Services · Claims/IP
Claims Substantiation
Consumers pay attention to claims of product superiority when there is a meaningful difference. Such a claim can significantly increase sales and share — but the risks are large without the research to substantiate it.
What kind of claim do you want to make?
There are three primary types of claims.
Superiority
Your product performs better on a measure that matters in the category. Competitors’ attorneys and broadcasters will demand the research, so it takes an extremely well-designed test under strictly controlled conditions.
Parity
Consumers could not detect a difference between your product and a competitor’s. Especially useful if your brand is significantly less expensive than the leading brand.
Puffery
A boast such as “America’s favorite” that makes no comparison with other products. This type of claim generally needs no substantiation.
A persuasive claim can significantly change your business.
It can also be risky if you do not follow the correct procedure — whether you are making a claim, or facing one from a competitor that you feel is inaccurate or unfair.