With elections on both sides of the border, negative marketing examples abound from pooping puffins to warnings about risks that voters simply can’t afford to take.
The question is, if negative marketing is used so consistently and liberally by politicians and even by some professionals, does that mean that it works?
Sometimes negative marketing works.
Negative marketing scares people into action and fear is a great motivator.
Sometimes it comes back to bite the attacker or doomsayer instead.
Negative marketing may appear to be an easy marketing strategy but it is one that is laced with risk. When a negative marketing campaign fails, the effect isn’t neutral.
It’s negative.
Here is some great advice from BNET about taking the high road instead of the easier negative marketing option:
A safer route is to skip the attack ads altogether and use implied comparisons. Avis doesn’t directly attack Hertz, they simply “try harder.” Wendy’s legendary “Where’s the Beef?” campaign never directly named McDonald’s or Burger King but humorously implied that other burgers were smaller. In response to Kmart’s campaign exhorting female customers to clip coupons, Wal-Mart adroitly ran spots showing busy women who had no time to clip coupons enjoying the convenience of low prices every day without them. No mudslinging necessary–just build a campaign around the comparative benefits of working with you, and your customers will make all the right connections.
Photo credit (top): AmmarQ8