Measuring consumer brand confusion to comply with legal guidelines
de KearneyandVincentWayne Mitchell
Introduction
Imitation can be a very costeffective strategy for manufacturers because it can have the effect of reopening the purchase decision when consumers generalise, or confuse, one brand (or aspects of a brand) with another, and thus may reevaluate existing preferences (Ward et al.1986). However, brand owners are understandably wary of the potential to (1) lose sales revenue due to mistaken purchases, (2) have their image tarnished by association with a lesser product, and (3) lose exclusivity in an important brand element...