What is Comparative Advertising? [+ Examples]

Kiara Taylor

Published: October 12, 2022

Comparative advertising is a marketing tactic which helps to drive brand awareness by comparing their product or service to a competitor.

customer reviewing comparative advertising on bottles of beverages

When executed correctly, comparative ads can successfully convince consumers to do business with one brand over another. But, this strategy requires care and attention, especially as companies may find themselves in the middle of a lawsuit.

comparativeadvertising_2

In this post, we’ll delve deeper what comparative advertising is, give real-life business examples, explain the legality of using the strategy, and present pros and cons that you can use to make the best decision for your business.

What is comparative advertising?

Comparative advertising is a technique that involves presenting a product or service from your business as being superior to a similar product or service from a competitor.

Why Is Comparative Advertising Effective (Comparative Advertising Examples)

Why this example works:, cocoon by sealy.

comparative advertising example: sealy

Comparative Advertising Law

United states comparative advertising law, australia comparative advertising law, hong kong comparative advertising law, comparative advertising pros and cons, explicit product emphasis., you'll raise awareness of your business., you'll gain new followers and attract new clients., you'll teach consumers about what is important..

As comparative ads focus on a specific feature or experience that comes with a product or service, you're informing consumers about the factors they should keep in mind when making purchasing decisions.

You may lose integrity and look bad to your audience.

It can create brand name confusion., you can face legal action..

As mentioned above, many countries have laws protecting consumers and other businesses from comparative ads.

You need to produce your ad with the utmost care and attention, otherwise, you may face legal action from your competitors. If you’re a big name brand, publications will likely report on it, which can also negatively impact your reputation.

Comparative Advertising Can Help Your Business Grow

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Essay Papers Writing Online

Tips for crafting effective compare and contrast essays.

Writing compare and contrast essays

Comparing and contrasting is a common method used in academic writing to analyze the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. Whether you are a student working on an assignment or a professional writing a research paper, mastering the art of compare and contrast essays can greatly enhance your writing skills.

In this article, we will explore useful tips and provide examples to help you create compelling and well-structured compare and contrast essays. From understanding the purpose of the essay to organizing your thoughts and arguments effectively, we’ll cover key strategies to ensure your essay is clear, concise, and engaging.

Guide to Writing Successful Compare and Contrast Essays

Compare and contrast essays can be a challenging but rewarding type of academic writing. By comparing and contrasting two or more subjects, you can deepen your understanding of complex topics and improve your critical thinking skills. To help you write effective compare and contrast essays, follow these tips:

1. Choose an appropriate topic: Select two or more subjects that have some similarities and differences. This will make it easier to compare and contrast them effectively.

2. Develop a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly state the purpose of your essay and the main points you will be comparing and contrasting.

3. Create a structure: Organize your essay in a way that makes it easy for the reader to follow. You can use a point-by-point or block structure, depending on your preference.

4. Provide evidence: Support your comparisons with evidence from the subjects you are analyzing. This could include quotes, statistics, or examples.

5. Use transitions: Transition words and phrases help to guide the reader through your essay and make it easier to follow your arguments.

6. Revise and edit: After you have written your essay, be sure to revise and edit it carefully. Check for grammar and spelling errors, as well as clarity and coherence.

By following these tips, you can write successful compare and contrast essays that impress your readers and demonstrate your understanding of the subjects you are analyzing.

Understanding the Essay Structure

When writing a compare and contrast essay, it is crucial to follow a clear structure to ensure that your arguments are presented effectively. The basic structure of this type of essay typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Introduction: This section provides an overview of the topics being compared and contrasted. It should also include a thesis statement that highlights the main point of the essay.

Body Paragraphs: The body of the essay is where you provide detailed comparisons and contrasts between the two subjects. Each paragraph should focus on a specific point of comparison and include evidence to support your arguments.

Conclusion: In the conclusion, you should summarize the main points of the essay and restate the thesis. This section should also provide a final thought or insight to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

By following this structure, you can ensure that your compare and contrast essay is well-organized and easy for readers to follow.

Choosing the Right Topics

When it comes to writing a compare and contrast essay, choosing the right topics is crucial. The topics you select will determine the focus of your essay and set the tone for the rest of your writing. Here are some tips for choosing the right topics:

  • Choose topics that have a clear connection: Make sure the topics you choose have some similarities and differences that you can explore in your essay. This will help you create a meaningful comparison.
  • Opt for topics that interest you: Select topics that you find engaging and meaningful. This will make the writing process more enjoyable and will help you stay motivated throughout.
  • Consider your audience: Think about who will be reading your essay and choose topics that will resonate with them. Consider their interests and preferences when selecting your topics.
  • Avoid overly broad topics: Make sure the topics you choose are specific enough to allow for a focused comparison. Overly broad topics can lead to a lack of depth in your analysis.
  • Look for unique angles: Try to find topics that offer a fresh perspective or unique angle for comparison. This will make your essay more interesting and engaging to your readers.

Gathering and Organizing Information

Before you start writing a compare and contrast essay, it is essential to gather and organize all the necessary information. Begin by selecting the subjects you want to compare and contrast. Make sure they have enough similarities and differences to make your essay informative and engaging.

Once you have chosen your topics, gather relevant information from credible sources. This can include books, academic journals, articles, and reputable websites. Take detailed notes and highlight key points that you can use in your essay. Organize your information in a systematic way to make it easier to reference and use while writing.

Consider creating a T-chart or Venn diagram to visually map out the similarities and differences between your subjects. This can help you see the relationships between the two topics more clearly and guide your essay structure.

By effectively gathering and organizing information, you will set a strong foundation for your compare and contrast essay and ensure that your arguments are well-supported and coherent.

Developing a Strong Thesis Statement

Developing a Strong Thesis Statement

One of the key elements of a successful compare and contrast essay is a strong thesis statement. Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main points you will compare and contrast in your essay. It should also convey your overall argument and the significance of the comparison. Here are some tips for developing a strong thesis statement:

1 Be specific: Make sure your thesis statement is clear and concise. Avoid vague language and provide a specific comparison or contrast.
2 Focus on the main idea: Your thesis statement should capture the main point of your essay and guide the reader on what to expect.
3 Provide a rationale: Explain why the comparison or contrast you are making is important and how it contributes to the understanding of the topic.
4 Use parallel structure: Ensure that the elements being compared or contrasted are presented in a parallel structure within the thesis statement.

