Practitioner Views of Comparative Advertising: How Practices Have Changed in Two Decades

A replication of a 1989 survey of senior advertising agency creative practitioners shows that their views remain quite favorable toward comparative advertising that explicitly identifies competitors.

Practitioner Views of Comparative Advertising: How Practices Have Changed in Two Decades

Fred K. Beard

University of Oklahoma

Management slant

  • The study reported in this article sought the views of advertising agency creative executives regarding the effectiveness of comparative advertising and how those views may have changed during the past 25 years.
  • Survey respondents believe comparative advertising that explicitly identifies competitors remains a message tactic with significant potential for success but also carries the potential for several unintended and potentially negative consequences.
  • Today's creative...

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