Advertising Strategies by Company Ranking

`There is a difference even in the advertisement between No. 1 company, No. 2 and No. 3 companies.`

Above all, the leading companies in the market are advertising themselves in a totally different way. They resolutely refuse to the lackadaisical expression such as `the product is good in this sense`. For example, the giant of electric home appliance industry, the SONY delivers only a simple logo, `It`s Sony`, adding nothing superfluous. It is the expression of the confidence of the brand.

The Hyundai Motor usually shows the splendid appearance of a car rather than the performance. And with a calm and composed attitude, the SK Telecom has concentrated on the image advertisement such as `the leader is different` and `it is good even if it is not the 011`.

On the other hand, the chasing companies are mobilizing all kinds of variegated and multicolored strategies for the advertisement. They put the emphasis on the method to draw attention from the consumer. Some companies would try to differentiate themselves with a message `we are different`, and others would show the respect to the leader, which is a very odd strategy. And many companies are using the comparative advertisement to ceaselessly disparage the leading company.

▼ Differentiation

Among the mobile phone service companies, the advertisement of 001 `TTL` has been regarded as the most successful aiming at the specific consumer group. The advertisement captivated the teens` hearts with the mysterious and phantasmal mood of a new face, Yim Eun-Kyung. Thrusting a challenge at the leader, the `Na` of 016 employed the very contrary concept in order to break the TTL`s image. It surprised the consumer with a bizarre and rustic concept in opposition to the mysteriousness. The logo, `Dad, who am I?`, instantly became well-known to everybody. As a result, the `Na` subscribers increased to 2.3 million (as of the end of June) which is close to the number of the TTL subscribers. On the contrary to the `hope` of the TTL, the `Na` selected the `despair` as a main concept in the recent commercial.

▼ We are not the first place.

It would be a key to success to shout, `we are not the best`. The US`s rent-a-car company, AVIS had been struggling with the deficit since the establishment in 1952. The AVIS began the No.2 campaign, `we are nothing but the second place. So, we are working harder and harder`. It was for the first time in the commercial history that the company recognized itself as No.2. Actually, the AVIS was not even in the second place then. But since the No.2 campaign, the AVIS really moved up to the second place, following the `Hertz`.

The Daewoo Motor also began the commercial, `the Hyundai Motor, we wish you a long trail of victories!`. It means that there has to be the Daewoo Motor in order for the leader Hyundai to develop more. But it also implies that `there never be the Hyundai Motor without the Daewoo Motor`.

▼ Bite the Leader!

For the chasing group, there is no sensational and fast means like the comparative advertisement. It is because they can advertise themselves as comparative to the leading company. For example, the `Yahoo`, the representative search site, has incessantly been attacked by the chasing companies. After the Daum communication presented the logo, `Admiral. Lee Soon-Shin, the Daum, will beat off the Yahoo`. And the `Empas` became well-recognized with the comparative advertisement, `if not found in Yahoo, find it in the Empas`. Recently, the Microsoft Network is scolding the hound and the rabbit, which are the emblems of the Lycos and the Empas respectively, with the logo, `What else can you find?`.

Currently, the comparative advertisement is occupying the 35 percent of the commercials, which have been broadcasting on TV in the US. The comparative advertisement was allowed in principle in Korea by the revision of the related laws in July last year.

▼ Detour the high rampart!

If all strategies were not effective, it would be more favorable to create an independent market. The Haitaibeverage made a new concept `Combi Yellow Cola`, as the domestic 815 Cola has been blocked by the stronghold of the Coca Cola and has struggled desperately in the market. The Haitaibeverage pioneered the cache market with the yellow cola, detouring the black cola market. The `Sprite` also succeeded to advance to the market with the logo of `Un-Cola`.

Moon Kwon-Mo africa7@donga.com