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Looking more or less alike: Determinants of perceived visual similarity between copycat and leading brands

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  • Miceli, Gaetano Nino
  • Pieters, Rik

Abstract

Copycat brands try to gain acceptance from consumers by imitating the trade dress of a leading, incumbent brand, and a crucial question thus is which conditions determine the perceived similarity between a copycat and a leading brand. Two experimental studies, across different product categories and countries, reveal that, as hypothesized, the copycat strategy (copying visual attributes versus themes) and the mindset of the consumer (featural versus relational focus) interact to determine perceived similarity. Consumers in a relational mindset perceive a theme-based copycat to be more similar to a leading brand than consumers in a featural mindset do. These findings have implications for similarity theory and branding practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Miceli, Gaetano Nino & Pieters, Rik, 2010. "Looking more or less alike: Determinants of perceived visual similarity between copycat and leading brands," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(11), pages 1121-1128, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:63:y:2010:i:11:p:1121-1128
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    Cited by:

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    3. Zha, Yong & Guo, Xiaowei & Chen, Huaping & Ling, Liuyi, 2022. "How does Store Branded Lookalike Packaging Affect Competition in a Dyadic Supply Chain: A Consumer Confusion Perspective," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    4. Ezgi Oguz & Jamie Marsden, 2023. "Defending Against Copycat Packaging: The Role of Design from a Consumer’s Perspective," Athens Journal of Business & Economics, Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), vol. 9(1), pages 73-90, January.
    5. Suzuki, Mayu & Washida, Yuichi, 2021. "Measuring Negative Effects of Copycat Products in Emerging Consumer Markets," Hitotsubashi Journal of commerce and management, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 55(1), pages 1-13, October.
    6. Wang, Yingjia & Fan, Di & Fung, Yi-Ning & Luo, Suyuan, 2022. "Consumer-to-consumer product exchanges for original fashion brands in the sharing economy: Good or bad for fashion knockoffs?," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    7. Anne-Sophie V. E. Radermecker, 2019. "Artworks without names: an insight into the market for anonymous paintings," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 43(3), pages 443-483, September.
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    9. Melnyk, Valentyna & Giarratana, Marco & Torres, Anna, 2014. "Marking your trade: Cultural factors in the prolongation of trademarks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 478-485.
    10. Paul W. Dobson & Ratula Chakraborty, 2014. "How Do National Brands And Store Brands Compete?," Working Paper series, University of East Anglia, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) 2014-07, Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..

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