Counterfeiting of Luxury Brands: Opportunity beyond the Threat

Luxury has traditionally been associated with exclusivity, status and quality. For this reason, brand management has become an important aspect of luxury goods marketingWe propose to conduct a deeper analysis by investigating, from a consumer perspective, all aspects of brand equity that might be affected by counterfeiting. Further, we propose a wider analysis based on observing not only actual consumers of genuine luxury brands but also potential ones.In the light of the results collected by these two studies conducted within one of the most “fashion victim” countries (Italy), we might attempt a preliminary answer to the following crucial question: “Apart from undeniably negative effects on sales, might counterfeiting also induce positive effects on luxury brand equity in the minds of consumers?”Respondents to this double study seem to say “yes”. Genuine consumers are shown to be particularly sensitive to the counterfeiting phenomenon. The more they perceive the existence of fakes of a brand they possess, the stronger their cognitive evaluations and affective relationship with this brand, and the stronger their personal identification with it. Surprisingly, several positive effects have also been registered within potential, as well as actual, consumers