Competitive Copywriting – Denial

The chances are that somewhere in the world there is a business which offers virtually the same product or service as you do. So how do you deal with your competition in your content marketing efforts? How do you address the challenge through copywriting?

Denial

One technique for dealing with competition which some businesses find works is flat denial. Their website content takes the general attitude that they are the market and that no one else can do what they do.

A picture of a stack of cards which read "No"

“No, we have no competitors.”
A very risky copywriting approach

Perhaps the best-known practitioner of the Denial copywriting method is Apple. Apple’s approach to marketing communications never, ever acknowledges competitors and often suggests that they really are the only business in the market.

Obviously Apple are the only company making iPads, iPhones and Macintosh computers, but this does not account for other computer, smartphone and tablet manufacturers who make similarly (or even better) specified devices. Not that you would ever know that from reading a single item of web content produced by the Apple marketing team.

The dangers of denial in copywriting

For fans of Apple, the Denial approach comes across as supreme confidence in the superiority of their products. For those who favour other platforms, Apple appear incredibly arrogant.

While it is important to highlight the benefits of your products or services in your web copy, it is very high risk to your company reputation to appear arrogant. If you put people off your products with a misjudged tone, they almost certainly will not buy from you.

For some companies Denial-based copywriting might work, but examples of other businesses succeeding with this approach are not common. Fortunately there are alternative ways to dealing with your competition through quality web content – check back tomorrow for another, assassination.

Need a hand with your website copywriting? Get in touch!