Who is Better ? You or Me ?

Comparisons are as old as the hills. Men tend to compare wives (though one suspects discreetly). Wives tend to compare their husbands’ salaries (one suspects directly). Parents tend to compare grades of their children (one is certain unfairly). Children tend to compare pocket money (one is sure bitterly) and cricket writers tend to compare cricketers and teams irrationally.

Comparisons are odious, but that’s not preventing brands from going all out and claiming their rival’s inferiority.

Comparative advertising is here to stay. The advertising industry in India, though it has used men, women and children in its ads, has been, till recently, fairly reluctant to compare its clients’ brands with the competition. Should you use it? Yes, if you have a demonstrable advantage. Yes, if your target audience can understand and appreciate your differences. But just remember that every action of yours could have a competitive reaction that is stronger and backed with more media weights. Don’t get carried away by the excitement of comparison, lest you get carried away by the competition.

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