Negative Advertising

Negative advertising is a marketing strategy where a company or candidate highlights the flaws or weaknesses of competitors to influence public perception. Instead of emphasizing their own strengths, they focus on pointing out issues or negative qualities of others to make their offering seem more appealing by comparison. This approach aims to sway consumers or voters by creating doubt or dissatisfaction with competitors, often emphasizing scandals, mistakes, or shortcomings. While effective in shaping opinions, negative advertising can also lead to increased polarization and criticism, and sometimes detracts from constructive, positive messaging.