4 ms·

What is the unique value proposition of anything? If Barry sells higher quality honey, what keeps someone else from coming in and sell even better quality honey

by zaat 7y ago

What is the unique value proposition of anything? If Barry sells higher quality honey, what keeps someone else from coming in and sell even better quality honey, and for half the price? Oh, you say that it isn't simple to make good quality honey cheaply? Well all the same, it ain't easy to be profitable while providing all your bees with top notch health care too.

sp332 7y ago
Yeah but the article is just about being less terrible. Like if an employer is really going out of their way to be abusive. That's when a competitor can get an advantage just by... doing nothing.
sigmaprimus 7y ago
I think thats the point of the article, UVP or unique sales proposition is how a company can market their identical product better than their competition. The article suggests that by simply treating bees better, or infact less bad would result in a marketable difference translating to better honey sales. The reality is a successful honey company would employ several UVPs to promote their product and protect their market share. Perfume companies have done this for years, same with beverage companies. Probably the closest analogy would be ethical investment brokers and mutual fund groups who claim that they only put your money into "good" companies. Sure your returns might not be as high but atleast you can sleep well at night knowing your not supporting "evil" companies. One last point, honey is a very unique farm product, other than the initial startup cost and minimal labour there are no other inputs required. Almost every other livestock requires feed, medicine, intensive management etc... Bees are very independent, require very little management and produce an easy to market long lasting cash crop. (Unlike free range chickens, although chickens and bees live well together)
- bregma 7y ago
  > One last point, honey is a very unique farm product, other than the initial startup cost and minimal labour there are no other inputs required. Almost every other livestock requires feed, medicine, intensive management etc... Ah, the naivete of someone who does not keep bees.
  - sigmaprimus 7y ago
    Nice snide comment without anything to support your arrogance. What inputs other than labour and maybe some antibiotics for foulbrood disease? Back up your attitude next time you think your right. If you had any concept of the cost of keeping any other livestock just fed you might appreciate how relatively easy bees are to keep and profit from their production.
    - sigmaprimus 7y ago
      Here is an article that seems to break down the costs, let me know in your infinite wisdom which part is missing. https://www.kelleybees.com/blog/kelley-beekeeping/thinking-keeping-bees-part-1-costs-time-intangibles/ https://www.kelleybees.com/blog/kelley-beekeeping/thinking-k...
- zaat 7y ago
  If that was the point of the article than what does the last 3 paragraphs mean? My comment is on the claim that I understand those paragraphs put - that this isn't real unique value proposition since new competitor can easily do better.
  - sigmaprimus 7y ago
    I give up your right, who really gives a shit. Your correct someone new could come along and do better and then it wouldnt be unique. The truth is at the stated point in time it is unique, now if someone comes along and does better it isnt. Fact is theres a ton of things that could allow competition to get market share, so yeah great job arguing a moot point! Who really cares anyways I pull the wings off my bees so they dont fly away and force feed them high fructose corn syrup, sure they might suffer but I make fortune and give money to the homeless so it all balances out in the end. Happy now?
    - zaat 7y ago
      I have no idea what's your beef and why are you taking the discussion here so emotionally. It is a fun and informing place to exchange ideas and have conversations, not a battlefield. My comment was actually exactly opposite to the way you read it. The point of the article was that treating your employees right isn't unique value proposition since everybody can do better. I was saying that actually it is.

by zaat 7y ago

sp332 7y ago

Yeah but the article is just about being less terrible. Like if an employer is really going out of their way to be abusive. That's when a competitor can get an advantage just by... doing nothing.

sigmaprimus 7y ago

I think thats the point of the article, UVP or unique sales proposition is how a company can market their identical product better than their competition. The article suggests that by simply treating bees better, or infact less bad would result in a marketable difference translating to better honey sales. The reality is a successful honey company would employ several UVPs to promote their product and protect their market share. Perfume companies have done this for years, same with beverage companies. Probably the closest analogy would be ethical investment brokers and mutual fund groups who claim that they only put your money into "good" companies. Sure your returns might not be as high but atleast you can sleep well at night knowing your not supporting "evil" companies. One last point, honey is a very unique farm product, other than the initial startup cost and minimal labour there are no other inputs required. Almost every other livestock requires feed, medicine, intensive management etc... Bees are very independent, require very little management and produce an easy to market long lasting cash crop. (Unlike free range chickens, although chickens and bees live well together)

bregma 7y ago
> One last point, honey is a very unique farm product, other than the initial startup cost and minimal labour there are no other inputs required. Almost every other livestock requires feed, medicine, intensive management etc... Ah, the naivete of someone who does not keep bees.
- sigmaprimus 7y ago
  Nice snide comment without anything to support your arrogance. What inputs other than labour and maybe some antibiotics for foulbrood disease? Back up your attitude next time you think your right. If you had any concept of the cost of keeping any other livestock just fed you might appreciate how relatively easy bees are to keep and profit from their production.
  - sigmaprimus 7y ago
    Here is an article that seems to break down the costs, let me know in your infinite wisdom which part is missing. https://www.kelleybees.com/blog/kelley-beekeeping/thinking-keeping-bees-part-1-costs-time-intangibles/ https://www.kelleybees.com/blog/kelley-beekeeping/thinking-k...
zaat 7y ago
If that was the point of the article than what does the last 3 paragraphs mean? My comment is on the claim that I understand those paragraphs put - that this isn't real unique value proposition since new competitor can easily do better.
- sigmaprimus 7y ago
  I give up your right, who really gives a shit. Your correct someone new could come along and do better and then it wouldnt be unique. The truth is at the stated point in time it is unique, now if someone comes along and does better it isnt. Fact is theres a ton of things that could allow competition to get market share, so yeah great job arguing a moot point! Who really cares anyways I pull the wings off my bees so they dont fly away and force feed them high fructose corn syrup, sure they might suffer but I make fortune and give money to the homeless so it all balances out in the end. Happy now?
  - zaat 7y ago
    I have no idea what's your beef and why are you taking the discussion here so emotionally. It is a fun and informing place to exchange ideas and have conversations, not a battlefield. My comment was actually exactly opposite to the way you read it. The point of the article was that treating your employees right isn't unique value proposition since everybody can do better. I was saying that actually it is.