By following these tips, you can develop a strong thesis statement that sets the foundation for a well-organized and effective compare and contrast essay.

Writing the Essay: Tips and Tricks

When writing a compare and contrast essay, it’s important to keep in mind a few tips and tricks to make your essay effective and engaging. Here are some strategies to help you craft a compelling piece:

1. Begin with a Strong Thesis Statement:

Start your essay with a clear and concise thesis statement that highlights the main points of comparison and contrast. This will help guide your reader through the rest of the essay and provide a roadmap for your argument.

2. Organize Your Essay Carefully:

Structure your essay in a logical and coherent manner. You can choose to arrange your points by subject or point-by-point, but make sure your essay flows smoothly from one section to the next.

3. Use Transition Words:

Transition words and phrases like “similarly,” “in contrast,” and “however” can help signal the relationship between different ideas and improve the overall coherence of your essay.

4. Provide Concrete Examples:

To illustrate your points effectively, include specific examples and evidence to support your comparisons. This will add depth and credibility to your argument.

5. Revise and Edit:

Finally, don’t forget to revise and edit your essay before submitting it. Check for spelling and grammar errors, ensure your ideas are clear and well-supported, and make any necessary adjustments to improve the overall quality of your writing.

By following these tips and tricks, you can write an effective compare and contrast essay that engages your reader and effectively communicates your ideas.

Examples of Compare and Contrast Essays

1. Online Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Learning

This essay compares and contrasts the benefits and drawbacks of online learning and traditional classroom learning. It discusses factors such as convenience, interaction with instructors, and learning outcomes.

2. iOS vs. Android: A Comparison of Smartphone Operating Systems

This essay delves into the differences between iOS and Android operating systems, comparing their user interface, app availability, customization options, and overall performance. It aims to help readers make informed decisions when choosing a smartphone.

3. Vegetarianism vs. Veganism: Contrasting Plant-Based Diets

This essay explores the distinctions between vegetarianism and veganism, focusing on their dietary restrictions, ethical considerations, environmental impact, and health benefits. It aims to assist individuals in understanding the differences and choosing the diet that aligns with their values and goals.

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  • Comparing and contrasting in an essay | Tips & examples

Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay | Tips & Examples

Published on August 6, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

Comparing and contrasting is an important skill in academic writing . It involves taking two or more subjects and analyzing the differences and similarities between them.

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Table of contents

When should i compare and contrast, making effective comparisons, comparing and contrasting as a brainstorming tool, structuring your comparisons, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about comparing and contrasting.

Many assignments will invite you to make comparisons quite explicitly, as in these prompts.

  • Compare the treatment of the theme of beauty in the poetry of William Wordsworth and John Keats.
  • Compare and contrast in-class and distance learning. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

Some other prompts may not directly ask you to compare and contrast, but present you with a topic where comparing and contrasting could be a good approach.

One way to approach this essay might be to contrast the situation before the Great Depression with the situation during it, to highlight how large a difference it made.

Comparing and contrasting is also used in all kinds of academic contexts where it’s not explicitly prompted. For example, a literature review involves comparing and contrasting different studies on your topic, and an argumentative essay may involve weighing up the pros and cons of different arguments.

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As the name suggests, comparing and contrasting is about identifying both similarities and differences. You might focus on contrasting quite different subjects or comparing subjects with a lot in common—but there must be some grounds for comparison in the first place.

For example, you might contrast French society before and after the French Revolution; you’d likely find many differences, but there would be a valid basis for comparison. However, if you contrasted pre-revolutionary France with Han-dynasty China, your reader might wonder why you chose to compare these two societies.

This is why it’s important to clarify the point of your comparisons by writing a focused thesis statement . Every element of an essay should serve your central argument in some way. Consider what you’re trying to accomplish with any comparisons you make, and be sure to make this clear to the reader.

Comparing and contrasting can be a useful tool to help organize your thoughts before you begin writing any type of academic text. You might use it to compare different theories and approaches you’ve encountered in your preliminary research, for example.

Let’s say your research involves the competing psychological approaches of behaviorism and cognitive psychology. You might make a table to summarize the key differences between them.

Behaviorism Cognitive psychology
Dominant from the 1920s to the 1950s Rose to prominence in the 1960s
Mental processes cannot be empirically studied Mental processes as focus of study
Focuses on how thinking is affected by conditioning and environment Focuses on the cognitive processes themselves

Or say you’re writing about the major global conflicts of the twentieth century. You might visualize the key similarities and differences in a Venn diagram.

A Venn diagram showing the similarities and differences between World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.

These visualizations wouldn’t make it into your actual writing, so they don’t have to be very formal in terms of phrasing or presentation. The point of comparing and contrasting at this stage is to help you organize and shape your ideas to aid you in structuring your arguments.

When comparing and contrasting in an essay, there are two main ways to structure your comparisons: the alternating method and the block method.

The alternating method

In the alternating method, you structure your text according to what aspect you’re comparing. You cover both your subjects side by side in terms of a specific point of comparison. Your text is structured like this:

Mouse over the example paragraph below to see how this approach works.

One challenge teachers face is identifying and assisting students who are struggling without disrupting the rest of the class. In a traditional classroom environment, the teacher can easily identify when a student is struggling based on their demeanor in class or simply by regularly checking on students during exercises. They can then offer assistance quietly during the exercise or discuss it further after class. Meanwhile, in a Zoom-based class, the lack of physical presence makes it more difficult to pay attention to individual students’ responses and notice frustrations, and there is less flexibility to speak with students privately to offer assistance. In this case, therefore, the traditional classroom environment holds the advantage, although it appears likely that aiding students in a virtual classroom environment will become easier as the technology, and teachers’ familiarity with it, improves.

The block method

In the block method, you cover each of the overall subjects you’re comparing in a block. You say everything you have to say about your first subject, then discuss your second subject, making comparisons and contrasts back to the things you’ve already said about the first. Your text is structured like this:

  • Point of comparison A
  • Point of comparison B

The most commonly cited advantage of distance learning is the flexibility and accessibility it offers. Rather than being required to travel to a specific location every week (and to live near enough to feasibly do so), students can participate from anywhere with an internet connection. This allows not only for a wider geographical spread of students but for the possibility of studying while travelling. However, distance learning presents its own accessibility challenges; not all students have a stable internet connection and a computer or other device with which to participate in online classes, and less technologically literate students and teachers may struggle with the technical aspects of class participation. Furthermore, discomfort and distractions can hinder an individual student’s ability to engage with the class from home, creating divergent learning experiences for different students. Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

Note that these two methods can be combined; these two example paragraphs could both be part of the same essay, but it’s wise to use an essay outline to plan out which approach you’re taking in each paragraph.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Some essay prompts include the keywords “compare” and/or “contrast.” In these cases, an essay structured around comparing and contrasting is the appropriate response.

