Marketers fear a fresh surge of ‘me too’ branding

Marketers believe copycat branding by retailers and rival brand owners is becoming a serious threat again, according to research.

A survey of 100 top marketers found that 60% agreed that “plagiarism by competitors was much worse than it was five years ago”.

The research was commissioned by design agency JKR and conducted by market research agency Saville Rossiter-Base in October.

JKR chief executive Andy Knowles says: “Copycat branding never went away – but now it’s more insidious.”

He points to Tesco Temptations crisps, which he argues are similar to Walkers Sensations, but adds that manufacturers are also guilty of copying retailers’ brands.

Knowles believes the issue is symptomatic of a wider problem – the “commoditisation” of brands. The research supports this, with 56% saying this is the biggest threat to their business.

Knowles adds: “Commodities are bought on price. But only one product can ever be the cheapest, and eventually consumers wake up to the fact that manufacturers are cutting corners at the expense of quality, and go elsewhere.”