Frequently Asked Marketing Question

Should I do comparative advertising?


Answer: While we can’t provide any specific recommendations with knowing all the aspects of your particular situation, one thing you might want to think about comes from the basic research on comparative advertising. Generally, when you are a market leader it hurts you to mention competitors since it legitimizes their position in the market. On the other hand, when you are a follower it makes sense because it allows you to be categorized along with the industry leaders (this is why you see it with “underdogs.” Thus the benefits of comparative advertising depend heavily on your position in the market.

These general guidelines should help you in your decision making. In general, it is good not to blindly follow what other companies do since they generally just follow other companies, etc., and don’t really think through what’s best for them.

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