding the mindset of the modern market consumer. For retail shoppers, they have come to expect convenience (secure online shopping, easy digital checkout).

At Charley + Company, we consider "Key Benefits" a natural starting point as startups make their journey to corporate.