Comparative Advertising in Marketing

Currently On The Small Screen

This week I was asked by a student about  an advertisement she had seen recently on television which was directly comparing two forms of painkillers. Namely: Panadol (paracetamol) and Nurofen (Ibuprofen).  

These days we tend to see less and less of this type of head to head, comparative advertising for several reasons. Firstly if you're going to use comparative advertising you need to be fairly certain that your brand is either better than a key rival brand in a key area that holds strong significance to the target market audience or at vet least that you are as good as that rival brand and with this established parity, you can then claim some additional edge in another important aspect of the brand's function and usage.

If you can't do this you need to be careful because this type of promotion is certainly interesting and tends to throw a strong spotlight on both brands as people are always looking to gain some additional insight into which brand is better, by how much and why.

Classic Battle

The classic example of comparative advertising that made ripples globally and lead to formal legal action and a prolonged fight within the courts was that of the “Energizer” television commercial which described how the “Energizer” lasted longer than a “Duracell”.

This is a powerful form of advertising which can build strong, selective demand if a product is perceived as being superior to its opposition. Overall competitive advertising is used after a product class has been established and the general public has become reasonably familiar with it and consequently wants to purchase the product.

The Need For Differentiation

I have always advocated of course that every brand regardless of its origin, market or size, should always to continue to develop its own genuine point of difference that is meaningful, sustainable and relevant to the target markets unmet need.

If as the guiding mind of your business or brand you pursue this goal and develop a reasonably significant point of  difference, you will always be well rewarded by astute use of direct comparative advertising, but I stress that this will only work if your USP is a strong one that has already been established and is valued by the market.

So for now, think about every aspect of your brand and how it differs from the  opposition and consider how each key difference can be best utilised to drive your core promotional messages more effectively.  Let us know what you come up with.

And until next time, good luck and good marketing.

Regards,

Daniele.