Sock It to 'Em Can a negative marketing campaign have positive results? Here's what to know before you strike the first blow.
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Mudslinging, name-calling, accusations and counterattacks.Sounds like a bad way to run a marketing campaign-particularlyduring a presidential race-but all those negative ads may have amore positive result than you think. What many of us call"negative" or "attack" ads are termed"comparative" ads by those in the industry, and thebottom line is that they appear to work.
"They're very effective," says Rick Farmer, Ph.D.,an assistant professor of political science at the University ofAkron in Akron, Ohio, who has studied the impact of comparativeads. Farmer, other researchers and campaign consultants agree thatnegative ads are more memorable than positive ones, provided theyreinforce a belief and remain relevant to the central issues of themarketing campaign. In political campaigns, comparative ads workbecause "people have a cynical view of politics and tend tobelieve the negative very quickly," says Farmer.
Though many Americans say they don't like negative politicalads, research by faculty members at the University of Georgia foundthat not only are attack ads initially effective, but their impactincreases over time, perhaps because they produce an emotionalresponse. And positive ads used to counter them are not aseffective because they're ultimately less powerful than theopponent's attack ad.
Weigh the Risks
When it comes to marketing products and services, comparativeadvertising is happily tolerated, even enjoyed, by audiences-justso long as it's dished up with a healthy dose of humor. Plus,the claims must be true and documented. For example, attack adslaunched for underdog Miller Lite, which had half the sales volumeof Bud Light, turned around its decade-long sales decline byfocusing heavily on Miller Lite's lower carbohydrate content.They also forced industry leader Budweiser into a defensiveposture.
Negative ads featuring direct comparisons can successfullyeducate and motivate target audiences, such as the way TV spots forTotal brand cereal humorously demonstrate its benefits by showinghow many bowls of another brand you'd have to eat to equal thenutrition in one bowl of Total. But before you undertake this typeof campaign, it pays to know its risks.
- While attack ads cause audiences to experience negativefeelings about the company being attacked, negative impressionsalso go up for the attacker. So while a two-company fight launchedby the underdog may prove successful, if there are multiplecompanies vying for dominance, launching a negative campaign couldgive lesser competitors an advantage and the opportunity to leapahead of you.
- If you're the market leader, launching attack ads mayactually give your lesser-known opponent name recognition. WhenNo.2 soup brand Progresso went on the attack against No.1Campbell's, the leader responded by placing a blue canresembling Progresso's next to its own to describe thedifferences-which some believe only served to help consumersremember the challenger.
- When making a direct comparison, the tone and execution of yourcampaign must expertly sidestep any possibility of being consideredmeanspirited or unlikable, to avoid having your campaignbackfire.
The High Road
A safer route is to skip the attack ads altogether and useimplied comparisons. Avis doesn't directly attack Hertz, theysimply "try harder." Wendy's legendary"Where's the Beef?" campaign never directly namedMcDonald's or Burger King but humorously implied that otherburgers were smaller. In response to Kmart's campaign exhortingfemale customers to clip coupons, Wal-Mart adroitly ran spotsshowing busy women who had no time to clip coupons enjoying theconvenience of low prices every day without them. No mudslingingnecessary-just build a campaign around the comparative benefits ofworking with you, and your customers will make all the rightconnections.
