Getting down and dirty

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Wanted: CEOs from India

: I suspect that there are a lot of armchair generals tucked away in the cubicles and conference rooms of the marketing departments of companies. That is perhaps why military analogies resonate so well with marketers—we talk of launching new campaigns, of attacking competitive strongholds, of defending against attack, and of capturing market share. However the strength of your advertising gets tested when you find yourself face-to-face with the “enemy”.

There are many reasons people become overtly competitive in their advertising. You may be trying to exploit some weakness in your competitor’s product, you may be trying to respond to claims it has made, or you may just be trying to attract its users by telling them how your brand is better. Whatever the reason, this is one area where I recommend throwing simplistic military analogies out the window.

If you want to embark upon the risky business of becoming really competitive in your advertising, put aside cliches of “smashing the enemy” or “launching decapitating strikes” (both phrases I have heard people use) and read on.

* Lesson 400

Pissing contests never built brands—Speak to your consumer, not your competitor

In today’s intensely competitive markets, an ad disparaging your brand or copying your claims can feel just as personal an affront as a slap on the face. However, when it comes to competitive advertising, such a knee-jerk response may not really do anything for your brand.

Therefore, before you put anything in your ad that is remotely competitive, ask yourself one simple question: how does this make a difference to your consumer?

As an example, suppose you have found an area where your product or service is better than your competition. Instead of just hammering that point across to rub your competitor’s nose in it, ask yourself how that advantage makes your consumer’s life better—for example, does it give a better user experience? If you believe that your brand’s advantage does make your consumer’s life better, then focus your communication on this. You will certainly piss off the competition, but more importantly, you will do it in a way that builds your brand where it really matters—among your consumers.

* Lesson 410

Fancy moves never won a street fight—Learn to be ruthlessly competitive if necessary

I had advocated caution in dealing with competitive communication, but there is one situation where too much caution can kill you—and that is if you find yourself in a real street fight. Even during those times, you are not looking for a fight, but you are faced with a situation where confrontation is inevitable. In a real life fight of this sort, it is safe to make some assumptions: first, the other person is probably far more experienced; second, he probably has far less to lose, or at least thinks so; and third, you can expect him to fight dirty. The same assumptions hold if you are forced into a street fight in the marketplace. What do I mean by a street fight in the context of marketing? Here are some examples:

1. A PR issue blows up in your face when consumers start complaining of adverse effects from using your product, and you find out that one of your competitors may be “encouraging” them.

2. You turn on the TV and see a competitive ad showing your brand and talking about how it is inferior to another.

3. Your launch plans for a new product are leaked and a competitor beats you to market with a copycat product with similar packaging, proposition or price. Do these scenarios sound outlandish? Well, welcome to the world of real-life marketing. These have all happened. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, here are a couple of things you could do:

1. Set your lawyers to work immediately to find out the quickest and best legal recourse available. Marketers are usually loath to work with lawyers, but in a situation like this, your lawyer is your best friend. From recommending the best way to defend your claim to forcing offending material off the air, lawyers can give you ideas that you probably would not think of yourself.

2. Your second best friend is your PR manager. If damage control is what you need, you need to get your side of the story out fast, and that is where your PR contacts come in.

* Lesson 420

Real fights are over faster than you think—Move quickly and win in the consumer’s mind

Real fights rarely involve equally matched fighters, and the one to win is often the one to strike the first decisive blow. It is the same when you are faced with a competitive threat—whether competition is launching into your stronghold, has just pre-empted your launch or aired advertising that denigrates your brand, the one who gets into the consumer’s mind first and fastest wins. In such a situation, there are three steps I would recommend:

1. Identify the focused message you want consumers to take away. Try to condense what you want to communicate in a one-line message. It could be a claim against competition or a message showing why your offering is better—just keep it short and simple.

2. Figure out the fastest way of getting this out to your consumer. In a situation like this, the normal media choices may or may not make sense. For example, TV takes some time to build up reach and awareness, so if there are localised media choices that may get your message out faster, you could think of supplementing your normal media choices with these other options.

3. Track whether your plan is working. Do not continue it any longer than you need to. Figure out as fast as you can whether the competitive issue has gone away, and then get back quickly to doing what you would ideally spend your time on anyway—building your brand.

Reprinted with permission from Wiley-India

Book: Brand Management 101

Author: Mainak Dhar