RT Article
T1 Exploring the Legality of Consumer Anti-branding Activities in the Digital Age
JF Journal of business ethics
VO 139
IS 1
SP 77
OP 93
A1 Kucuk, S. Umit
LA English
PB Springer Science + Business Media B. V
YR 2016
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1785659332
AB The importance of “brand dilution” is changing with the rise in internet-mediated consumer power and increasing consumer involvement in the brand identity and message creation processes. In light of recent legal rulings, this study re-conceptualizes brand dilution as a matter of counter-posed brand meanings and associations in digital markets. Anti-branding dilution cases from both a blurring and a tarnishment dilution basis are examined through consumer interviews. The results show that consumer anti-branding has less potential for brand dilution, and more potential for brand identity collusion. By addressing both legal and marketing views of the meaning systems associated with the dilution versus collusion perspectives, this study provides an approach for understanding anti-branding dilution discussions and a way to develop better functioning branding exchange systems for digital markets. Consequently, possible changes in future branding ownership issues for digital markets are envisioned.
K1 Brand ownership and consumer rights
K1 Digital branding
K1 Anti-branding
K1 Brand dilution
DO 10.1007/s10551-015-2585-5