In a competition-led world, brands are turning the tables the wrong way around—building their own fake competitors. Why so?
This phenomenon of “faux-rivalry marketing” enables brands to create buzz, boost engagement, and dictate the agenda. By creating a made-up competitor, companies ignite controversy, driving brand love and top-of-mind recall. Imagine an artificial rivalry in which the victor is always the brand.
For instance, Pepsi and Coca-Cola have leveraged one another’s competition for decades. More recent brands are doing it in an additional way. Certain brands invent mythical competitors to empower them and dictate the narrative. It is especially trending in the tech, fashion, and food markets, where differentiation counts.
Another perk? It enables brands to try out new personas, pricing schemes, and angles of attack with no actual competition. By introducing an “adversary,” they create scarcity and urgency.
But if mishandled, customers will end up feelingduped. Honesty and originality need to walk together in harmony for the trick to pay off.
Ultimately, phony competitors aren’t all about rivalry—they’re an intelligent marketing tool that keeps companies on the cutting edge and conversation going.
#BrandStrategy #MarketingTrends #FauxRivalry #CompetitiveMarketing #ConsumerEngagement