Comparing and contrasting is also a useful approach in all kinds of academic writing : You might compare different studies in a literature review , weigh up different arguments in an argumentative essay , or consider different theoretical approaches in a theoretical framework .

Your subjects might be very different or quite similar, but it’s important that there be meaningful grounds for comparison . You can probably describe many differences between a cat and a bicycle, but there isn’t really any connection between them to justify the comparison.

You’ll have to write a thesis statement explaining the central point you want to make in your essay , so be sure to know in advance what connects your subjects and makes them worth comparing.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

  • The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
  • The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

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Home — Essay Samples — Business — Advertisement — Two Advertisement Analysis

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Two Advertisement Analysis

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

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Advertisement 1: nike, advertisement 2: coca-cola, comparison and conclusion.

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advertising comparison essay

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16 Drafting Your Ad Analysis

Dr. Karen Palmer

Now that you have a solid outline, it’s time to start writing your ad analysis paper! Here we will work through fleshing out each part of your outline–turning your outline into a full draft.

Introduction

The first part of your paper is your introduction. You may remember from the Writing Formula chapter that an introduction consists of three main parts: the hook, the introduction to the topic, and the thesis. Let’s begin with the hook. A hook does two jobs–it connects the topic of your paper to your readers, and it attempts to capture their attention.

This video highlights some of the most common techniques for writing a good hook:

Now that you have a general idea of what a hook does, let’s focus in on the kind of hook that would be most useful for your ad analysis essay. Let’s say you are doing an analysis on that milk ad we discussed earlier in the text.

Strategy 1: Connect to the topic of the ad: milk. You could say something like, “Do you drink milk?” But…would that really draw in readers? Surely, there is a better way to grab the attention of our audience.

Strategy 2: Connect to the broader topic of advertising. Here you might say something like, “Advertisers are always trying to get our attention.” Sure, this is a broad opening to the paper, but is it really going to make anyone interested in the topic?

A good idea is to brainstorm some current events or topics that link to your ad. A brainstorming list for this milk ad could include lactose intolerance, the concept of looking at TV sitcom characters as role models, the changing role of mothers, and even the pressure placed on moms (and women in general)  to be perfect. Choose something that appeals to you and that illustrates a theme that runs through the ad. When brainstorming with my classes, we often land on the idea of perfection with this particular milk ad. It makes a compelling frame for the paper.

Introducing the topic is just that–letting readers know what the paper will be about. ie An ad for ________ located in _________ magazine illustrates this concept. Note that you need to include the specific product advertised in the ad, the name of the magazine in which the ad is located, and include a connection/transition to your hook.

Finally, the last sentence of your introduction is your thesis. Here you make your argument. While you already wrote a thesis for your outline, you want to double check that the thesis connects in some way to your hook. Our example thesis is: “The advertisers successfully persuade the consumer that milk will make them a great mom by using nostalgia, milk branding, and the image of ideal motherhood.” We might make a slight adjustment here to make the connection a bit more explicit: “The advertisers play on the desire of moms to fulfill an image of perfection by using nostalgia, milk branding, and the image of ideal motherhood.”

In the ad analysis, our background consists of two different sections: the description and the discussion of context.

Description

Remember that your audience cannot see the ad you are discussing. If you were in a room presenting to your audience, you might project an image of the ad up on a screen. Since we can’t do that in an essay, we need to describe the ad for our readers. Essentially, you want your readers to be able to draw a basic picture of your ad–or at least visualize it accurately in their minds.

This video from James Rath discussing how people with visual impairments see images on social media gives an important life reason for learning how to write solid image descriptions:

Here are some good tips for writing a description of an image:

1. Start by giving readers a one sentence overview of the ad. For our milk ad, that might be, “In this ad, three mothers from iconic sitcoms sit side by side in a beauty parlor under old-fashioned hair dryers.”

2. Determine in advance how you want readers to see the image–do you want them to look at the image left to right? Foreground to background? Clockwise? Bottom line here–don’t make readers minds jump around from place to place as they try to visualize the image.

3. Choose the key elements. You don’t have to describe every single thing in this paragraph. Tell readers who the three moms are and what show they are from. Give enough basic details so that readers know the setting is old-fashioned. Remember, you’ll be able to bring forward more detail as you analyze the ad in the body of your paper. Readers don’t need to know what color a person’s eyes are unless it’s a key part of the ad.

4. Don’t forget the text! While you should not write every word in the ad in your description, especially if there are lengthy paragraphs, you should include a brief overview of the text. ie placement, basic overview Again, you’ll be able to give specific quotes that are relevant to your analysis in the body of your paper.

5. Write in present tense!

The context of an ad really focuses on the audience of the ad. Remember that advertisers very carefully consider the audience for their product and create their advertisements to best reach that target audience. Let’s look at this from the perspective of a company looking to place an ad:

So, if an advertiser goes to this much trouble to determine the demographics of their target audience, it’s obviously important! The ad (unless perhaps it was published by an inexperienced advertiser) is not “for everyone.” An ad in Newsweek , no matter how childlike it appears, was not created for children. It was created for the audience who will purchase and read this magazine. When we do an ad analysis, we want to share similar information with our readers. What magazine is the ad placed in? What is the general focus of that publication? What kinds of articles appear in the publication? What general types of ads appear? In short, who is the audience? Of course, you can look at a magazine and get some of this information. You can also do a quick online search for the demographics of the magazine or for their media kit, which is what advertisers look at prior to purchasing advertising space to ensure the magazine is a good fit for their ad.

Now that you have the background out of the way and your audiences thoroughly understand the topic, it’s time to begin your analysis. Your thesis should have given at least three advertising strategies used in the ad. Your paper should include a paragraph for each one of those strategies.

Topic Sentence

The topic sentence should echo the wording of the thesis and clearly introduce the topic. For example, “One way the advertisers use the concept of the perfect mother to convince readers to purchase milk is by using iconic mothers from television shows.” For your next paragraph, you’d want to be sure to include a transition. For example, “Another way” or “In addition to” are both phrases that can be used to show that you are building onto your previous paragraph.

