5-1 Blog Post

Knowing what consumers want and how to deliver it to them is one of the most important parts of understanding consumer behavior. If you understand what the customer needs (or feels they need) along with the correct mix of price, features, ease of purchase, and positive reinforcement of their post-purchase choice, you will be able to facilitate the consumer purchase experience well. One of the first steps in the consumer experience is product awareness. There are different strategies you can use to make the consumer aware of your product. Highlighting the positive differentiators and comparing them with other similar products is one of the strategies you can employ. Rivalry strategies which show the positive features of a product in direct comparison to a similar product or brand can flaunt a product’s best features. For example, when employing a rivalry strategy, Apple could highlight certain features of an iPad against those of the Google Pixel tablet. A couple of these features might be the highly receptive Apple Pencil for drawing which recognizes and “translates” cursive to text vs the Google stylus of the Pixel tablet which can be used for simple note-taking or the seamlessness of an iPad split-screen to use multiple apps at the same time vs the split screen single app use of the Google Pixel tablet. By showing the deficits in the features of a rival product, Apple is trying to show the iPad as a superior choice. In contrast, a praise strategy focuses on the positive features of a competitor and can benefit a company by fostering a positive perception of the brand and showcasing it as a leader. It can also show respect for a competitor. One of the important ways to do this is using positive examples of features both products have. Phrases like “this product also offers” or focusing on achievements like positive community impact or a successful marketing campaign. It is important to remain respectful, positive, and to highlight your company’s advantages and benefits.

Rivalry marketing can be effective to show the superiority of a product compared to that of  a close competitor. You can conduct it in a humorous way like the Mac vs the PC ads. By helping customers to see the top features of your product and show how it stacks up to the other product’s features, you are helping the customer to learn about your product and to compare it to another similar product in the market. The goal of this strategy is that the customer sees your product as the clear choice. It is important to not be seen as negative or focusing solely on price. For clear market dominators, rivalry marketing can be seen as entertaining and choice-affirming, which builds customer loyalty. As long as the product remains top in the category, it works well. If the product slides in quality or if the rival brand develops a superior feature, there can be damage to the company reputation and a loss of consumer confidence and loyalty. Praise strategy can build confidence with consumers and enhance consumer loyalty by showing a company as a mature and positive. The key is not to praise too heavily in the other company’s direction or to be too negative. Navigating marketing tactics and understanding your customers and their needs will keep you on the right side of brand positioning and help to retain and grow customer loyalty.

Consumers respond favorably to competitor praise because it shows confidence in the product or services. When you willingly praise a competitor, you are saying that you are confident in your product and there is no real competition because you are the superior choice. It also shows that you are experienced in the market. This allows consumer trust to grow along with an opportunity for the added benefit of collaboration and a sense of community with competitors. When consumers make quick judgments through automatic processing or thin-slice theory, they make judgements that are fast and effortless. These largely unconscious evaluations are based on initial perceptions and can include biases. This type of judgement by consumers can increase engagement by encouraging a quick, superficial look at a product without using the slow process of analysis. The quick “I must have this item” and the excitement of the moment can increase the desire to buy the item. The downside to this is buyer’s remorse if the product does not live up to the initial impression.

Praising competitors can be a terrific way to build customer comfort and confident with a brand or product. This strategy might not work if the product you are praising is of significantly higher quality or if it is of comparable quality and available at a lower price. In order to avoid this issue, be sure to research comparable products and understand the market before setting a marketing strategy.