---
id: "concept-prosocial-teasing"
type: "concept"
source_timestamps: ["§ Don't Overstep the Line"]
tags: ["tone-of-voice", "copywriting"]
related: ["claim-negative-messaging-outperforms", "concept-pleasantly-aggressive"]
definition: "A communication tactic involving playful jabs that acknowledge a rival's strengths while simultaneously asserting one's own superiority."
speakers: ["Abhishek Borah", "Johannes Berendt", "Sebastian Uhrich", "Gavin Kilduff"]
sources: ["tail2"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-tail2"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-tail-124-good-rivalry-brand"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/08/a-good-rivalry-can-elevate-your-brand"
sourceTitle: "A Good Rivalry Can Elevate Your Brand"
---
# Prosocial Teasing

**Prosocial teasing** is the recommended tone for *negative* rivalry messaging. It operates on the principle that 'all's fair in love and war' (see [[quote-alls-fair]]), leveraging the shared history between rivals to make negativity feel natural and expected rather than mean-spirited.

The approach relies heavily on **sarcasm, humor, and wit**, and deliberately avoids ill-will and vitriol. The 'prosocial' element is that the brand *acknowledges the rival's strengths* even while asserting its own superiority — a move that signals confidence and sportsmanship, softens the attack, and prevents the brand from appearing petulant or insecure. This nuanced tone is what lets a brand reap the engagement benefits of the [[concept-rivalry-reference-effect]] and support [[claim-negative-messaging-outperforms|going negative with loyalists]] without damaging its reputation.

In practice, prosocial teasing is the mechanism by which a brand stays [[concept-pleasantly-aggressive|pleasantly aggressive rather than petulantly hostile]]. Note (per the enrichment) that 'prosocial teasing' is not a formally validated construct in the JMR paper's abstract — it is a coherent practical codification of the broader, evidence-backed recommendation to be humorous, witty, and non-vitriolic when referencing rivals.