CMO Axis

#CampaignCompetition #DefensiveMarketing

#SocialMediaMarketing #CompetitiveMarketing #AdvertisingWars

Dear Marketer,

Old fashioned rivalry among iconic brands is an interesting spectacle to watch from the sidelines. Who doesn’t remember the witty jibes between Apple and Blackberry or the commercial war of “Get a MAC” and “I’m a PC” campaigns? Some companies take potshots at each other while others go on an offensive marketing blitz to take down their contenders.

Comparative advertising is often used as a marketing weapon to establish superiority over other brands. While such campaigns sometimes encourage fair competition (which benefits the customers), it can at times take an ugly turn and result in controversies affecting customer choice.

With the competitive environment becoming increasingly intense by the day, this week, we look at how marketers can survive the competition and emerge as the clear winner in a marketing joust.

#CampaignCompetition: In a tough environment, sometimes it pays to go after your competition.

@CMO: Marketers for the most part follow a strategy of advertising their strengths, ignoring the competition’s presence. However, a carefully-crafted and well-timed message that challenges the competitors’ offering has resulted in success for several businesses. Here are some tips on how to devise such a campaign, but do it only if it is a suitable opportunity.

#DefensiveMarketing: Defensive marketing can help you raise entry barriers and guard your turf. Find out how.

@CMO: At some point, organizations will need to fall back on defensive marketing to retain their dominance in the market. Defensive marketing strategies can be applied to pricing, distribution, product improvement or advertising. If you are at the top, it is a technique that needs to become a part of your marketing strategy so you are not caught unawares.

#SocialMediaMarketing: With the influence that social media wields, marketers must learn how to outperform their competition on this platform.

@CMO: Social media (SM) has become a popular marketing platform and it is not uncommon to have a competitor overtake your campaign with a larger following. Should this happen, it becomes important to understand your competition, so that you can respond accordingly. This means that you might have to ‘follow’ your competition to investigate their SM strategy.

#CompetitiveMarketing: Here are 5 ways to draw away your competitors’ audiences and showcase why your brand is a better choice.

@CMO: Every brand is attempting to stay ahead and gain market share. One way is to get some facetime in front of competitor audiences to build awareness and generate sales. The trick here is to put your brand before people who are interested in your competitors’ products. Here are five advertising strategies to beat your competitor at their marketing game.

#AdvertisingWars: Social media allows brand rivals to battle their differences on a public platform - a battle that is followed in real time by the audience.

@CMO: Some brands have had long-standing rivalry and ad wars that are easier to follow on social media. As loyal customers cheer for their favorite brand, it is important to note that customers are closely observing and scoring how your brand stacks up against the competition. Here are some key takeaways from case studies of well-known brands that have gone after their competitors.

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