Product Vs Solution

There's a big difference between solution messaging and product messaging. However, a lot of solution content falls short of its intended goal – not really manifesting into anything other than product content.

Let's examine the difference. Product content is about the offering – what it does, how it's built, what it delivers, and how good the product is compared to the competition.

In contrast, best-in-class solution content evolves from a specific business issue or opportunity. Solution messaging articulates how an organization's capabilities will help solve a problem or enable the customer to capitalize on an opportunity.

Ultimately, solution content is also more topical, mapping to a business challenge, dynamics occurring in an industry and/or regulatory trends – in other words, information that will resonate with the target audience's current needs.

Good solution content might not even mention a product. It's more focused on engaging the audience in a conversation, at least at first. Here are the common attributes of best-in-class solution content:

• Multi-layered. The solution messaging map should traverse from industry to organization to buying center to persona.
• Persona-based. Solution messaging should be precisely crafted for an identified individual by job role involved in the buying process, usually a decisionmaker or influencer.
• Customer-centric. Solution messaging should focus on business issues and customer needs, not features or capabilities of the offering, integrating voice-of-the-customer perspectives and peer testimonials.
• Thematic. Solution messaging should be guided by an overall key theme (solution, campaign or thought leadership focused), tightly intertwined with the master brand.
• Memorable. Solution messaging should engage the audience with information that will resonate and make a lasting impression.