Brave or Foolish web page?

[Dawg]

This Yank Web design agency lists their competition, with links, saying:
"Please, shop around—our work and reputation stands up to the competition."

Brave or foolish?

 

[Taabish]

Definately both.

 

[SpeedyExpressCouriers]

lol, never seen that before. I wouls also say both brave and foolish.

 

[Rhyl Lightworks]

I would say that if they are confident in what they say, it is a good strategy. After all, how many people are going to be bothered visiting all those sites. They are probably not very good ones anyway - they won't list the real competition.
Barrie

 

[Bruce Allinson]

I would say it is for the benefit of the competition . . .
and they proberbly don't care. As far as I can tell the bigger the agency the worse the website, (our own is one of the worst we have done in years and ot of date at that). Most agebcies websites are not used to secure business and most of us only have one because we feel we should.

In 20 years I have never known a client look at our website. Nor have we ever picked up any real work from the site, buyers of creative work with 20k or more budgets tend to buy face to face not through google results.

The only people looking are the competition. This must be why they have done it. Lets face it we all love to scare the **** out of the competition.

 

[Bruce Allinson]

OR . . .
maybe they do get work from the site, (its american after all) and maybe they just want to be right there when people google the competitions name. Adding the name to their site should get them in the results!

Am I getting cynical?

 

[An Oasis]

Foolish, they did not sell themselves before introducing the competition, i.e. I have no idea of what they can achieve before seeing what their competitors can. Once there I may never come back.

 

[Dawg]

Bruce Allinson:

In 20 years I have never known a client look at our website.

That's very impressive, having a web site from 1987....*

 

[directmarketingadvice]

Brave or foolish?

The idea's been around since at least 1923 because Claude Hopkins mentioned something along these lines:

"An advertiser suffered much from substitution. He said, "Look out for substitutes," "Be sure you get this brand," etc., with no effect. Those were selfish appeals.

Then he said, "Try our rivals' too" - said it in his headlines. He invited comparisons and showed that he did not fear them. That corrected the situation. Buyers were careful to get the brand so conspicuously superior that its maker could court a trial of the rest."

From Scientific Advertising

Steve

 

[10Yetis]

I cannot personally see the benefit if it is just giving them a mention.

The only time I think things like these work is where you do a tickbox comparing your offering with competitors and demonstrate how yours outperforms theirs.

The most memorable one of these for me (apart from Kashflow's) is the launch campaign that Wetherspoon did for its breakfasts a few years ago saying how it outperformed places like McDonalds and Costa Coffee (Starbucks was not around at the time).

 

[Stephen Berry]

I agree with 10 Yetis - they have missed a massive opportunity.

Mere mention and link - nil points.
Mention competition after selling yourself (per Oasis) 5 points.
Sell yourself and demonstrate overwhelming superiority - jackpot.

Thanks Dawg - this has got me thinking about something to do when we revamp my training company's web site in the near future.

 

The idea's been around since at least 1923 because Claude Hopkins mentioned something along these lines:

"An advertiser suffered much from substitution. He said, "Look out for substitutes," "Be sure you get this brand," etc., with no effect. Those were selfish appeals.

Then he said, "Try our rivals' too" - said it in his headlines. He invited comparisons and showed that he did not fear them. That corrected the situation. Buyers were careful to get the brand so conspicuously superior that its maker could court a trial of the rest."

From Scientific Advertising

Steve

After all this time, I still think dear old claude hopkins, and maybe robert colliers letterbook are still someof the best things ever written.

 

[pmarsh]

After looking at that page I next took a look at their work page, ok, three projects, a little basic for my liking. On to the project pricing.. hmm, seems a lot... $4000 to $6000 for a website "template only" - closed browser window... next!

 

[JustOneUK]

It's cool to list your competition provided;
a) you have none
b) see A

seriously, if you are better than the rest then you have nothing to lose however in the internet world it's each to their own. What you may think is poor the next guy will like.

James.