Rivalry Week

Friday, February 12th, 2010

As Rivalry Week comes to an end on ESPN, bitter advertising rivalries are just beginning to heat up.  We’ve all seen Verizon’s “Maps” campaign, where it compares its 3G coverage to the “#2 wireless company“, and now fast-food pizza is joining in the comparative advertising fun.

Dominos has recently launched a campaign that directly attacks Papa Johns’ “Better ingredients.  Better pizza” ads, and boasts its victory in a taste test nationwide.  Dominos calls Papa Johns’ slogan “puffery“, and invites consumers to “Taste the Truthery” that it offers.  While many may believe this is too bold of a move, the campaign should definitely gather some publicity for Dominos.

Comparative advertising techniques have been used for years, but these companies  have taken more aggressive approaches than what consumers may be accustomed to.  Verizon’s ads began by comparing its maps to At&t’s, but newer ads no longer reference its rival by name.  They now compare maps vs. the United States’ “#2 wireless company”.  Since consumers already know who Verizon’s #1 competitor is, they automatically associate “#2 wireless company” with At&t.  I believe this is a very clever tactic by Verizon to associate #2 with At&t, leaving the #1 spot for itself.  This association will likely have an enormous negative impact on At&t’s positioning with consumers, and greatly help Verizon establish itself as the premiere wireless company.  I also believe another response using a hefty Luke Wilson will do little to help At&t’s cause.

While Verizon’s campaign has been planned and executed to perfection, Dominos has yet to take shape.  However, their launch shortly following the Super Bowl could work to their advantage.  Following their taste test victory over Pizza Hut and Papa Johns, Dominos has launched its own line of “Pizza Champions” clothing.   Their branded t-shirts and hats naming Dominos Pizza Champions closely resembles the Super Bowl Champion gear sold following the Big Game.  As Americans are caught up in the hype of “Super Bowl Champions”, they could be more inclined to notice other champions being named.

While the company that begins the “ad war” often achieves a first-mover advantage, of sorts, I can’t help but wonder what the best response to such ads are?  If you’re the industry leader, it’s probably best to ignore attacks from an advertising perspective, but what if you arent’?  What if most consumers don’t actually know who is better?  I believe At&t’s response to Verizon’s ads has been weak, at best.  The ads fail to defend the initial point of conflict, maps and have obviously been rushed out to respond, but what could have been done to respond better?  What should you do if you are Pizza Hut, or Papa Johns?

Please feel free to leave your comments and questions, as I believe this trend may increase moving forward.