The Kit Kat & Twix case. Does kindness really pay off for brands?

 

Sometimes, when we think about marketing, an aggressive and unforgiving environment comes to our mind.

After all, market is competition, right?

However, many people value integrity and fair play. And they wish to reward brands that embrace these values.

Is flattery more beneficial to the giver or the recipient?

In 2021, in a series of 12 experiments led by Duke University, two groups of consumers were shown two fake tweets (when we could still call them tweets...) by Kit Kat (snacks that I suppose needs no introduction):

• First tweet - Kit Kat praises Twix: @twix, Competitor or not, congrats on your 54 years in business! Even we can admit - Twix are delicious
• Second tweet - Kit Kat praises itself: Start your day off with a tasty treat!

11 days later, the percentage of those who bought a Kit Kat:

• was 31.95% among those who had seen the first tweet - the competitor's praise
• was 23.77% among those who had seen the second tweet - the trivial self-praise

And the delicious Twixes? Did they benefit from the kind compliment paid to them?

Apparently not: the purchase of Twix, unlike what happened to Kit Kat, did not increase.

Praising others is more helpful than praising ourselves

In another field experiment, researchers tested a fictional car wash Facebook ad.

The results in terms of CTR have been clear:

• 5.4% when the ad praised a competitor: Precision Car Wash congratulates LikeNew Car Wash. Our fiercest competitor and the Industry Best 2020 Award recipient!
• 3.3% when the company praised itself: Precision Car Wash is proud to receive the Industry Best 2020 Award
• 1.8% when the ad showed an external endorsement: The Industry Best 2020 Award committee is proud to announce Precision Car Wash as this year’s Best 2020 Award recipient

Positive comments about competitors, therefore, seem to benefit reputation and sales more than negative, sarcastic, or flippant ones.

However, there is a crucial "but": the effect only works when the praise is perceived as genuine, risky or somehow "costly" - otherwise it would be too easy!

In fact, the effect does not occur when the recipient is not a competitor who would get free visibility, but another kind of business or organization.

Furthermore, niceties towards rivals yield positive effects above all on two critical categories: skeptical consumers and for-profit companies (that are not traditionally seen as warm or caring).

How should the praised brand react?

What should the receiving brand do?

There's a wide range of possible responses to be tested, from the equally kind and fair ("Thank you for the nice words, and sincerely reciprocate: your snack is delicious too!") to the pretentious and arrogant ones ("We're better than others: they say it too!").

In any case, the tactic of showing signs of détente with rivals is not new.

In 2017, the launch of the Nintendo Switch was warmly greeted on Twitter by Microsoft (Xbox) and Sony (PlayStation):

Users rewarded these tweets with a number of likes and shares far above the average.

The New York Times celebrated the 2018 Unesco World Press Freedom Day by inviting its public to also read other trusted news sources:

In 2020, on the eve of strict anti-Covid restriction measures, Burger King asked its followers to order meals from McDonald's and other food outlets, whether large chains or independent shops, fast or not so fast.

Pure self-harm? No, the willingness to support catering workers when restaurants were forced to close and many people were in serious danger of losing their jobs:

Furthermore, according to some research, politicians who acknowledge positive qualities in rivals during an election campaign generate an impression of sincerity, trustworthiness and reliability in the voters - while propaganda that plays on the negative characteristics of opponents is likely to backfire.

Admiring competitors is fine, but with balance

According to Keisha Cutright, Marketing Professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and co-author of the Kit Kat research, "you don’t want to spend your media dollars talking about the competition, but there are times when it makes sense to say something nice, and at the same time, signal who you are as a brand.

That message is that they’re a warm, caring brand that you can trust, which implies they’re also going to be considerate and warm to their customers."

The main thing is not to overdo it:

"If you are constantly talking about the competition, people may not see it as sincere. This isn’t something brands need to do all the time, but it’s something they shouldn’t be afraid to do occasionally to help boost perceptions of their warmth and trustworthiness".

Being kind is a smart move

So, publicly praising competitors every now and then, on social media or even in an ad, or encouraging them for a new project or initiative, can be a good move to convey a warmer, kinder, more authentic and friendly brand image.

A sensible tactic that seems to benefit the praiser brand even more than the praised one.

Sources

Academic research

• Befriending the Enemy: The Effects of Observing Brand-to-Brand Praise on Consumer Evaluations and Choices
• When political candidates “go positive”: the effects of flattering the rival in political communication

Web articles

• Befriending the Enemy: The Effects of Observing Brand-to-Brand Praise on Consumer Evaluations and Choices
• Branding Lesson: Surprise Kit Kat Tweet Praises Twix; What Happens Next?
• Brands can goose their own reps by praising rivals
• Praise your competitors