In this part of the paragraph, you want to give specific examples from the ad to support your point.

First, you should introduce the example. “The three moms from iconic tv shows are the focus of this ad.”

Next, you should give specific examples from the ad–this could be pointing out particular details about the images in the ad or quoting from the text–or both! For example, for the milk ad, you might give the specific names of the characters and the shows they are from. You might point out that every detail of their outfits are perfect. That they are wearing makeup and jewelry. That they have their wedding rings prominently focused in the image. You might also quote text, like the line from the ad that says, “Another all-time great mom line.”

Finally, wrap up your examples with a clear explanation of how the example proves your point. For example, you might say that, especially in modern times, it is very difficult for mothers to live up to the standard of perfection set by these three television moms. You might explain how causing readers to feel “less than” sets the stage for them to accept the premise that giving their children milk will make them more like these TV moms.

The wrap up for your paragraph is similar to the wrap up for the evidence provided. Here you want to reiterate your thesis in a simple sentence. For example, you might say, “Using the images of these iconic moms convinces moms that, in order to be a good mom, they must buy milk for their children.”

image

The conclusion of your paper is essentially a mirror image of your introduction. Think of your paper as an Oreo cookie. The introduction and the conclusion are the cookies that surround the best part–the body of the paper. Like the cookie outsides of the Oreo, the introduction and conclusion should be mirror images of each other.

1. Start with re-stating the thesis.

2. Reiterate the topic.

3. Return to your hook and elaborate.

Unlike an Oreo, the conclusion should not simply copy your introduction word for word in a different order. Try to restate your sentences in a different way. Elaborate on your hook so that you leave readers with something to think about!

 Content written by Dr. Karen Palmer and is licensed CC BY NC.

The Worry Free Writer Copyright © 2020 by Dr. Karen Palmer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Comparative Advertising: The Legality, When to Use It & Best Practices for Optimal Campaign Results (Examples)

This image shows how to run comparative advertising campaigns.

What is comparative advertising?

  • Is it legal?
  • Should you use it in your campaigns?
  • #1: When customers can’t tell a difference
  • #2: Misconception about your brand
  • Be ready to back up your claims

Don’t pick on the little guy

Keep it fun and innocent, be objective.

  • Compare things customers care about
  • Example: FreshBooks
  • Example: Apptivo
  • Example: Kartra

For consumers, comparative advertising is more than a branded battle taking place in public. Though entertaining, it can actually empower them to make better buying decisions.

For advertisers, the stakes are higher. The right comparative advertising campaign can level the playing field for smaller brands and declare superiority for others. But the tactic involves finesse. A wrong move can set a brand up to lose customers, reputation, and even a legal battle. If you’re considering a comparative ad campaign, here are some things you should know.

Comparative advertising, sometimes called “comparison advertising,” is an advertising strategy in which a brand compares itself to a competitor to highlight parity or superiority. This could be in a side-by-side comparative fashion, with media that calls out a specific competitor by name, or even stunts like blind taste tests between Pepsi and Coke:

The FTC, which regulates issues related to comparative advertising, calls the tactic “beneficial” to advertisers , agencies, broadcasters, and consumers:

Comparative advertising, when truthful and non-deceptive, is a source of important information to consumers and assists them in making rational purchase decisions. Comparative advertising encourages product improvement and innovation, and can lead to lower prices in the marketplace.

Despite these advantages, there are ways the tactic can backfire. Some of the most severe occur when brands break the law.

Is comparative advertising legal?

Brands get sued all the time by consumers and even other brands. So before you start planning a video to jab your competition, you want to know: Is comparative advertising legal?

The short answer is “yes,” as long as you can prove your claims, and they’re not misleading or deceptive to consumers. The long answer, however, involves some specific guidelines about just how you compare yourself to the competition. What you say about you, what you say about them, and where you say it, all affect whether your rival can sue you.

As Lenny Samuels points out in a blog post for Bergman Singerman LLC , the FTC separates comparative advertising into two categories:

  • “superiority” claims , which assert, explicitly or implicitly, that the product advertised is better than all others in the marketplace, or better than the product sold by a competitor
  • “parity” claims , which compare the product to others in the marketplace and assert that their product is as good as the competitor’s.

If you make any comparative claims about another brand, you are subject to legislation at different levels. At the state level, comparative advertising disputes are governed by statutes for false advertising and deceptive business practices, and these, of course, vary based on state. At the federal level, comparative advertising disputes are governed by the Lanham Act.

According to Samuels, for a business to seek legal recourse under the Lanham Act, they have to show:

  • a false or misleading statement of fact about a product or service;
  • such statement either deceived or had the capacity to deceive a substantial segment of potential consumers;
  • the deception is material because it is likely to influence the consumer’s purchasing decision;
  • the product is in interstate commerce; and
  • the plaintiff has been or is likely to be injured because of the statement.

If you’re questioning whether you or your rival has a case under the Lanham Act, that’s best hashed-out with your legal department. But the point stands: Comparative advertising is certainly legal. Still, that doesn’t mean you should use it.

Should you use comparative advertising?

You’re well within your rights to trash talk the competition as long as you can walk the walk. But should you? Comparative advertising is risky for a lot of brands.

First, comparative advertising is like picking a fight. Even if it’s implicitly, you’re calling out another brand and saying publicly: We’re better than you. So, if you decide to use the strategy, you should be ready for retaliation. And the last thing most brands want to do is open themselves up for attack.

Second, you risk looking like a bully. Consumers are used to seeing negativity in political ads but not nearly as often in product or service ads. When one political candidate attacks another, they think “par for the course.” On the other hand, when a brand attacks a rival apropos of nothing, it can leave people feeling, “was that really necessary?”

There are two worthwhile occasions to use comparative advertising, which relate to parity and superiority claims outlined earlier:

When customers can’t tell the difference between you and your rival.

There are some products and brands that people aren’t as passionate about. Consumers may be fiercely loyal to Mac over PC, but are they passionate about body wash? Financial apps? Internet service providers? Many consumers are under the impression products like these are all the same, and a comparative advertising campaign can help set them apart.

There’s a misconception about your brand as it relates to your rival.

