Ride the Lightning

COMPARATIVE MARKETING IN EDD

March 18, 2009

In reply to yesterday's post, I received the following comment from Rob Robinson, the Vice President of Marketing for Orange Legal Technologies:

"Concerning the comment on “any marketer worth his/her salt” – I would suggest that when “Firm C” uses its resources not only to market, but to prevent “Firm A” from marketing/using creative resources – it then has nothing to do with a marketer’s “salt” – but does have more to do with how much an organization is willing to spend (time/money/focus) to defend its legal right to be “creative and use its resources”.

Additionally, comparative marketing should not be confused with competitor bashing.    Ultimately making decisions requires comparisons – and as all offerings have their strengths and weaknesses – it is absolutely beneficial for the market to be informed – and judge comparisons presented not only from those who hold the resources (money for ads, money for studies, money for access to Analysts) – but from those who want to compare – and are threatened when they even mention a competitor’s name.   As a marketer, I am more concerned about the freedom to factually and creatively compare than the amount of budget I have to use in marketing efforts.

Legal Professionals are smart – and will make the best decision possible – based on the information available to them.   With that in mind, comparisons are helpful in providing information – and those organizations that seek to obstruct comparisons may truly hinder the fair and legal “provision of information”.   Ultimately, if comparisons are not worth their “salt” – legal professionals have and will continue to make that pronouncement – however – my competitor should not be making that pronouncement for me –and if they do – I should have the right to rebut those statements and share another point of view."

And there we'll wrap it folks. Thanks for the discussion and exchange of views.

I'm going to go give myself a $1.000,000 retention bonus – seems to be the rage and I hate missing out on all the latest trends . . . . I only wish . . .

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