Free Market, Advertisements

Long time back I saw two advertisements (I have long had a deep dislike of advertisements in any form). One for car company X and one for car company Y.

X claimed that so many (100,000s) Y car owners had switched to X car in the last year.

Y claimed in its advertisement that so many (100,000s) X car owners had switched to Y car in the last year.

Now in reality probably both data could have been true. As to which data WAS true, I don't know.

Assuming even that both data were true, it means that so many people switched from X car to Y car and so many went the reverse way. In effect the NET new buyers for each car was much lower than the number mentioned, probably zero or even negative (for one of X, Y).

But the way the message was communicated one felt that this car was wowowow. Until one read the other advertisement.

All these thoughts were triggered by an article I read, unfortunately I am not able to get the link. 

Millions used the MNP option to move to some other mobile service provider. Some from x to y brand. Some from y to x. In the find hope that the grass is greener on the other side.

Do I see them coming back to the previous operator in about 90 days (which is the minimum amount of time you have to spend with the current operator before you can make another switch)?

 Published on

3/7/11, 2:52 PM

India Standard Time