To consumers, brand perception is reality. So if they are under the impression that your brand is inferior to your rival, they’re going to think it is, even if that’s not the case. As you’ll see later, Sprint used a comparative ad campaign to battle the perception that Verizon dwarfed its areas of coverage. While that may have once been the case, Sprint’s reliability is now within 1% of Verizon, and a comparative ad campaign was valuable to battling this misconception.

If you’re in one of these two situations, a comparative advertising campaign may help you differentiate yourself from the competition. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you’re creating yours:

Be ready to back it up

You need to be able to back up the claims in your comparative ad campaign. If that’s a blind taste test or a research study on the effectiveness of software, it should be at the ready. Not only because you should be worried about getting sued, but because you could be called out by your competitor, too.

Marketing and advertising are as highly visible to consumers as they’ve ever been, and that means if you get called out on Twitter by your rival or their fans, you have to be ready to prove your words. If that’s with a microsite, or a video, or a research paper, so be it, but you should have it prepared for when people yell, “Prove it!” Without a way to substantiate your claims publicly, your campaign may seem like a stream of empty words.

Nobody likes a bully. And historically that’s true in comparative advertising too. In an interview with Ad Age , Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist, says “The one place where consumers like negativity is when they feel like they’re helping David battle Goliath.” Pepsi vs. Coke and Mac vs. PC are two of the most well-known comparative ads of this kind.

But recently, brands have strayed from this rule. Assistant Managing Editor of Ad Age, EJ Schultz, points out that brands like McDonald’s have gone after Burger King, who has a smaller market share. The same goes for Bud Light and MillerCoors. Likely, the reason this works is both brands have gone beyond David vs. Goliath status to a Goliath vs. Goliath battle, in which most people don’t care who wins, as long as they get to see a good fight.

If you’re smaller, you’re in the clear when it comes to jabbing the competition. If you’re a bigger brand, at least make sure your rival has a significant market share. Otherwise, you look like a bully picking on a helpless target. Not only that, but you risk giving that target free publicity.

As little as people like a bully, they equally dislike people who take themselves too seriously. This is doubly true of brands. Nobody wants to watch you and your rival duke it out over who has the better value proposition. That’s a boring annoyance.

From a comparative advertising campaign, people want information and they want to be entertained. So if you’re going to poke fun at your competition, do it in a lighthearted way.

Revisit the PC vs. Mac commercial. There’s no animosity, no boring statistics or selling points, and the exchange between “cool” Justin Long and his nerdy PC counterpart is funny and entertaining. And it still gets the message across. If you’re going to jab your competition, make sure you don’t take yourself too seriously.

Of course, fun and light isn’t always necessary. Some advertisements aren’t meant to be humorous. And in these, you should strive to at least maintain objectivity. Don’t go so far as to pile on attacks.

Take Sprint, for example, who poached the most recognizable face of Verizon for their own comparative ad. In it, the actor claimed that Sprint reliability is within 1% of Verizon, making it just about as effective as the nationwide leader.

And while there were certainly opportunities for some fun, lighthearted jabbing (and you could argue this was accomplished just by poaching the actor), Sprint simply shared valuable information with the viewer. Could it have been more entertaining? Sure. Could it have been more disparaging? Absolutely. But Sprint got the message across: Don’t let perceptions of reliability impact who you choose as a service provider.

Compare something your customers care about

When Bud Light launched a comparative advertising campaign against its rival, MillerCoors, it centered around corn syrup. The claim was that MillerCoors used corn syrup in its brewing process and Budweiser did not. Here’s one of the spots:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIlX0Gg0GRI/

Well, the response from MillerCoors was defensive , but the response from customers was: Who cares? The campaign wasn’t successful because, as it turns out, beer drinkers don’t care much about corn syrup in the brewing process. If you’re going to claim you’re superior to your customer, make sure your claim is based on something they find important about the product.

More examples of comparative advertising

You may know some of the bigger rivalries — like PC vs. Mac, BK vs. McDonald’s, Sprint vs. Verizon — but comparative advertising isn’t just for the world’s most well-known brands. It can be a powerful tool for any size business. Here are a few examples from some smaller brands online.

comparative advertising FreshBooks paid search

Searching “FreshBooks vs QuickBooks” in Google may reveal this search ad from FreshBooks. Click through and you’ll see an infographic that compares FreshBooks with a bigger rival, QuickBooks, in six key categories:

comparative advertising FreshBooks page example

If you’re searching for an alternative to the well-known CRM, Salesforce, you might search “Salesforce alternative” in Google. When you do, you’ll likely see the above search ad. Clicking through it will reveal a post-click page that lays out six key challenges of working with Salesforce that you won’t experience when you use Apptivo.

comparative advertising Kartra vs Marketo example

In some cases, you don’t even need to search “vs” or “alternative” to find a comparative ad online. The one above was on a search engine results page for the query “Marketo.” And it’s evident that this is a comparative ad campaign since it uses “vs” in the title. Click through it and you’ll find a post-click page that lists Marketo’s flaws along with some “red flags.” With the headline “The #1 Alternative to Marketo,” it’s clear this page is trying to steal market space from their bigger rival.

comparative advertising Kartra page example

Scale your comparative ad campaigns

No matter the type of campaign, you must be able to scale it to all your customer segments. That means creating a post-click page for each comparative ad you deploy. This carries personalization through from the pre-click stage to the post-click stage, ensuring the highest level of relevance from click to conversion.

But for many businesses, it’s not possible. Whether the reason is a lack of staff or budget, the resources it takes to create post-click landing pages are just too high for most traditional marketing teams. Luckily, post-click automation is empowering teams of all sizes to scale their post-click landing pages. Find out how with an Instapage demo .

Try the world's most advanced landing page platform with a risk-free trial.

by Ted Vrountas

Ted Vrountas is a Content Writer specializing in psychology and persuasive copywriting. His expertise spans digital advertising, landing pages, and humanizing marketing industry jargon.

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How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

  • 5-minute read
  • 9th March 2021

In a compare and contrast essay , you look at the similarities and differences between two subjects. How do you write one, though? Key steps include:

  • Pick two things to compare based on the assignment you were given.
  • Brainstorm the similarities and differences between your chosen subjects.
  • Choose a structure for your essay and plan how you will write it.
  • Write up your comparison and use evidence to support your argument.
  • Revise and proofread your essay to make sure it is perfect.

For more advice on each stage, check out our guide below.

