Dealing with dupes: "The problem is people don’t understand value anymore.” To what extent is this true?
Anabel Pe?a
Brand & Marketing Manager | Apparel & Footwear ? Sports ? Music ? Lifestyle | Lifelong Learner
“People don’t understand value anymore.” This is the conclusion drawn by a fashion designer in this article about the rise of dupe culture.
An usual statement amongst brand owners who are facing imitations of their top-selling products. A true headache for them and their businesses.
However, blaming people for their lack of understanding is, in my opinion, some sort of excuse to avoid addressing the actual problem.
1. We do not understand what people really value.
2. We fail to provide the knowledge that people require to easily understand our value beyond the price tag. The famous: “Why do I have to pay more if I can buy something similar for much less?”.
Let’s be honest.
People do not care about your investments, taxes, or how much time you spend designing your products or developing your manufacturing processes.
People care about them. And all they want is to get the best value for their money without having to think too hard about how to get it.
That perceived value is the driving force behind every purchase. A decision-making process that is based on a combination of knowledge, needs, and wants that are influenced by both rational (cost and functionality) and subjective (psychological and social) factors.
As Daniel Kahneman explained in his book, “Thinking Fast and Slow,” the human decision-making process involves two thinking systems.
- System 1: Quick, emotional, and impulsive.
- System 2: Slow, thoughtful, and analytical.
We practically base all our purchasing decisions on System 1.
Companies selling duplicates and low-quality products are well aware of this behavior. And they seize it by promoting posts and short videos with “experts” and influencers, explaining that their products are nearly identical to the original ones. And cheaper.
This strategy aims to give us an immediate validation (or excuse) that encourages us to buy the dupe quickly and without considering anything else: “It’s the same! And it’s cheaper! Buy it!”.
“It isn't! Don’t buy it!”
Surprisingly, brands offering the original one do not use experts, influencers, or social media in the same way. They do not provide their audience with easily understandable and unquestionable reasons to issue a “dupe warning” when their customers come across one of them.
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As an example, brands selling luxury bags could collaborate with Volkan Yilmaz, owner of the leather store Pegai in Dallas. A content creator who is truly committed to helping people understand leather.
Under the name Tanner Leatherstein (687k Instagram followers and 1.1M on TikTok), he creates videos where he dissects bags and other fashion items explaining their features, quality, price, and whether it is worthwhile to buy them or not.
I am also a big fan of those schools, academies, clinics, and other brand activations aimed at increasing the knowledge of their target audiences. Brand experiences that invite customers to meet with experts who will answer their questions and provide insights and useful tips for enjoying their passions and communities.
The Arc’teryx Academy , CHANEL School of Makeup , and the Red Bull Student Marketeer program are just a few of many good examples.
Essentials for winning the battle against duplicates and counterfeits.
There isn't a magic recipe, but there are ways to minimize this problem:
- Keep your value simple and obvious for your customers. The only thing they should overthink (System 2) is whether buying the duplicate is worthwhile or not.
- Foster trust and loyalty with transparency and knowledge.
- Provide all the answers that your customers will need during the purchasing process. Even before they can pose the question.
- Do not place the blame on the client. If value is not understood, it may be because it was not properly explained.
Would you include anything else to this list?
Thank you for reading! I hope you found this article insightful.
English Literature Aspirants
3 个月I’ve seen similar issues in other areas, like when people chase trends without grasping the underlying value, leading to fleeting interest. From my experience, focusing on delivering genuine value and clear, educational content helps combat #dupeculture effectively. It’s not just about what you offer but how you communicate its worth.? If you’re interested, check out this database on value-driven strategies that might offer further insights: https://notion.habit10x.com/linkedin13
Community Manager @Habit10x
3 个月I've seen the impact of dupe culture too, and I agree that it's less about a lack of understanding value and more about an education gap. When I noticed customers gravitating toward cheaper alternatives, I focused on educating them about quality differences. It wasn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but it helped them make more informed choices. If you're interested in diving deeper into self-help and productivity, this resource has been invaluable: https://notion.habit10x.com/linkedin13