Sathyanarayanan R, Sundram Fasteners Associate Professor of Marketing, IFMR GSB has penned another guest article in ET Brand Equity from The Economic Times.
The article titled Brand-to-Brand Warmth amid Brand-vs-Brand Battles explores what happens when competing brands publicly show warmth towards one another. Beyond the feel-good sentiment, can such gestures create real business value? Why do some brands acknowledge, celebrate or even support their rivals while continuing to compete intensely? What does academic research tell us about the consumer response, and what practical lessons can brand managers draw from such gestures?
Drawing on Indian and global examples, the article examines how competitive warmth can move from symbolic communication to substantive action. It also brings together relevant academic research and proposes a practice-oriented “Marketing Camaraderie Matrix” for brand managers.