1. Pick Two Subjects to Compare and Contrast

A compare and contrast assignment will ask you, unsurprisingly, to compare and contrast two things. In some cases, the assignment question will make this clear. For instance, if the assignment says “Compare how Mozart and Beethoven use melody,” you will have a very clear sense of what to write about!

Other times, you will have a choice of what to compare. In this case, you will want to pick two things that are similar enough to make a useful comparison.

For example, comparing Mozart and Beethoven makes sense because both are classical composers. This means there will be lots of points of comparison between them. But comparing Mozart to a Ferrari SF90 Stradale would just be confusing: one is a renowned composer and musician, the other is a high-end sports car, so they have very little in common that we could usefully compare.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

At the same time, the things you pick should be different enough that you can find points of contrast. Were you asked to compare the calorific content of two types of fast food, for example, it might not make sense to compare hamburgers and cheeseburgers as they are too similar. But you could compare hamburgers and pizzas since both are forms of fast food but they differ in other respects.

As such, if you need to pick the subjects of your essay, read your assignment question carefully and try to find two things that will produce a helpful comparison.

2. Brainstorm Their Similarities and Differences

The next step is to brainstorm similarities and differences between your chosen subjects. You can do this as a simple list, but you could also use a Venn diagram .

This is a set of overlapping circles, each of which represents one subject. You can then add characteristics to each circle, with anything your subjects have in common going in the overlapping bit in the middle.

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advertising comparison essay

Once you’ve listed characteristics, you’ll need to pick out the similarities and differences relevant to your essay. If you were assigned a question, use this to guide your choices. Otherwise, look for features that seem surprising or interesting and plan your essay around these. The key is to pick points of comparison that help us to understand each thing better, or where the similarities and differences show us something that we might not have expected or noticed otherwise.

3. Choose a Structure for Your Essay

As with any essay, you will want to start with a short introduction where you introduce your topic and what you will argue. Beyond this, most compare and contrast essays are structured in one of two ways. Decide which approach to take before you write your essay outline :

  • Divide by subject – Cover each subject in turn, looking at the key features you’ve identified in the previous step. You can then include a final section where you highlight what comparing the subjects tell us.
  • Divide by individual points – Break your essay down into a series of sections. Each section will then focus on one of the key features you’ve identified, explaining the similarities and differences between your chosen subjects.

For instance, if you were comparing two novels, you could write about each novel in turn and then compare them at the end. Alternatively, you could structure your essay so that each section covers an individual idea (e.g., one on structure, one on characters, one on language), looking at how each book uses these things.

In either case, you will want to end on a conclusion where you summarize what the comparison has shown us about the two subjects.

4. Use Supporting Evidence for Your Argument

It is important that you also back up your statements with supporting evidence. In some cases, this will simply involve pointing to the features of each subject that you’re discussing (e.g., citing specific parts of the novels you’re comparing).

However, you can also do extra research to back up your arguments. Were you comparing two countries’ economic performance, for example, you could use statistics from other studies or reports to show the similarities and differences.

5. Proofread Your Compare and Contrast Essay

Once you have a first draft of your compare and contrast essay, take a break. If you have time, leave it overnight. The aim is to come back to it with fresh eyes and reread it, looking for any areas you could improve. After this, you can redraft your essay to make sure your argument is clear, concise, and convincing.

It is also a good idea to have your essay proofread before submitting it. This will ensure your work is error free and help you get the marks you deserve.

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Advertisements Analysis and Comparison Essay

  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment

Semiotic analysis

Overt vs covert messages.

When it comes to ensuring the commercial/aesthetic appeal of an advertised product, it is crucially important to remain thoroughly aware of what accounts for the specifics of the targeted audience’s consumer-behavior. In their turn, these specifics are best discussed within the context of how the targeted consumers’ cultural affiliation affects their cognitive leanings/existential attitudes, in general, and their purchasing decision-making, in particular (Mooij 2007, p. 27).

It is understood, of course, that this suggestion contradicts the assumption that, due to the rise of Globalization, the qualitative aspects of people’s consumerist behavior in different parts of the world grow increasingly unified. Hence, a ‘universalist’ theory of marketing, which implies that there is not much of a sense in adjusting advertisement-campaigns to be fully observant of how targeted buyers tend to perceive the surrounding reality.

This theory, however, cannot be referred to as such that represents an undisputed truth-value. The reason for this is simple – despite an ongoing economic Globalization, there is a plenty of evidence that the manner, in which consumers perceive the actual value of advertised goods and services, continues to be highly reflective of what happened to be the particulars of these people’s culturally defined ‘brain wiring’.

In my paper, I will aim to substantiate the validity of this thesis at length, in regards to the American (Western) and Korean (Oriental) advertisement-posters of beer, seen bellow:

Appreciation unfolds in the morning!

“Appreciation unfolds in the morning!”

King of beers

“King of beers”

American (Western)

Semantics . The advertisement-message, conveyed by American poster is clearly object-oriented. The depicted bottle of beer is meant to emphasize both: the promoted beverage’s coldness/tastefulness and the fact that it is specifically Budweiser that ‘reigns’ over the rest of the beer-brands.

This is also the reason why the bottle’s lid is flipped upside down – it makes the bottle appear as if it was wearing a ‘crown’. The bottle of Budweiser beer is situated at the poster’s very center, which increases the extent of viewers’ emotional/cognitive comfortableness with the conveyed message even further.

Syntactics . The typed message, seen above the depicted object, thoroughly correlates with the poster’s visual semiotics, because it does encourage consumers to assume that in the ‘world of beer’, Budweiser dominates.

The message’s strongly defined affirmativeness does not provide observes with much of a liberty to interpret the promoted idea’s ideological connotation.

Pragmatics . The pragmatic subtleties of this particular advertisement-poster are concerned with the poster’s assumed ability to encourage beer-consumers to believe that, by drinking Budweiser beers they become ‘empowered’.

This, of course, increases the emotional appeal of the Budweiser beer-brand to American (Western) audiences even further, because they predominantly consist of people endowed with the so-called ‘Faustian’ (domination-seeking) mentality (Greenwood 2009, p. 53).

Korean (Oriental)

Semantics . The overall message, conveyed by Korean poster, is best defined as a context-oriented. That is, by observing this poster, consumers are expected to think of the actual reason why they drink beer, as such that is being concerned with helping them to explore their individuality, rather than with allowing them to experience a purely sensory pleasure.

