The Effectiveness of Comparative Versus Non-Comparative Advertising: Do "Strictly" Comparative Ads Hurt Credibility of Non-Professional Service Brands?

U.S. service-brand marketers have a long history of going head to head using "strictly" comparative advertising.

The Effectiveness of Comparative Versus Non-Comparative Advertising: Do “Strictly” Comparative Ads Hurt Credibility of Non-Professional Service Brands?

Fred Beard

University of Oklahoma

MANAGEMENT SLANT

  • The potential for negative outcomes is a very real possibility when prominent non-professional service brands identify one other by name in their campaigns.
  • Services advertisers who use strictly comparative advertising are justified in doing so if their target audiences are mainly younger consumers and if claims of believability are not crucial for advertising effectiveness.
  • If message or claim believability is critical, non-comparative advertising likely will be more effective than comparative advertising, regardless of target audience age....

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