Should you mention your competitor if they are a huge company?

[marc100]

If your business competes with a huge well known business, should you mention them as your business model?

For example i look at https://duckduckgo.com and the first question they get asked is "How are you different from Google"
Their answer is basically that "Google tracks you, we don't".




Is it smart to do this?

Pros:
1. When everyone knows and uses your competitor and you mention your competitor then people will instantly understand your business.
"Our product is like a cheaper, faster, easier Oracle"
or
"We're like an Instagram for pet lovers"
or
"We're like eBay but for office chairs" will make people understand what you're doing immediately and not have to spend 3 minutes explaining it. With "Instagram for pet lovers" they will get it in seconds.
then it makes it easier to move on from there why your business is different or filling a need the big boys arent filling.

Cons:
1. It makes people think you'll never be able to compete with such a huge giant.
2. It could open you up to lawsuits from the company if they feel you are bad mouthing them.
"Google watches you, we dont" could open you up to a lawsuit.
"We're Amazon but easier to use" could make it sound like you are bad mouthing them.

These companies have billions to spend on lawyers and you have $0. They could sue you just for the fun of it.

Thoughts?

 

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[stranger]

I think this is a bad idea to compare your business to big guys. Just do things better than these big guys and people will see you are really better.

 

[Tom.V]

That is actually a very good question. Though I have never used anything of the sort for leverage in my marketing, I can see both the pros and cons. Just seems a bit too risky for my liking, as these monster companies can go litigious and really shut your entire operation down immediately if they wanted. Curious to see what others think though.

 

[Vigilante]

Interesting and thoughtful question. I will be watching as I am interested in people's responses to this

 

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[marc100]

Here's what Jessica Livingston of Ycombinator says.
Now I know Fastlane Forum is about building your own successful business and not necessarily about going to incubators and VC's, but it's a perspective from a very successful person in the trenches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66_obXGqt4o

Do you agree with her?

 

[qewrtyass]

very bad.
its less ethical.
and you fight face to face the big smart tough guy who will smack you down into pieces.

but when you are at the same level, its common to do this in commercial/advertising.