“Every search for a hero must begin with something that every hero requires, a villain. Therefore, in our search for a hero, Bellerophon, we created the monster, Chimera.”
Mission Impossible II (2000)
Without evil, good cannot exist. Let's not get too weighty here, only make the point that things become know-able and understood in relation to another, to some point of contrast.
It doesn't have to be as literal as establishing opposites, good-evil, black-white, although a Point of Comparison does serve to identify difference.
Some time ago, I played around with the idea of "The Counterpoint brand", and this still holds up for me.
The Counterpoint brand is, often, the second-to-market or Number 2 brand in a category. Over time, it asserts that it's absolutely and positively not "the second best option" but the viable, maybe radical, perhaps sexier, even better alternative.
And a lot of it is perceptual rather than substance-based.
Take BMW and Audi.
I’m sure die hard BMW and Audi fans will swear these brands, “their brands”, are poles apart, and there is maybe a little Cain & Abel going on... but really... c'mon... Audi and BMW are cut from the same cloth.
BMW, more “The Establishment”, Audi, “edgier” and arguably younger and sexier, but all in all, they're both the embodiment of German engineering excellence from pioneering design houses. Two sides, same coin.
The chassis, under the bonnet, the cabin-build quality, “the drive”, the choice between Audi and BMW is born of emotional brand appeal, because the physical qualities are inherently similar.
What becomes compelling, which is where Advertising & Image Creation comes in, is how BMW and Audi drivers strongly differentiate themselves from each other.
"Audi? Oh no. For me, it's BMW all the way".
"I'd never drive BMW, I'm very much an Audi kinda guy."
Remember this Yuppie send-up ad from the mid-90’s, where Audi looked to score points from BMW in regard to the kind of driver they attracted?
Audi “It won’t be appreciated by everyone”
The reality is, Audi's existence helps define BMW. BMW gives comparative meaning to the Audi brand. Each establishes a bearing in relation to the other, like a ship off-shore fixing on the beam from a lighthouse.
It's a curious thought that the efforts of Audi's marketing department is defining what BMW stands for. And of course, the vice-versa applies.
Haagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s.
McDonalds and Burger King.
Google and Bing.
Facebook and Twitter.
Apple and Microsoft.
“I’m a Mac...”
I’m not suggesting “Name the Counterpoint brand?” is a fun and fail-safe game that can kill an 8 hour car journey, but it’s a potentially instructive vantage point when trying to get to the bottom of the “where & whys” behind a brand’s meaning and appeal.
Search engines, computer software and hardware, premium ice creams and hamburgers – the counterpoint principle can apply to most categories, where brands may derive perceived meaning (and tribal allegiance) from their juxtaposition.
Audi, Apple, Bing, Burger King – all are clear, and clearly vocal Counterpoint Brands.
“More like a back-yard BBQ”
And what is more, vocal is good. Vocal brands are what people need – because it’s hard to make decisions in isolation, within a void empty of “Compare & Contrast”.
“Is this toaster cheap or expensive, well-made or shoddy?” Without comparison, people’s heads spin. They feel in the dark, ill-informed, even a little brain-queasy. We all “go compare” on instinct, which is why the internet is awash with price-comparison sites, all claiming to be these demystifying “make-easy” agents in a world of Too Much Choice.
compare-all-you-want.com
All product categories are battlegrounds, where brand’s bare teeth and knuckle in their attempts to come out on top. Their distinction (pseudo or real) is a function of comparison. For all brands, the assertion of Different & Better is an eternal pursuit, and it means that “branding” is all about relativity. To me, it’s a vis-à-vis kind of dynamic.
To be a category hero, a brand needs to contrive a worthy villain, a suitable counterpoint, irrespective of how same or different they truly are.
Audi... defined by its competition
SP.
Footnote:
Unbreakable (2000): “Now that we know who you are, I know who I am.”
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