Compared to … What???

“Our brand gets your shirts whiter!”
“Our mouthwash keeps your breath fresh longer!”
“Our battery lasts longer!”

It’s no secret consumers are bombarded with generic comparative messaging. But while this is the norm in much of the advertising world, there’s no proof that it’s the right way to go. In fact, most consumers regard generalities as no more than opinion.

Direct marketing tests have proven that the more specific a comparison is, the more valid the consumer considers it. This reveals a powerful tool for copywriters and marketers. And while it requires a little bit of homework, the payoff can be great.

While many of us have seen infomercials with dramatic demonstrations of how a product works, we who deal with catalogs have a challenge when we want to make a show-and-tell comparison that grabs customers’ attention and gains their trust.

Research First
Of course, you must do fresh research before you start telling your customers about the competition. Research is vital to comparison copy because your perception of what’s desirable to customers may be completely different than reality!

The kind of research that can help you discover what your customers really want includes online research, focus groups and even phone research to existing customers. I recommend using an outside research source that can approach this in a completely unbiased fashion.

This research should focus on some specific products that are in these kinds of scenarios:
1. You know there’s a competitor breathing down your neck; or
2. It’s a very crowded field, and you’re seeking your unique selling proposition.

Then Ask These Questions:
• Have you owned items like this before?
• What’s the most important aspect of this product?
• What makes it something you’d want to purchase?

These answers will zero in on your products that stack up better than the competition’s. They also provide the exact “buttons to push” to develop copy that sets you apart from the crowd in a way your customers will buy into.

The Comparison Sell
Presenting comparisons in your catalog can be done several ways, and each has its own purpose. The goal should be to show people — without actually being in front of them — why your product is different and better than another. Take your catalog from being mere products and copy on pages and turn it into a “paper salesman.” Create a demonstration.

I did this with the CalComp catalog (a division of Lockheed at the time), which sold plotter and printer pens, paper and other supplies. In one case, we laid paper of different thicknesses across an object so that the viewer could compare the papers instantly and decide which one they wanted — more transparent or more opaque.

Consider how you’d show your own products if you were demonstrating them in person. Be imaginative by setting up a dialogue with someone to practice how you’d sell comparison advertising if you were selling face to face. Consider these possibilities:
• For selling something like a collectible, try a close-up shot exposing the quality of a competing collectible vs. yours to show finish and detail;
• For a wig, show a hand holding the wig to the light to prove how lightweight and comfortable the “cap” of the wig is; and
• For a technical product, consider bar charts to demonstrate how your product is more accurate than the competition’s.

Also consider comparing multiple products of your own when similar items are of varying price, quality or level. In this case, consider comparison charts. The Nautilus catalog, for instance, has used a chart to show its many models of stepping equipment in an instant-read comparison. It takes the reader from “Should I buy this equipment from Nautilus?” to “Which one is right for me?” — which naturally is a huge step.

Carol Worthington-Levy is partner, creative services, for Lenser, a catalog consultancy. You can reach her at (408) 269-6871 or carol.worthington-levy@lenser.com.