Because of the low cash outlay on fakes, printing screw-ups have even become accepted and tolerated. Some ignore the warning that fakes can destroy the printer, leading to more expenses.So instead of flagging the negative effects of their current behaviour, the strategy was to talk about how much more they stand to gain by using originals. Thus the brand proposition: 'printing benefits stack up to 2.4 times more with HP Cartridges'.

Long lasting prints with accurate colours – this is what strengthens HP as a brand. This fact led us to think how using non-HP inks could lead to disastrous output: discolouration, ink blotches, and shoddy prints. This emphasised that HP inks last more than twice as long and will give you 100% colour accuracy every time.

As we prepared for a tougher year when entrepreneurs tightened their business expense belts further, the “Versus Refills” OOH campaign helped achieve 170% of print cartridge sales for 2008. This further strengthened HP’s position in the supplies segment, making us an equally strong player in the after-sales goods and services.