When I think about brand rivalries, I think about companies trying to prove why their products are the better choice. However, a brand can also attract customers by showing respect for its competition. Both approaches can influence consumer behavior, but they create different impressions about the company.
Traditional rivalry strategies, such as Mac versus PC, emphasize differences between brands. Apple’s familiar advertisements presented Mac as relaxed and modern while portraying PC as more formal and complicated. This approach gives consumers a clear reason to choose one brand over another. It can also strengthen loyalty because customers begin connecting the brand with their own identity. Someone who sees themselves as creative might feel that Mac represents their personality. However, competitive advertising can turn consumers away when the humor starts to feel insulting or the comparisons seem unfair.
Praising competitors builds a different kind of brand positioning. Instead of focusing only on superiority, the company presents itself as confident, respectful, and approachable. Research by Zhou, Du, and Cutright (2022) found that competitor praise can increase perceptions of brand warmth, improving brand evaluations and consumer choice. This suggests that loyalty can grow through positive feelings about a company’s character as well as its product features.
Consumers may respond favorably because a compliment feels unexpected. We are used to businesses promoting themselves, so acknowledging a rival’s success can make a company seem more sincere. In one experiment, participants saw a fictional Kit Kat tweet praising Twix. Those participants later reported purchasing Kit Kat more frequently than participants who saw a message promoting Kit Kat’s own product. The researchers connected this response to perceptions of friendliness and trustworthiness (Zhou et al., 2021).
Automatic processing helps explain how these impressions could develop quickly. Consumers do not carefully analyze every advertisement they encounter. Sometimes, the tone of a short message creates an immediate feeling about a brand. Thin-slice research examines how people form judgments from brief observations of others’ behavior (Ambady & Rosenthal, 1992). Applying that idea to marketing, a brief, sincere compliment could become a cue that a company is thoughtful and confident. This is an application of the theory rather than proof that every positive message will produce a purchase.
For example, imagine seeing one brand congratulate a competitor on a successful product launch while scrolling through Instagram. That small interaction might make someone pause, like the post, or visit the brand’s page. A favorable first impression could increase purchase intent, although price, quality, and personal needs would still influence the final decision.
Praising competitors does have limits. The researchers found that praise loses effectiveness when it appears insincere or does not involve a meaningful competitive risk (Zhou et al., 2021). I would also expect praise to fall flat if a company’s actions contradict its friendly message. A business with unresolved customer complaints may need to improve its service before a compliment can build trust. Similarly, repeatedly highlighting a competitor’s advantages could leave customers wondering what makes the praising brand worth choosing.
As someone building a business, I see value in recognizing another company’s accomplishments while still explaining what my own brand offers. Respect can create a positive first impression, but consistent service and useful products give customers a reason to stay.
References
Ambady, N., & Rosenthal, R. (1992). Thin slices of expressive behavior as predictors of interpersonal consequences: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 111(2), 256–274. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.111.2.256
Zhou, L., Du, K. M., & Cutright, K. M. (2021, November 17). Befriending the enemy: The effects of observing brand-to-brand praise on consumer evaluations and choices. American Marketing Association. https://www.ama.org/2021/11/17/befriending-the-enemy-the-effects-of-observing-brand-to-brand-praise-on-consumer-evaluations-and-choices/
Zhou, L., Du, K. M., & Cutright, K. M. (2022). Befriending the enemy: The effects of observing brand-to-brand praise on consumer evaluations and choices. Journal of Marketing, 86(4), 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429211053002