Dupes: Foe or Friend?

What was once a "knock-off" is now a "dupe," and with over 4 billion searches for "dupes" on TikTok, the use of "alternative" versions of a product or design is a significant market spanning across various sectors.

Where we might have previously been desperate to avoid someone realising the product we own is not an original, it is often now a point of pride. Dupes are a point of savviness, particularly for fashion- and luxury-conscious millennials and gen z's with lower disposable income.

Their scale prompts an important question: Can dupes play a role in building brand desire for the original, or are they actually eroding brand value?

In a way, dupes offer insight into the desirability of a brand's product and the aspirations of consumers. There's no point in having a dupe unless the original product is of known premium quality. As such, they have the potential to connect with possible future customers, essentially building mental market share ahead of what we would hope to follow – actual market share.

For some luxury brands, being exclusive is absolutely everything, and for these types of brands, there is nothing to be gained from acknowledging that dupes of their products even exist. For others, however, there is something to be gained from recognizing that there are new ways into their brands for people who do not want to make such a big initial outlay. Acknowledging that dupes exist may not be a bad thing and could offer an opportunity to engage those potential customers on a longer-term brand journey.

An interesting example of a brand leaning into this space is Lululemon. So confident were they in the better quality of their original versus the dupes that they held a Dupe Swap, encouraging people to bring in dupes of its incredibly popular Align pants to trade in for the original. Fifty percent of those who came in to swap their dupes were new customers, providing a brilliant opportunity for customer acquisition. Leaning into the dupe space, rather than fighting it (in this instance), very much paid off.

This approach can work for a brand like Lululemon as the price differential is not that significant; for luxury brands, this approach could not work unless the 'swap' was a giveaway to one or two influencers, as opposed to an open call to anyone with a dupe.

Given the rise of celebrity culture and social media, the need for people to emulate a certain lifestyle and express themselves in certain ways means that dupes are not going anywhere. As such, it is important for luxury brands to think about their role in its wider cultural impact. As a trend, dupes create affirmation for the real thing and ensure the brand is a part of cultural conversations. Dupes could be a category entry point, the beginning of a longer-term customer journey.

That said, there is the significant issue of sustainability. While dupes may offer a way into the trends seen in luxury, there are significant risks for a luxury brand in acknowledging dupes of its products. Dupes are the antithesis of sustainability, driven by fast fashion and immediate disposability. This disposability is not something that should be encouraged.

Ultimately, dupes are about accessibility to a look or trend, and it is worth pointing out that there are other ways that luxury brands can offer more accessible ways into their brand. Collaborations can be a way to introduce products at a price range that brings in new customers.

A great example is H&M, which has a long history (since 2004) of running luxury collaborations with designers. While this is very different from the notion of the dupe, it is a way of giving people access to luxury brands at a lower price point.

So, what does it mean for luxury brands in the marketing space? Proceed with caution. There are some luxury brands for whom any acknowledgment or engagement with dupes should be avoided.

But, for those brands that want to explore whether there is a way to make their brand more accessible to potential future buyers, there are some things they can do in this area:

1. Find an easy way to show the difference and reward those leading the way in finding dupes of your products. Working with influencers in this space can be a powerful way to communicate the incredible difference in quality between a dupe and its original.
2. Think about accessibility in alternative ways; the collaboration model can increase accessibility without devaluing the parent brand.
3. Challenge people with the idea of rental rather than duplication. The cost of renting a luxury bag for a month may not be that different from the cost of a dupe.

In summary, for some luxury brands, acknowledging the role of dupes of their products may be an interesting space to explore, but caution is needed, particularly given the disposable nature of fast fashion. There are lots of ways for luxury brands to find more accessible ways into their brands, should that be something they are keen to do (and many are not).

Aside from whether a luxury brand chooses to acknowledge dupes of its products, there is insight that can be gained from understanding and monitoring them. They give a window into brand and product desirability and how the trends they set land in popular culture. It is, therefore, always worthwhile keeping tabs on what is happening in this space, whether or not a luxury brand chooses to react to it.

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