TV Is Not Dead

Compared to political campaign ads, retailers have been cautious about using negative TV ads to badmouth their competitors.  A recent Adweek/Harris Poll indicates such caution is well founded.

As the chart shows, people have a predisposition to think worse of the brand making the attack than the brand that is the target.  

One caveat:  Though people routinely claim to dislike attack ads in politics, the results on Election Day often suggest those ads have worked.  So, consumers may be less averse than they say to TV advertising that goes negative on the competition.