Competitive advertising benefits smaller tech firms more

New technology companies and smaller firms have more to gain from advertisements that take a creative dig at rivals, as consumers tend to empathise with the underdog. However, they need to be mindful of keeping claims accurate and competitor attacks light-hearted. SMU Assistant Professor of Marketing (Education) Chung Seh-Woong said that competitive advertising benefits new or minor brands with small market share more than bigger ones. For example, in 1984, Apple instantly became a household brand when it released the Macintosh, in its SuperBowl advertisement, as it threw a "not-so-subtle" jab at IBM, he pointed out.