From brand banter to courtroom battles

Comparative advertising is quite prevalent in Western markets. Major competing brands frequently engage in advertising battles.

- Suneera Tandon

Cheeky comebacks, digs at competitors, full-page ads claiming product superiority over "rivals"—brand wars are hardly new in the advertising world. Companies often engage directly with rivals through ads, jibes and social media posts, in a bid to stay relevant, sharpen their brand narrative or aggressively defend market share.

According to marketers, comparative marketing is used by both small and big brands: for smaller brands, it's a way to attract attention by challenging established leaders; for larger brands, it's an opportunity to display strong data to substantiate claims and communicate their superior offerings.

In either case, the campaigns are well-thought-out and tactical ways to build a brand narrative, said Lloyd Mathias, angel investor and business strategist.

"Brands typically do it when they operate in a pretty undifferentiated segment, essentially categories where it's a good way to establish a clear point of differentiation and showcase their superior offering versus competitors, say colas or hair oils," he said in an interview with Mint. Mathias was formerly marketing head of HP Inc.'s computers business for the Asia-Pacific region as well as executive vice president, marketing, and category director for PepsiCo India and South Asia.

Mathias explained that when a smaller brand challenges a giant—in a classic David versus Goliath scenario—the campaign itself can effectively draw consumer attention to the entire product category. "Large brands, on the other hand, could also be using data to display superiority over the competition. Market leaders typically use such advertisements to stymie competition—very clearly," he said.