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Comparatively speaking
01/07/2008 08:33 - (SA)
Chris Moerdyk
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or throw myself under a cement truck in frustration when I heard about those proposals last week to allow banks to be able to use comparative advertising.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to see every company in this country allowed to use comparative advertising - its just that whenever calls like these are made they are ignored by government, ignored by practically anyone who has any influence and very much ignored by the marketing industry that sees comparative advertising as some sort of satanistic conspiracy against them.
The point is that as long as comparative advertising is outlawed, the South African consumer has absolutely no way of comparing quality and price. Right now all we have is a situation where companies are allowed to say they have the best product in the world but are not allowed to say that their product is better than similar products even if they don't mention the brand name of that similar product.
It is all smoke and mirrors and allows a lot of sub-standard brands to get away with murder.
Big fish, small fish
Of course, many marketers don't want to see comparative advertising because it will harm their brands which will be exposed for what they are. They will argue that comparative advertising is harmful because it favours big companies with big advertising budgets and harms the little guys who can't afford to compare their products with those of the big guys.
Which is rubbish. Because right now small companies have a heck of a lot more disadvantages than big companies and it is ridiculous to single out comparative advertising as the big culprit.
Now strangely enough, newspapers, radio stations and TV channels can happily compare products and prices inn their editorial columns. Nobody gets struck by lightening, nobody gets hurt. So, why can't this happen in advertising?
And if some big company makes misleading or wrongful comparisons against a small company, well what's to stop small guys from suing the pants off big guys in court of law?
Now, our Advertising Standards Authority will claim of course, that South Africa does have comparative advertising. But really, it is nothing more than a lame excuse for comparative advertising. Pure tokenism.
Freedom to choose
The fact of the matter is that legalising comparative advertising isn't up to the Advertising Standards Authority nor the marketing industry. It all falls under the Trademarks Act that forbids any company from displaying or discussing another trade mark.
So, those heavy hitters who so refreshingly found our banks to be ripping us off and who then called for comparative advertising to be allowed, will have to start looking at that act of parliament that is standing in the way and lobby for amendments to be made.
I wish them luck, however, because I don't think government gives a toss about whether the consumer will benefit from comparative advertising and certainly the marketing industry has always looked at its own self-interest first.
Sure comparative advertising has its flaws. It's not perfect. But, it does at least allow the consumer to make intelligent choices. Which is much better than the situation now where the consumer simply has to take the word of big brands that they are delivering value and service.
Advertisers are telling us what to choose. Its time we were allowed to make our own choices.
Send your comments to Chris.
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