What’s comparative promoting?
Did you know that the average American sees over 5,000 ads a day? That's a tremendous amount of content to compete with, especially if you're running a small business or a new startup.
To get noticed, you need to clearly communicate to consumers what is so great about your products and why they are superior to the competition.
One strategy for this is comparative advertising. It takes a little finesse. Before you add comparative advertising to your marketing strategy, here's an overview of how it works
On Overview of comparative advertising
Comparative advertising means comparing your product directly to a competitor's product to show why your item is better.
Is it okay to find another brand like this one? For sure. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allows companies to use this marketing strategy (within the limits we will talk about) for three reasons:
- Comparisons encourage healthy competition in the market.
- Clear, verifiable comparisons help customers make more informed purchasing decisions.
- Criticism encourages brands to improve their game and innovate that will benefit all consumers.
Comparative advertising works best when you make specific, measurable comparisons. For example, you can use comparison displays to show:
- The improved features of your product compared to its competitors
- Price differences between goods
- The results of a blind taste test show that people cannot tell the difference between your product and a more expensive brand
Comparative marketing produces positive results for many companies. For one thing, over 51% of consumers say they don't like non-informative ads. So it's a good thing that comparative ads are informative in nature.
In addition, visual displays often attract more attention and comparative displays are very visual.
Comparative advertising vs. competitive advertising
Comparative and competitive advertising are similar, but not the same.
With comparative advertising, you present a product as better than a competitor's version of the same (or a very similar) item. You can explicitly name the competitor or state who he is and which product you are referring to.
There are three characteristics of a comparison display:
- advertises a product
- identifies at least one certain quality that the product exhibits compared to its competitors
- provides evidence to back up claims
Suppose you are FreshBooks. You want to compare your online accounting software to your competitor QuickBooks by showing how many additional features your product offers. You're talking about your brand, but the ad is more about the product than your entire company.
Competitive advertising is more general. Instead of promoting a specific product, try to get consumers to choose your overall brand over your competitors.
Competitive advertisements leave a different impression on the consumer than comparative ones. When FreshBooks advertises why they are "better" as a company than QuickBooks, it is competitive advertising. They promote people for their brand, not for a single product.
Nowadays companies make the news for their unique way of advertising. Take Wendy, for example. Wendy's restaurants pride themselves on never using frozen meat. You create an ad mocking a particular McDonald & # 39; s burger, the Big Mac. The focus, however, is on Wendy's overall brand values.
In other words, they don't specifically compare their own burger to that of their competitors to show why it's better – they don't mention their products at all. This means that the ad is competitive and not comparative.
Think of comparative advertising as a tool for competitive advertising. Comparison ads can be used in a broader competitive marketing campaign.
4th Comparative Advertising Best Practices
There's no such thing as a “right” formula for comparative advertising success, but here are a few things I think you should consider before designing your ad.
1. Keep comparative ads light-hearted
The best comparison ads are fun. You don't take yourself too seriously.
Samsung, for example, loves to make fun of Apple. As early as 2010, the iPhone 4 was widely criticized for bar drops and reception problems. Samsung quickly took advantage of the situation:
The ad doesn't directly mention Apple, but it does subtly compare certain phones.
In 2011, Samsung took comparative ads to the next level when they poked fun at people queuing for the iPhone:
It's a light-hearted display that shows why the Samsung model is just as attractive, if not superior, to the iPhone. Unsurprisingly, the ad was part of a broader competitive marketing campaign.
One more thing to note here: Consumers are more likely to remember an ad if it's funny. Humor is a great way to create a stronger emotional connection with your target audience. So keep your ads light-hearted – and maybe even a little cheeky.
2. Make it clear which brand is yours
If you want to use comparative advertising, always make it clear which brand or product is yours.
First, you can't use comparative ads to confuse or otherwise mislead your customers. If it is unclear which product is yours, you risk giving your customers the wrong impression.
Second, it is difficult for many customers to first tell the difference between some products.
For example, when someone buys soap at the grocery store, they may not be inspecting the brands. Depending on the person, these consumers can buy the cheapest item because for many, "soap is just soap".
How can comparative advertising help? By showing why not all soaps are created equal and why your brand is superior. This technique can also attract a new customer base of discerning buyers.
3. Support your claims
You need to be willing to save any information you provide. The evidence you'll need will vary, but here are some examples:
So think about it. If a user contacts you on Twitter and asks you to prove your claims, what if you can't provide them with evidence?
Let me show you what happens when everything goes wrong and you cannot support your claims.