This is exactly the reason why the image of a smiling young woman clearly dominates the poster and why the advertised bottle of beer is situated at the poster’s bottom-right corner.

Syntactics . The typed message, seen in this poster, appears context-oriented, as well. This is because it merely encourages potential consumers to establish a dialectical link between the notions of ‘appreciation’ and ‘beer’, without forcing the audience’s members to assume that such a link exists de facto . As such, it is being fully consistent with the poster’s visual semiotics.

Pragmatics . While exposed to this poster, potential consumers are expected to consider the possibility that, by drinking the advertised beer, they will be able to substantially increase the sheer intensity of their perception of the surrounding reality’s emanations, which in turn will make them more appreciative of their life-experiences.

This implies that the poster is being fully attuned to the workings of the so-called ‘Apollonian’ (Oriental psyche), concerned with Oriental people’s strive to coexist with the nature peacefully, rather than with trying to dominate it (Greenwood, p. 54).

As it was implied earlier, the commercial appeal of American advertisement-poster reflects the designers’ awareness of the fact that the foremost psychological trait, on the part of the targeted audience’s members, is their deep-seated anxiety to dominate others. In its turn, this explains why the overt messages, conveyed by this poster (such as the logo ‘king of beers’), exploit the ‘appeal to masculinity’.

Nevertheless, there are also a number of covert (subliminal) overtones to this particular appeal. For example, the color of the poster’s background is dark-red, which is supposed to evoke in potential consumers the image of the ancient Roman god of war Mars. The poster’s vertically-aligned format is clearly reminiscent of the notion of hierarchy, which has traditionally been associated with the notion of masculinity.

Apparently, while exposed to this poster, male beer-lovers are expected to grow increasingly comfortable with the idea that by drinking Budweiser beer, they will be more likely to attain a social prominence in male-dominated societies.

Moreover, because the bottle of Budweiser beer, depicted in the poster, appears visually subliminal of an erect penis, the targeted buyers’ prolonged exposure to it will inevitably result in encouraging them to think that the consumption of Budweiser beer, on their part, is the direct pathway towards ensuring the undermined integrity of their sexual powers.

Even though that, formally speaking, Korean poster does convey the overt message that the activity of drinking beer does make people more appreciative of the surrounding reality, the actual appeal of this poster is concerned with the sheer potency of the promoted message’s covert undertones.

Apparently, poster’s designers never ceased being fully aware of the fact that, while deciding in favor of buying a particular product, Orientals tend to act in an essentially intuitive manner (Norenzayan et al. 2002, p. 653). The validity of this statement can be well illustrated in regards to the poster’s horizontally-aligned format, which correlates with these people’s tendency to think and act ‘holistically’ – that is, without trying to exercise a ‘hierarchic’ control over the surrounding reality.

The large image of a smiling young woman, contained in the poster, encourages onlookers to think of the process of consuming alcoholic beverages in terms of a ‘relaxation’, rather than in terms of an ‘aggression’. The poster’s blue-colored background emphasizes this particular perceptual aspect even further.

Because poster’s designers knew perfectly well that it is in the very nature of the targeted audience’s members to contextualize informational inputs, they made a deliberate point in downsizing the advertised product visually and in placing it in the poster’s right-bottom corner.

By doing it, they succeeded in confirming the potential consumers’ intuitive insight that the consumption of alcoholic beverages cannot be thought of as ‘thing in itself’ (as Westerners tend to do), but rather as something that makes one more emotionally comfortable, while socializing with others.

In light of what has been said earlier, it will only be logical to suggest that, when it comes to advertising commercial products, meant to appeal to Western audiences, on the one hand, and to Oriental audiences, on the other, advertisers should remain observant of the following:

Westerners tend to cognitively subjectualize themselves within the surrounding social/natural environment. As Bower (2000) noted, “In a variety of reasoning tasks… (Westerners) adopt an ‘analytic’ perspective. They look for the traits of objects while largely ignoring their context” (p. 57). In its turn, this implies that the marketing campaigns, aimed at Westerners, should provide would-be-consumers with a rationale-based reason to purchase the advertised products.

Orientals tend to think of themselves in terms of the surrounding reality’s integral part. Hence, the Orientals’ culturally predetermined tendency to think of causes and effects, as such that derive out of each other cyclically (contextually) rather than linearly (Masuda et al. 2008, p. 1265).

What it means is that, while trying to make a particular product emotionally appealing to Oriental consumers, advertisers should focus on emphasizing this product’s ability to help the targeted buyers to celebrate their existential self-identity.

The earlier conducted semiotic analysis of both posters points out to the fact that, contrary to the provisions of a ‘universalist’ marketing theory, consumers’ ethno-cultural affiliation does play an important role in how they perceive the de facto relevancy of commercial advertisements.

Therefore, even though that the application of Maslow’s ‘theory of needs’ (within the context of designing marketing-strategies) continues to remain fully appropriate, marketers should never cease being aware of the fact that consumers’ first-order, second-order and third-order priorities cannot be discussed outside of what happened to be the particulars of the concerned individuals’ cultural leanings.

The same analysis also suggests that, in order for a particular advertisement to be considered fully effective, it must be ‘covertly sound’ – that is, potential buyers should not only be in a position to recognize the legitimacy of the conveyed message consciously, but also unconsciously. In its turn, this again implies that it represents the matter of a crucial importance for marketers to be able to understand what account for the workings of the targeted audience’s ‘collective psyche’.

As it was shown throughout the course of this paper’s Analytical part, there is nothing accidental about the fact that, despite being concerned with advertising the same line of products (beer), the analyzed American and Korean posters do not correlate with each other semiotically. This is because they were designed to appeal to the groups of people, who due to the characteristics of their cultural affiliation, differ in how they indulge in cognitive processes.

Thus, it will be only logical to reinstate once again that there can indeed be very little uniformity to the deployment of marketing strategies in different parts of the world. I believe that this conclusion fully correlates with the paper’s initial thesis.

Bower, B 2000, ‘Cultures of reason’, Science News , vol. 157 no. 4, pp. 56-58.

De Mooij, M 2004, Consumer behavior and culture: consequences for global marketing and advertising , Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks.

Greenwood, S 2009, Anthropology of magic , Berg Publishers, Oxford.

Masuda, T, Gonzales, R, Kwan, L & Nisbett, R 2008, ‘Culture and aesthetic preference: comparing the attention to context of East Asians and Americans’, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , vol. 34 no. 9, pp. 1260-1275.

