Att vara rolig på någon annans bekostnad: varumärkesparodiers effekter på det avsändande varumärket

Sammanfattning: A challenge faced by marketers is to make their products stand out in today's cluttered marketplace. Recently, a new approach to attract attention has been observed - brands communicating their products by making fun of other brands. This way of parodying a competitor, or even an unrelated brand, is a risky but potentially effective way to increase attention. Brand parodies walk a fine line between being humorous and clever, or coming off as offensive. Furthermore, parodying another trademark poses legal considerations. The object of this study is to investigate if the use of brand parodies can result in positive effects on the brand behind the parody, in terms of attitude toward the ad and brand attitude. As consumer responses to a specific ad can result in both positive and negative effects for the brand, the aim of this paper is to draw general conclusions regarding whether and when a parody can be a rewarding strategy within marketing communications. The findings of this paper implies that the use of parody has positive effects on brand attitude when: 1) the brand behind the parody advertises low involvement products 2) the parody has a sympathetic or amusing tone, rather than a purely offensive tone and 3) the brand behind the parody is clearly visible and the parody has an apparent commercial purpose.