Mudslinging and politics seem to go hand in hand.  You’ve read enough articles about how effective negative campaigning is for political contests that you realize it isn’t going away any time soon.

Some of you have even wondered if it will work for your store.

It won’t.

Here is why…

When it is a one-time vote between only A or B, you can win votes for B by telling everyone how bad A is.  But retail is not a one-time vote between only two candidates.  Retail includes many candidates including None of the Above.  You don’t have the resources to attack each one of those options (including None of the Above) negatively.  And even if you did, the feelings people will have about you will be far from positive before they even step foot inside your door!

In a political election people will choose the “lesser of two evils” mainly because they have no other choice.

Going negative at best only makes you the lesser of two evils.  

The cool thing is that you don’t have to go negative to point out how you are better than your competitor.  Take the, “Here is what we do and why we do it,” stance.

Talk about your virtues that make you different from your competition.
Talk about why you do it that way.
Talk about how that benefits your customers.

That is the campaign that wins time and again in retail.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Not sure what are your virtues?  Read this short document Understanding Your Brand and do the following worksheets.  You’ll know better who you are so that you can be who you are better.