The cheekiest discount code I’ve ever seen

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Hello, awesome marketers and founders.
This is Luv, and here’s your weekly Marketing Shot :)

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I was scrolling through my feed yesterday when I saw a tweet. It was from a founder named Chanakya Shah, who runs a hydration brand called Up&Run

I have attached the screenshot because you need to see this. He did not use a normal discount code like "WELCOME10" or "DIWALI20." Instead, he told people to use the names of his competitors as promo codes.

It was a brilliant move.

The "Competitor" Promo Code

The main idea was simple. If you bought a hydration drink from another brand and you did not like it, Chanakya wanted to help. He told customers to go to his website and type that rival brand's name into the discount box to get 30% off.

This is genius for a few reasons:

• It feels like a reward: If a customer felt cheated by a big brand, using that brand’s name to get a discount feels like a little bit of "revenge." It makes the customer feel powerful.

• Free Market Research: By doing this, the founder does not have to guess who his rivals are. His customers are literally telling him exactly which brands they are leaving behind.

• The Power of Choice: He even told people that if their specific brand was not in the system yet, they should just comment the name and he would add it. This sparked engagement in his comment section.

Why This Beats a Normal Sale

Most brands just throw a discount at you and hope you buy. This campaign was different because it was a "Switching Campaign."

He used very simple language. He said "No fine print" and "No questions." He told his customers that he was sorry they had been let down by other products in the past. By using the competitor's name as the key, he turned a boring transaction into a story about switching to something better.

The Ultimate Confidence

The best part was how he ended the post. He said the discount is valid until you switch, but after that, "you won't need it."

He was so sure his product was better that he believed once you tried it, you would never look for a discount or another brand again. That is the kind of confidence that makes people want to buy.

I think this is a fantastic way to stand out in a crowded market. It is cheap to do, easy to set up, and very hard for people to ignore.

Would you ever dare to use your competitor's name as a discount code on your website?

I would love to hear if you think this is too risky or just pure genius.

That's a wrap for today! Stay tuned for the next edition.

Thanks,
Luv