Consumer Protection Law Commons^™

Unbranding, Confusion & Deception, Aaron K. Perzanowski

Aaron K. Perzanowski

This Article addresses the phenomenon of unbranding. Unbranding occurs when a firm chooses to discontinue its use of a brand that has developed negative associations among consumers in favor of a new brand, often in hopes of escaping the consequences of inferior products or illegal activity. Companies like AIG, Blackwater, Philip Morris, and WorldComm have all employed this strategy in recent years. Unbranding represents a striking departure from branding orthodoxy, which stresses the maintenance of brand equity through the gradual evolution of a brand. After examining the factors that prompt firms to take the radical step of eliminating an established …