The day Nintendo launched the Switch gaming system, both Xbox and PlayStation congratulated Nintendo on social media. It was a somewhat surprising move. Big brands typically don’t compliment their competitors – they wouldn’t want to offer a rival brand free publicity. But this research shows that a brand can actually boost its own reputation and sales by complimenting a competitor. Nearly a dozen experiments with almost 4,000 people demonstrate that brands may reap rewards by engaging in brand-to-brand praise

1. “Befriending the Enemy”
How praising your competition can boost
your brand
From: Zhou, Du, and Cutright (2021)

2. The benefits of brand-to-brand praise
Across 11 experiments with nearly 4,000 people, this research
uncovers the benefit of brand-to-brand praise. Enhanced interest
in brands that engage in competitor praise manifests itself in a
number of valuable ways, like in increased social media
engagement and advertising click-through rates, improved brand
attitudes, and increased sales.
From: Zhou, Du, and Cutright (2021)
Instead of ignoring or insulting their competition,
how do consumers respond when brands praise their
competition?

3. The benefits of brand-to-brand praise:
Examples from research
From: Zhou, Du, and Cutright (2021)
This praise ad
increased ad click-
through-rate for
Precision Car Wash
by 63% vs. a self-
promotional ad.
This praise tweet increased KitKat
purchases by 34% vs. a neutral message.
This praise tweet received over 10 times more
likes and retweets for PlayStation vs. any non-
praise tweet that year.

4. Why do brands benefit from brand-to-brand
praise?
Brands that praise their competition are perceived as “warmer”—
more thoughtful, kind, and trustworthy—and it is this increase in
perceptions of warmth that primarily allows for the positive
downstream consequences for the praiser brand.
From: Zhou, Du, and Cutright (2021)
Brand-to-brand
praise
Enhanced brand
warmth
Improved brand
outcomes

5. What brands can benefit the most from brand-
to-brand praise?
Brands that consumers don’t automatically perceive as “warm
and fuzzy” may benefit more by praising the competition.
From: Zhou, Du, and Cutright (2021)
Example from research: Prior research shows non-profit brands are
perceived as warmer than for-profit brands. While both types of businesses
were evaluated more highly when they praised the competition than when
they did not, for-profit brands gained the greatest benefit.

6. Which consumers find brand-to-brand praise
most appealing?
Surprisingly, the most skeptical consumers are likely to have the
greatest positive response to brands that praise their
competitors. Seeing a brand engage in the seemingly risky
behavior of praising a competitor appears to allow skeptical
consumers to relax their guard.
From: Zhou, Du, and Cutright (2021)
Example from research: Consumers were asked to view a tweet from Lyft
praising rival company Uber (“@Uber Congratulations on all your
achievements this past year!”). The most skeptical consumers were most
positively influenced by this praise message.

7. Brands should praise their direct competition
for best results
Praise that is insincere or presents no risk to the brand will not be
seen as a meaningful sign. Praise only boosts a brand’s image
when they praise a direct competitor, like a brand competing in
the same industry.
From: Zhou, Du, and Cutright (2021)
Example from research: Praise failed to boost an eyewear brand’s image
when it complimented a non-competitor, a hamburger brand.