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Sincere Flattery: Trade‐Dress Imitation and Consumer Choice
Author(s) -
Warlop Luk,
Alba Joseph W.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of consumer psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.433
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1532-7663
pISSN - 1057-7408
DOI - 10.1207/s15327663jcp1401&2_4
Subject(s) - flattery , imitation , advertising , psychology , economics , marketing , microeconomics , social psychology , business
A copycat strategy uses visual similarity to an established leader as a persuasion tool. Although not uncommon in the marketplace, little is known about consumer response to such imitation. Contrary to speculation regarding consumer sensitivity to salient persuasion tactics, we find only conditional evidence that consumers spontaneously penalize brands that blatantly imitate market leaders. The results are discussed in the context of common marketing wisdom regarding the virtues of differentiation.