Level Three. Unique Selling Point.

By Michelle Lloyd.

Little Herbert recalled the time that he had entered the School’s own TT Races. What were they? Well, the TT Races stood for the Transport and Track Races. Each entrant had to come up with a practical demonstration of a mode of transport thought up by themselves and with which to enter a competition.

Seeking out the assistance of a parent or practical adult, there were several entrants all eager for the prize. TT Races were all about innovation and invention. Invention to Little Herbert signified contemporary, modern design. He could see the type of vehicle he would be entering into the race. An exemplary sleek looking cart body with silver sides and an engine that could make it fly at a mere whim. It was easy to picture it and vivid to see.

Designs were drawn up and as per the rules of the TT Races, Little Herbert painstakingly submitted his artistically and precisely sketched out plans.

Grandpa was the adult chosen on behalf of Little Herbert and therefore he was the one who was meant to oversee his application and give him the go ahead. This was partly because grandpa was the one who was going to be doing the practical build part of the process and had to accept what the plans had suggested.

Little Herbert had no fear. As grandpa was an inventor and master of many made inventions, he was sure that he would approve all of his hard work.

It was with sheer dismay that Little Herbert took his grandpa’s decline to build what he had proposed. He had put effort into those drawings and besides he had actually seen, albeit in his mind’s eye, what his competition vehicle would have been. He complained most heartily to said grandparent, who with a knowing smile came out with one of his preferred expressions… If notions were oceans, then where would we be? That did not help Little Herbert and he told him so, but grandpa calmly took him aside and suggested that with a few alterations, they could build an even better entry.

Little Herbert had been sceptical that anything could have topped his original design, but he went along with his grandpa’s helpful hints and tips. It was all fine up until the wheels were put in place and then all of Little Herbert’s niggles and doubts rushed out at once. Where was the USP?

No unique selling point was not appealing and Little Herbert did NOT want his entry to look like that, he cried and could not hold back the emotion. He had worried that as they went along, getting rid of his vibrant paintwork sides and the slide in and out concealed shoots that could combat any opponents in the race, was a bad idea. He had needed all of those elements to give him that ultra modern look.

Appraising the contraption that had been championed by granddad had been a mistake and he felt at a one hundred percent loss. Looking at the entry, Little Herbert could not even hear his grandpa’s voice, he felt too dejected because as he swept his gaze over what would be his vehicle of choice for the competition, all he could see was a very traditional version of a… bike.

It was not until the race began that Little Herbert felt his grandpa’s plan come together. Fanciful, style over substance contraptions were falling apart all around him and as the race took them on twists and turns, many competitors were left without pedal power altogether.

Little Herbert had to admit to a certain granddad that he had quite possibly known what he was doing all along.