Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/116674
FROM THE PUBLISHER Picking the Right Fight W hile most people would agree they don't like negative comparative advertising, evidence suggests that it does infuence people when they arrive at the polls, and that's why it persists in election strategy. Comparative advertising in business rarely gets as negative and vicious as it does in politics—because there is, in fact, more than one winner—but this kind of advertising has a long history of its effective use in the industry. When done properly, it can help distinguish a brand's offerings and draw attention to the ways the products are different from their competitors. Even the Federal Trade Commission takes a favorable stance: "The Commission has supported the use of brand comparisons where the bases of comparison are clearly identified. Comparative advertising, when truthful and non-deceptive, is a source of important information to consumers and assists them in making rational purchase decisions. Comparative advertising encourages product improvement and innovation, and can lead to lower prices in the marketplace. For these reasons, the Commission will continue to scrutinize carefully restraints upon its use." As a child of the '70s and '80s, what first comes to mind is the epic Coke vs. Pepsi battle. The Pepsi Challenge used the familiar blind taste test to reveal Coke drinkers preferring the taste of Pepsi. Mind you, even though many consumers chose Pepsi in the test, more consumers remained loyal to Coke, and it continues to this day as the category leader. If comparison is a tactic you must choose when marketing or selling your product, there is one important thing to remember: You are not Coke or Pepsi trying to win billions in consumer dollars. The point of specialty brands is not to "win" over other brands but rather to be different from the mainstream with better ingredients, specific geography, more careful processes, an interesting heritage or any number of other distinctions. While you may feel like your fight is with other specialty brands, it's really with the huge brands that dominate your category. Your competitors are more like fellow missionaries trying to convert the masses. Internecine warfare is pointless. What you offer should be differentiated from competitors, but negatively portraying a specialty company—by saying it's not authentic, the ingredients are inferior—just undermines the category as a whole because it ultimately loses consumer trust. If a customer gets confused about whether or not they can trust a smaller specialty brand, it's that much more likely they'll just stick with what they know—the mainstream leader—rather than giving a specialty product a try. Which doesn't help anyone but the big companies. No brand in our business has enough consumer recognition to be immune from the fallout from these kinds of attacks. So use comparative advertising wisely and keep fighting the good fight. |SFM| By Matt Tomas Publisher, Specialty Food Magazine HAVE A COMMENT? mthomas@specialtyfood.com Go to specialtyfood.com/mthomas/pickingfght facebook.com/craftcarejoy APRIL 2013 5