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Brand rivalries can strongly influence how consumers view and choose products. Traditional rivalry strategies, such as Apple’s “Mac versus PC” campaign, usually make one brand appear better by criticizing or comparing it with another. These campaigns can create a clear brand position and encourage customer loyalty because consumers may begin to identify with one side. However, negative comparisons can also make a company seem aggressive or immature. Research shows that mentioning a true rival can increase consumer engagement because rivalries create an ongoing story with recognizable competitors and conflict ( Berendt et al., 2024). This means rivalry advertising can attract attention, especially from loyal customers and people who are familiar with both brands.
Praising a competitor creates a different type of brand image. Instead of attacking another company, a brand admits that the competitor does something well while still explaining its own strengths. For example, a company might say, ” Our competitor offers excellent customer service, while our brand provides more customization. This approach can make the brand appear confident, honest, and respectful. Research found that praising competitors can improve brand evaluations, social media engagement, brand choice, and purchase behavior because consumers view the praising company as warmer ( Zhou et al., 2022). Traditional rivalry may build loyalty through competition, while competitor praise can build loyalty through trust and positive feelings.
Consumers may respond favorably to competitor praise because they often make quick judgments based on limited information. This is connected to thin-sliced theory, which explains that people can form useful impressions after observing a small amount of behavior or communication. Ambady and Rosenthal (1992) found that brief observations can help people make accurate judgments in many situations. In Marketing, a short message praising a competitor may quickly suggest that a brand is fair, secure, and thoughtful. Consumers may then become more interested in the message and more willing to consider buying from the brand. In addition, praise can seem less like a traditional sales pitch, which may make consumers more open to the company’s message.
Praising competitors will not work in every situation. It may fail if the praise seems fake, exaggerated, or designed only to manipulate customers. It can also hurt a brand if the competitor is clearly better in the area being discussed. For example, praising a competitor’s lower prices may remind consumers that the company’s own prices are higher. Competitor praise may also be ineffective when customers strongly identify with one brand and reject information from another. Finally, brands must make sure their comparisons are accurate and not misleading. The best strategy is to use praise carefully, connect it to a real strength, and explain why the company still offers value. Overall, both rivalry and competitor praise can influence consumer behavior, but praise is most effective when it appears genuine and supports a clear brand position.
References
Ambady, N., & Rosenthal, R. (1992). Thin slices of expressive behavior as predictors of interpersonal consequences: A meta-analysis. Psycho;ogical Bulletin, 111(2), 256-274.https://doi.org/
Berendt, J., Uhrich, S., Borah, A., & Kilduff, G. J. (2024). The rivalry reference effect: Referencing rival (vs.nonrival) Competitors in public brand messages increases consumer engagement. Journal of Marketing Research.https://doi.org/
Zhou, L., Du, K. M., & Cutright, K. M.(2022). Befriending the enemy: The effects of observing brand-to-brand praise on consumer evaluations and choices. Journal of Marketing, 86(4), 57-72.https://doi.org/
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