Understanding Doppelgänger Brand Image: The Darker Side to Emotional Branding

Abstract

With ubiquitous digital growth in the last two decades, consumers' belief of authenticity has become robust. Empowered consumers voice their opinion boldly through internet medium. Antibrand activists, bloggers and loosely organized network of consumers continuously monitor the activities of deceitful marketers and one insidious tactic turns the emotional image to doppelgänger brand image (DBI) - disparaging images and stories about a brand. This article helps in giving insights about the concept of DBI and show the paradoxical side of emotional branding. The concept has been explained with illustrations and recent issues like net neutrality in India, Maggi ban, etc. In addition, the chapter also covers the motivations to create DBI, brands susceptible to DBI and location of such images. The work puts across the schemes where managers could turn this threat of DBI into an opportunity to tell a new brand story, thereby regaining the emotional appeal for the brand. Understanding the concept of DBI would help the readers appreciate the area of emotional branding in better light.