Norenzayan, A, Smith, E, Beom, J & Nisbett, R 2002, ‘Cultural preferences for formal versus intuitive reasoning’, Cognitive Science , vol. 26 no. 5, pp. 653-684.

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IvyPanda. (2019, June 30). Advertisements Analysis and Comparison. https://ivypanda.com/essays/advertisements-analysis-and-comparison/

"Advertisements Analysis and Comparison." IvyPanda , 30 June 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/advertisements-analysis-and-comparison/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Advertisements Analysis and Comparison'. 30 June.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Advertisements Analysis and Comparison." June 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/advertisements-analysis-and-comparison/.

1. IvyPanda . "Advertisements Analysis and Comparison." June 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/advertisements-analysis-and-comparison/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Advertisements Analysis and Comparison." June 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/advertisements-analysis-and-comparison/.

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advertising comparison essay

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Politicians must engage with Asian American voters

Then-U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Mandela Barnes greets supporters during an...

Then-U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Mandela Barnes greets supporters during an Asian-American Pacific Islander Caucus meet and greet event at Mai Cafe Breakfast, Bar & Grill on in November 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin.  Credit: Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla

This guest essay reflects the views of Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month ended in May. But the question for community leadership organizations like the Asian American Federation and our members and allies is: How do we keep our community in focus year-round?

While celebratory months come and go, preparations for election season are always upon us. Thanks to recent results, political pundits now realize what our community has known for years: Engaging Asian American voters is crucial for winning an election. But as candidates vie for our votes, some fail to recognize that the key to gaining them is year-round engagement.

At 1.5 million strong, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing voting bloc in New York City. On Long Island, the Asian population grew by 4.4% to 252,957 between 2022 and 2023, according to a Newsday analysis. Asian American voters represent more than 20 ethnic groups and speak more than 40 languages.

This diversity, driven by national origin, home-country ties, and linguistic identity, results in varying socioeconomic circumstances. For some, health care access is pressing, while others prioritize more funding for schools, immigration reform, or safety in light of ongoing anti-Asian violence and racist political rhetoric.

In community meetings, we often hear, “Why are we only sought out during election season? We are here year-round, and we want to be engaged on issues important to the entire community. We feel unseen and ignored.”

From our Editorial Board, get inside the local, city and state political scenes.

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Elected leaders and candidates must think beyond transactional relationships during election season and engage in earnest with their Asian American constituents using linguistically and culturally sensitive approaches. Most importantly, our community tends to vote based on issues, not party affiliation. Candidates must recognize our unique complexities and avoid lumping us under a simplistic “Asian vote” label.

Failing to tailor outreach efforts to our needs excludes many in our community from crucial conversations that influence voters. AAF understands these challenges, as do our member agencies that lead civic engagement programs, especially in communities where only 50% of residents are proficient in English.

A new AAF report highlights the power of consistent and culturally sensitive outreach to Asian American voters: Rep. Tom Suozzi’s campaign successfully engaged Asian American voters, demonstrating how our communities were key to victory in February’s Third Congressional District special election. More than 17% of registered voters in the district are Asian American; 37.5% of them are unaffiliated with any party. Suozzi won the Queens area by more than 20 points, significantly outperforming the previous Democratic candidate’s 4-point margin in the same area.

Suozzi’s campaign connected with Asian American communities through local events in places where Asian New Yorkers gather. Furthermore, because nearly 63% of Asian Americans in his district are foreign-born and 34.8% have limited English proficiency, the campaign produced multilingual voter literature in Chinese, Korean, and Urdu to ensure broad outreach, a tactic we know is effective. Suozzi’s win illustrates the power of the Asian American vote.

It would be a critical mistake for any campaign to continue to disregard the voting power of Asian American New Yorkers and to not meet our communities where they are.

My community has been long ignored, but we are Americans who want to be engaged as a key to change. The Asian American community wields significant power as a voting bloc. Our votes will support candidates who connect with us in ways that respect our culture and heritage. We are here. We want to be engaged, and we are ready to vote.

This guest essay reflects the views of Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation.

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Guest Essay

Hillary Clinton: I’ve Debated Trump and Biden. Here’s What I’m Watching For.

Facing away from each other, Hillary Rodham Clinton stands onstage on the left and Donald Trump stands on the right.

By Hillary Rodham Clinton

Mrs. Clinton was the Democratic nominee for president in 2016.

Last week I had the time of my life at the Tony Awards introducing a song from “Suffs,” the Broadway musical I co-produced about the suffragists who won women the right to vote. I was thrilled when the show took home the awards for best original score and best book.

From “Suffs” to “Hamilton,” I love theater about politics. But not the other way around. Too often we approach pivotal moments like this week’s debate between President Biden and Donald Trump like drama critics. We’re picking a president, not the best actor.

I am the only person to have debated both men (Mr. Trump in 2016 and, in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary race, Mr. Biden). I know the excruciating pressure of walking onto that stage and that it is nearly impossible to focus on substance when Mr. Trump is involved. In our three debates in 2016, he unleashed a blizzard of interruptions, insults and lies that overwhelmed the moderators and did a disservice to the voters who tuned in to learn about our visions for the country — including a record 84 million viewers for our first debate.

It is a waste of time to try to refute Mr. Trump’s arguments like in a normal debate. It’s nearly impossible to identify what his arguments even are. He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather. This has gotten only worse in the years since we debated. I was not surprised that after a recent meeting, several chief executives said that Mr. Trump, as one journalist described it, “could not keep a straight thought” and was “all over the map.” Yet expectations for him are so low that if he doesn’t literally light himself on fire on Thursday evening, some will say he was downright presidential.

Mr. Trump may rant and rave in part because he wants to avoid giving straight answers about his unpopular positions, like restrictions on abortion, giving tax breaks to billionaires and selling out our planet to big oil companies in return for campaign donations. He interrupts and bullies — he even stalked me around the stage at one point — because he wants to appear dominant and throw his opponent off balance.

These ploys will fall flat if Mr. Biden is as direct and forceful as he was when engaging Republican hecklers at the State of the Union address in March. The president also has facts and truth on his side. He led America’s comeback from a historic health and economic crisis, with more than 15 million jobs created so far, incomes for working families rising, inflation slowing and investments in clean energy and advanced manufacturing soaring. He’ll win if that story comes through.

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