Why Compare?

I was flicking through the newspaper today when I saw an ad for M&S food comparing their prices to those of waitrose essentials range. The pictures looked very appealing and the huge copy said that they were price checked against waitrose so I was expecting to read further and find the prices cheaper. Instead, the food was exactly the same price. What is the point in creating a price-comparison ad unless your product is cheaper, it does not work if they are the same price.



I'm guessing the purpose of the ad was to justify the quality of the M&S food compared to the Waitrose essentials range, without enhancing the price tag which it does do. However, the framing of the message as a price-comparison makes consumers automatically think about price first and when the prices are the same, what could have been a compelling proposition, seems to fall short.