• Brands can leverage the competition by using this marketing strategy. 
• It’s a strategy of showcasing the available options while subtly presenting yours as the best option. 

The “Show People the Competition” marketing strategy acknowledges the competitors in your marketing messages instead of promoting yourself. It’s a relatively bold approach that flips the scenario of traditional marketing. It revolves around recognising and showcasing your competitor’s offerings instead of solely focusing on promoting your product. 

Brands are busy promoting themselves, their products, and their services to surpass the competition. But if they somehow acknowledge the competition and mention what they offer in their campaign, this is what the “show people the competition” strategy is all about. This shows your customers that you are so confident about the product or service that you are ready to let customers decide what’s best for them. 

By acknowledging competitors, brands come across as transparent and confident, and ads could foster trust with potential customers. This strategy educates customers about the competitive landscape while subtly highlighting the uniqueness and features of the product or service that set them apart. It’s like placing your and competitors’ products or services and letting audiences decide which one to buy. 

Apple vs. PC: How did Mac become a success by using the “Show People the Competition” Marketing Strategy? 

The tech industry giant Apple has successfully used a “show people the competition” marketing strategy. Their “Think Different” campaign, which later evolved into the “Get a Mac” ad series, is believed to be a textbook example of using this marketing strategy. Interestingly, Apple placed the Mac as a better product without explicitly naming the competition but targeting the class. 

Focus on the Alternatives

Unlike other marketing strategies, Apple spent no time bashing and diminishing any specific PC brand of features. They knew that bashing other PC manufacturers, like HP, IBM, etc, might not bring the desired results. Instead, they focused on creating a distinct identity for Mac PCs. 

Apple’s “Think Different” campaign was skillfully designed to position Macs as a better choice for creative and non-conformist users. Through this marketing campaign, Apple tried to suggest to potential buyers that PCs were for the mainstream and uninspired, not for creative users. 

Skillfully Highlighting the Pain Points

The “Get a Mac” ad series took a humorous approach to showcasing the frustrations of regular PC users. The engaging ads depicted PCs as prone to crashes, involved complex setups, and lacked the required user-friendliness—something that Apple’s Mac was offering. 

Apple interestingly and subtly pointed out these struggles and offered themselves as the solution, more so, and a simpler and more reliable alternative. It was more like pointing out the issues with the competitor’s product and placing yours as the solution. Although it comes out as a cruel way of pointing out others’ mistakes, Apple skillfully highlights them and addresses the pain points with its product offerings.

Establishing the Emotional Connection With Subtlety

Apple’s marketing strategy went beyond showcasing the technical aspects of the Mac; it appealed to the primary human emotion of being different. They targeted the emotion of expressing creativity and pointed to the ease of seamless user experience. This emotional connection resonated harmoniously with the target audience and created a sense of belonging to the Apple community. 

By not naming any of the competitors specifically, Apple intelligently avoided any negativity and appeared confident at the same time. The whole focus of the marketing campaign was establishing Apple’s brand identity and how the company is different from the crowd. This also helped create a sense of intrigue and made consumers curious about Mac’s offerings.

Long-Term Impact and Key Takeaways

Apple’s “Think Different” and “Get a Mac” campaigns created a lasting impact and positioned the company as a premium brand designed for creative professionals and everyday users alike. Through this campaign, Apple successfully created a sense of intrigue and made existing and potential consumers curious about what the tech giant offered with the Mac. 

The critical component of this strategy is that Apple always badmouthed the competition to be successful. Rather, they successfully positioned the brand with unique value propositions and how it solves existing problems. Apple also crafted a compelling narrative that resonated with the target audience. It also allows the product to speak for itself and subtly nudges them to compare the alternatives. 

The “Show People the Competition” Strategy Explained

The core concept of this marketing strategy intelligently shifts the focus from promoting your product or service to directly acknowledging and showcasing what your competitors are offering. Implementing this strategy helps brands in multiple ways, as discussed below. 

By acknowledging the competitors, a brand comes across as transparent and confident, creating trust between existing and potential customers. Acknowledging the competition helps educate the users about the competitive landscape and the various options available in the market. Showcasing competition and subtly highlighting the unique features and benefits that set them apart could help a brand position itself as an industry authority.

How can a Brand Implement this Strategy? 

Before implementing this marketing strategy, marketers must first understand the level of competition; the ad uses this information to draft the brands’ advertisements. The brands’ advertisements. Brands must focus on creating competitive advertisements, which can be done by highlighting how the product compares favorably to the competition in terms of specific features and price ranges. 

Creating content that reviews and compares the product alongside the competitor’s offerings could be a great step. These ads can also showcase customer testimonials who have chosen your product or service over the competition. The main point to consider here is not to badmouth the competition but subtly position yourself as a better option. 

Potential Benefits and Important Considerations Show People the Competition

By taking this unconventional approach, a brand can successfully grab the attention of both existing and potential customers while portraying an innovative brand image. By mentioning the competition and their offerings, you can spark curiosity about your product or service, drawing attention to the brand narrative. 

Highlighting the strong market competition, a brand can make its own claims to be seen as more credible in comparison. For instance, Apple subtly mentioned the competitors’ offerings and portrayed itself as a better option. This not only placed the brand as a provider of better offerings but also steered away from badmouthing the competition. 

While acknowledging the competition, brands must ensure that the message clearly communicates the uniqueness of their brand offerings. At all costs, they should avoid bad-mouthing the competitors and focus on their products’ strengths. Also, choosing the competitors should be done carefully, and the campaign should be compared with them strategically while highlighting the areas where you shine. 

Pros and Cons of “Showing People the Competition” Marketing Strategy

Similar to other marketing strategies, “showing the people the competition” comes with its pros and cons, as discussed below. 

Pros Show People the Competition

Incorporating this marketing strategy can be unconventional, eye-catching, and attention-grabbing. It can also spark curiosity among testing and potential customers who might otherwise be looking for other brands. Also, by acknowledging the competitors, the brand might appear transparent and confident, fostering trust with the customers. 

By highlighting the strong competitors in the market, brands can make their claims more credible by positioning themselves as industry authorities; a brand can educate them about the competitive landscape and availability of different options. Also, by showcasing competitions, you can subtly highlight the uniqueness that sets you apart. 

Cons

This marketing strategy risks backfiring. If not executed well, the campaign might unintentionally promote your competitors or make your product substandard. There’s also a risk of focusing too much on the competition and not enough on your value proposition. In such cases, it’s important to communicate why your brand is the best choice. 

If the campaign discussed competitor pricing, it could trigger a price war or some controversy that could hurt the profit margins. If done poorly, this marketing campaign might come across as arrogant or negative, especially if it badmouthed competitors. 

Ultimately, this marketing campaign can be a powerful tool if used strategically. However, a great deal of careful planning and execution is required to avoid backfire. This strategy can make your product or service a better option than the competition, eventually boosting brand perception and driving sales.