Explore how to tap into the clout of a competitor without embarrassing yourself **By Anna King**
BRAND WARS:
Making fun of your competitors can be a risky marketing strategy, but for those who get it right, the rewards can be significant. Here we look at what it takes to make comparative and parody advertising work, and how to avoid the common pitfalls.
By Anna King
Coca-cola and Pepsi. McDonald's and Burger King. BMW and Mercedes. We can all name the iconic brand rivalries.
The Cola Wars kept many of us entertained throughout our teenage years, and who hasn’t chuckled at Burger King’s shameless ribbing of McDonald's. It’s a tactic that never gets old, as shown by BMW’s clever, and hugely successful, tribute to Mercedes’ outgoing CEO just this year.
When handled well, competitor parody can make for some of the most creative, memorable, and eye-catching campaigns. But on the flip side, it can also be fraught with risk.
BMW says farewell to a long-respected rival
Burger King uses release of horror film IT to poke fun at McDonald's
Take the new FinTech, Viola Black, which recently took a pop at more established rival Monzo. Far from enhancing its reputation, its “Move over, Monzo” campaign drew attention to the brand’s flaws, rather than its strengths – alienating both peers and potential customers in the process.
So, while the rewards for starting a brand war can be significant, for many marketers, the thought of doing so can understandably bring them out in a cold sweat. Are there any secrets to making it work?
Viola Black's campaign in London was not received well by Monzo's loyal (and vocal) community
Jasper Martens, CMO at PensionBee, says he has three rules when using competitors in brand communication: get your facts straight, keep it above the belt and use humor whenever possible. Advice that Viola Black didn’t heed, to its detriment.
“Viola Black took a blunt stab at neo-bank leader Monzo. It wasn’t funny, and it wasn’t based on facts. The lack of respect for Monzo was apparent and the actual execution was lacking any profound cut-through,” he explains.
Failure to fact-check immediately puts you on the backfoot and dents your reputation - the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve, says Martens. Furthermore, you’re opening yourself up to legal action if you breach advertising laws, not to mention a social media backlash on top. Doing your due diligence is therefore critical.
Tone is another key element to get right, so that the results come across as good fun, rather than bad-natured or unprofessional. Brand expert, Giulia Iannucci, from Know Thy Brand, advises to: “…come across as fun and light, as opposed to un-gentlemanly and rude,” while ensuring that you don’t enter into a brand war lightly.
“Companies need to be prepared for a long war, rather than a short battle,” she says. “You need to have the resources in place, both in terms of budget and especially creativity, because otherwise, you risk that your competitors' comeback will be more effective than your own first attack.”
One way to check how your ad is likely to land is by testing it with your audience first, something Hannah Robinson, Marketing Manager at Larsen Howie, recommends.
“Don’t go for it until you’ve tested the idea with a few different age groups and demographics - the millennial market in particular really cares about brand ethics and culture. A soft launch on social is also a good idea to get a grasp of the kind of reaction you’ll get.”
It’s all very well for Burger King or BMW, but can any type of brand try this kind of advertising? How about smaller brands, B2B firms, or third sector organizations – could this approach work for them?
Viola Black notwithstanding, Martens says that comparative ads can be particularly effective for challenger brands, who can afford to take risks earlier in their brand cycle.
“It’s worth considering if your new product or service is disrupting or challenging the status quo, and particularly if you operate in a market with one, or just a few, big incumbents that everybody knows,” he says.
B2B can be trickier, with its traditionally more serious tone and risk-averse audience. As a result, Leor Franks, Chief Marketing Officer at Augusta Ventures, says most B2B services brands would likely steer clear, to avoid risking brand credibility.
Comparative Google ads are common in B2B
“In B2B services industries, where individual relationships are often the basis of sales, it is usually frowned upon to be overly negative or criticize a competitor. Some would say that such negative tactics cheapen both the brand being criticized and that of the individual offering the criticism.”
However, that’s not to say it’s a total no-go area for B2B brands, and Iannucci believes there could be space for more cheekiness in some B2B sectors, giving them the chance to embrace their fun side and “stand out from the crowd”.
Karla Rivershaw, Head of Marketing at Turtl, who recently launched a campaign urging marketers to 'kill the PDF' agrees:
“As a challenger brand with a product that upsets the status quo, we can't afford a middle-of-the-road approach."
Turtl have neatly side-stepped direct brand rivalry by calling out the competing format, rather than the brand responsible for it.
"The campaign has definitely evoked quite strong emotional reactions from our audience (positive and negative), but it makes us memorable and gets people talking which ultimately is what we’re going for. It also helps us identify the people with the mindset our product caters to.”
Whatever your brand, you must always think about the audience and the sector that you’re operating in, as Iannucci explains.
“Companies need to make sure that their audience is open to it. Again, in the case of Viola Black, they decided to take on a business with millions of loyal clients, forgetting that, when it comes to choosing a new player in the financial sector, trust is a critical factor and that people tend to think twice before leaving the well-known supplier for the new entry.”
Successful marketing is about pushing the boundaries and, with new and exciting brands popping up all the time, starting a brand war can help to build awareness, generate conversions, boost loyalty and reputation. But, as with all of the most creative tactics, steering clear of the banana skins is essential. Cheekiness is a winner, whereas arrogance never goes down well. And whatever you do - check your facts.