First, bogus advertising can cost you both financially and customer confidence.
For example, Dannon's Activia brand paid out $ 45 million after it was claimed that yogurt was scientifically improved for digestion. They couldn't substantiate this claim with scientific evidence, so they withdrew the campaign and removed "scientifically proven" from all labels.
Similarly, Coca-Cola withdrew its vitamin water commercial after hinting at the water:
- replaced the need for a flu shot
- was really healthy to drink
The lesson here? Don't make false claims about your products, whether it's a comparative or competitive ad. Stick to the facts.
4th Avoid comparisons with smaller brands
In general, it's okay for smaller brands to make fun of a bigger company because the bigger company has a competitive advantage.
However, it doesn't necessarily work the other way around. When comparing yourself to a smaller company, the following can happen.
- Chances are, you're introducing a brand to your customers they didn't know about.
- People love outsiders. Make your rivals look like the underdog and you could lose customers.
- You could look like a bully chasing the "little guy".
Remember, comparative advertising is just a digital marketing strategy. It is not for everyone. So weigh the pros and cons before running comparative ads.
Is Comparative Advertising Legal?
Yes. Comparative advertising is legal. Remember, the FTC encourages companies to use comparative advertising where appropriate:
(c) The Commission has supported the use of trademark comparisons where the bases of comparison are clearly identified. Comparative advertising, when truthful and not misleading, is a source of vital information for consumers and helps them make rational purchasing decisions. Comparative advertising encourages product improvement and innovation and can result in lower prices in the market. For these reasons, the Commission will continue to carefully examine the restrictions on their use.
Before you start creating comparison displays, however, you need to understand the rules that govern what you can and cannot do. In essence, the rules control three things.
- what you say about your brand and products
- the claims and comments you make about competitors
- how you present your claims in the ad
Comparative advertisements must be truthful and in no way misleading.
What is a "misleading" or "misleading" ad? It's about the overall impression you make on consumers.
If you create the impression that your brand is superior by making false claims or leaving out qualifying details, you are leading people to buy your product from others. There is a chance that competitors (or consumers themselves) could sue you for false advertising.
Here are some tips to help keep your ads clear.
- Please state exactly which claims you would like to make.
- Make sure you can secure any claim you make in the ad.
- Provide customers enough information to verify the claims for themselves, such as directing them to a website for more information.
- Only compare your product with products that are intended for the same use and purpose.
What is puffing?
"Puffing" or "buffing" is when you make a claim about your product or business, but it's an opinion, not a fact. Puffing is only legal if the claim is:
- clearly an opinion
- in advance of who made the claim
- worded so that no reasonable customer would rely on it to make a purchase decision
If you go for buffers, you have to indirectly compare your company with others. However, they do not pretend that there is factual evidence to support your claim. Here are some examples.
There is no factual basis for these claims, but they are catchy catchphrases. No reasonable buyer would assume these statements are true, so they are unlikely to affect anyone who selects these products.
Puffing can be effective and can serve as an alternative to other forms of comparative advertising.
Is Comparative Advertising Ethical?
Some people do not respond well to comparison techniques from an ethical standpoint, while others are more receptive.
If you obey the law, there is essentially no reason why you can't run comparative ads. However, here are some considerations to keep in mind before trying it out for yourself.
First, not all comparative advertisements find a response from the target audience. Do market research to avoid deterring potential buyers from choosing your brand. What types of ads are your target customer base responding well to? Use your insights to shape your marketing decisions.
Second, our personalities influence everything from our buying habits to the values we attach to brands. There is always a chance that some customers will generally stay away from your brand when using comparative ads.
Alongside customers, think about whether comparative advertising aligns with your brand identity. For example, if your brand's personality is bold, funny, and maybe a little cheeky, comparative ads can help you build a consistent online presence.
Before running your comparative ads, check out some successful comparative ad campaigns in your industry and see what you can learn from them. Pay particular attention to the tone of the advertisement and the quality of the receipts.
Finally, consider how you want your competitors to see you, especially if you are a new and relatively un-established brand. If you want to try comparative advertising, look for ways to clearly differentiate yourself from your competitors by targeting a specific customer base rather than alienating other brands.
Conclusion
Comparative advertising is about proving why your product outperforms similar goods and services on the market. You are not trying to belittle your competitors. Instead, show why your product is superior.
Remember to follow the rules of comparative advertising and always make sure you have solid statistics to back your claims.
If you're unsure how to get started with comparative ads, or if you're looking for more guidance, check out my advisory services or check out my free training guides.
Have you tried comparative advertising? How do you find it?
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