Comparative advertising is not new…the Whopper vs. the Big Mac, PC vs. Mac, Pampers vs. Huggies. Avis Rent-A-Car even capitalized on its Number 2 status over Hertz by employing the tagline “We Try Harder.” As of recent, Dunkin’ Donuts has gone head to head with Starbucks in TV ads and through the microsite: www.dunkinbeatstarbucks.com.
Comparative advertising is usually considered an “underdog’s game.” And with the economic downturn, isn’t it about time that credit unions get more aggressive and show why they are different? Maybe even add in a little humor?
The Financial Brand has a great article on Canada’s Coast Capital Savings Credit Union’s newest campaign to rally the community and stick it to the big banks.
Coast Capital Savings is collecting signatures for an 8’ by 10’ greeting card that “congratulates” banks for charging Canadians an average of $171 each year in banking fees (or rather $3 billion per year).
They have also created these humorous TV ads to promote their Free Chequing, Free Debit and More Account with people proclaiming their “love” of fees:
Then, check out the www.ilovefees.com website to upload your own commercial and buy “I love fees” merchandise.
One word of caution though when dabbling in comparative advertising, make sure your "jabs" are based on real, factual information that you can support and your members/community can get behind.
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