Comparative advertising involves demonstrating how a product is better than similar products. It can involve taste testing or presenting specific facts about competing products. Regulations prevent false claims, and research is necessary to substantiate claims.
Also known as comparative or competitive advertising, comparative advertising is a strategy that involves identifying certain characteristics of similar products and attempting to demonstrate how a product is inherently of greater value to consumers. The process can be quite broad, as the advertiser can present a benefit found with a product that is generally absent from similar products or even involve an individual comparison with a specific competitor. Typically, there are business regulations that help manage how comparison advertising may be used, including regulations that require that all claims made in advertising be verifiable.
One of the most common examples of comparison advertising has to do with basing the promotional strategy on what is known as taste testing. This approach usually involves multiple consumers tasting the product and rating it based on taste, texture, and overall satisfaction. These same consumers will be invited to try a competing product and judge it by the same criteria. At that point, each consumer will have a chance to identify which product is preferred, with product names only revealed after the consumer completes the entire tasting process. A taste test approach can easily be used for many types of beverages as well as different food items.
A slight variation on comparison advertising sometimes involves presenting specific facts about two or more competing products, based on information provided by the manufacturers of those products. For example, the manufacturer of a particular automobile may choose to compare the mileage on a specific automobile design to the mileage claimed for a similar make and model manufactured by a different automaker. The underlying message to consumers is that while both cars offer similar benefits in terms of style and features, one is clearly superior due to higher average gas mileage.
There are usually regulations that help prevent advertisers from using misleading or false claims as part of comparative advertising. As a result, a campaign typically requires a lot of research to ensure that all claims can be substantiated using credible and reputable references. Even within this type of approach, a comparison campaign may engage in the selective use of factual information, choosing to present this data in a way that best shows the product being promoted, by not intentionally including competitive data that might lead consumers to a different conclusion.
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