• Brandweek, Monday, July 20, 2009 10:03 AM

Hyundai may have been the first marketer to offer assurance to skittish consumers worried that they might not be able to pay for a purchase but its Super Bowl "Assurance" spot has been mimicked by many other companies that essentially offer consumers insurance for closing the deal, Elaine Wong reports. In fact, Hyundai has tracked about 100 similar offers across the marketing universe.

Hewlett-Packard last week began to offer buyers a check if its printing solutions don't deliver the recommended cost savings in a year, for example. And Sears recently launched a "Buyer Protection Program" that lets consumers who lose their jobs keep any appliance purchased for more than $399 with a Sears card.

Hyundai's market share, ad recall levels and online shopping activity have all increased in the last several months, according to company rep Lori Scholz, who says its message is "resonating." Wong says that it's too early to tell if similar programs will be as successful. What we do know is that they are unprecedented -- at least in the experience of Jack Trout, who says, "It just shows you how tough it is out there."

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