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The purpose of this paper is to continue the emerging stream of literature that has found knockoffs and counterfeits to be unobtrusive or even beneficial to luxury companies by analyzing how they produce paradoxes of meaning and contribute to the renewal of luxury markets. This is done by exploring them as doppelgänger brand images that reappropriate brand imagery for their own purposes.

This is a conceptual paper that focuses on the role of knockoffs and counterfeits in the renewal of luxury markets.

The findings highlight how knockoffs and counterfeits can contribute to the emergence and cyclical diffusion of luxury. As luxury offerings are introduced to the market, knockoffs and counterfeits accelerate the snob effect, aid in anchoring trends and contribute to induced obsolescence. During diffusion, knockoffs and counterfeits can strengthen aspiration, bandwagon and herding effects. In doing so, knockoffs and counterfeits create a paradox as they simultaneously legitimize the idea of the “authenticity” of genuine offerings through their presence in the market and create cyclical demand for novel offerings by undermining the authenticity claims of existing luxury offerings. Thus, knockoffs and counterfeits can be understood as a paradox of luxury markets that contributes to the market cyclicality not despite but because of this paradoxical interplay.

While research on knockoffs and counterfeiting is plentiful in the field of marketing, this is among the few studies that analyze how these offerings contribute to luxury markets and their renewal.

The purpose of this study is to propose a bearer service, which generates and maintains a “digital doppelgänger” for every financial contract in the form of a dynamic transaction document that is a standardised “data facility” automatically making important contract data from the transaction counterparties available to relevant authorities mandated by law to request and process such data. This would be achieved by sharing certain elements of the dynamic transaction document on a bearer service, based on a federation of distribution ledgers; such a quasi-simultaneous sharing of risk data becomes possible because the dynamic transaction document maintain a record of state in semi-real time, and this state can be verified by anybody with access to the distribution ledgers, also in semi-real time.

In this paper, the authors propose a novel, regular technology (RegTech) cum automated legal text approach for financial transaction as well as financial risk reporting that is based on cutting-edge distributed computing and decentralised data management technologies such as distributed ledger (Swanson, 2015), distributed storage (Arner et al., 2016; Chandra et al., 2013; Caron et al., 2014), algorithmic financial contract standards (Brammertz and Mendelowitz, 2014; Breymann and Mendelowitz, 2015; Braswell, 2016), automated legal text (Hazard and Haapio, 2017) and document engineering methods and techniques (Glushko and McGrath, 2005). This approach is equally inspired by the concept of the “bearer service” and its capacity to span over existing and future technological systems and substrates (Kavassalis et al., 2000; Clark, 1988).

The result is a transformation of supervisors’ capacity to monitor risk in the financial system based on data which preserve informational content of financial instruments at the most granular level, in combination with a mathematically robust time stamping approach using blockchain technology.

The RegTech approach has the potential to contain operational risk linked to inadequate handling of risk data and to rein in compliance cost of supervisory reporting.

The present RegTech approach to financial risk monitoring and supervisory reporting is the first integration of algorithmic financial data standards with blockchain functionality.

The increase in international trade, the advances in technology, the growing importance of the emerging markets are the main factors that have contributed to the explosion of counterfeiting experienced in recent years, estimated to be valued at about 5-7 per cent of the world trade. The luxury industry in Italy has been particularly hard hit and most brands nowadays are urgently looking for demand-side and supply-side strategies to track and control the phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to provide a supply chain view of counterfeiting and illegitimate trade phenomena, in a supply chain risk management perspective, to define and illuminate the interaction of the legitimate and the illegitimate supply chains.

The paper introduces the LISC model to represent and include all the illegitimate trade phenomena under analysis such as pure counterfeiting, factory overruns, grey and parallel market, supply chain infiltrations, product diversion and sale of stolen goods

The interrelations between legitimate and illegitimate supply chains are crucial to approach counterfeiting issue and define which illegitimate trade paths are more harmful to companies and customers.

The first limitation of the work is that the illegitimate trade categories defined in this paper mainly rely on data and phenomena collected from secondary sources that have not yet been directly observed by the authors. The second one is that a specific focus on high-end fashion industry was employed throughout this work: further analysis for evaluating the applicability and the significance of the illegitimate trade in other industries is still pending. The final limitation stems from the fact that it will be necessary to investigate the implications and the applicability of the model to the illegitimate on-line trade.

During the course of the MI-FIDO project, the model and the selection rules identified for illegitimate trade family classification were used as a basis for defining the rules for anomalies detection to be included in a “track and trace” system developed the project team currently under with a major Italian fashion brand.

To the authors ' knowledge, this is the first work that attempts to present a concise and systematic approach to luxury illegitimate trade from a supply chain perspective. Understanding which legitimate-illegitimate supply chain interactions are the most damaging will help fashion luxury and other industries to battle the counterfeiting phenomenon more effectively

Social media has promoted anti-brand communities, which build around the shared aversion to a specific brand. The purpose of this paper is to investigate social media-based anti-brand communities and their effects on the sports team brand in question.

The authors conducted a netnographic study of Facebook-based anti-brand communities that oppose a professional football team.

The netnographic study reveals characteristics and drivers of Facebook-based anti-brand communities that oppose a professional football team. The research further identifies co-destructive behaviours of anti-brand community members that harm the sports team brand and even its sponsors. However, the findings also reveal that anti-brand communities may play a positive role in sport, as they strengthen the relationship between fans of the opposed brand and this brand and foster rivalry among football fans.

This research establishes the relevance of social media-based anti-brand communities for sports brands. Recommendations are made for team sport brands with regards to how to deal with the phenomenon of anti-brand communities.

While the previous research on anti-brand activism focused on either offline movements or movements using traditional websites, this research is the first to investigate the pivotal role of social networking sites for anti-brand activism. The paper further uncovers unique motivational, attitudinal, and behavioral patterns of fans that meet in communities opposing not only the rival team, but also the brand associated with the team. Findings show ways to better understand and deal with such anti-brand communities in sports.

Penetration tests have become a valuable tool in the cyber security defence strategy in terms of detecting vulnerabilities. Although penetration testing has traditionally focussed on technical aspects, the field has started to realise the importance of the human in the organisation, and the need to ensure that humans are resistant to cyberattacks. To achieve this, some organisations “pentest” their employees, testing their resilience and ability to detect and repel human-targeted attacks. In a previous paper, the authors reported on PoinTER (Prepare TEst Remediate), a human pentesting framework, tailored to the needs of SMEs. This paper aims to propose improvements to refine the framework. The improvements are based on a derived set of ethical principles that have been subjected to ethical scrutiny

The authors conducted a systematic literature review of academic research, a review of actual hacker techniques, industry recommendations and official body advice related to social engineering techniques. To meet the requirements to have an ethical human pentesting framework, the authors compiled a list of ethical principles from the research literature which they used to filter out techniques deemed unethical.

Drawing on social engineering techniques from academic research, reported by the hacker community, industry recommendations and official body advice and subjecting each technique to ethical inspection, using a comprehensive list of ethical principles, the authors propose the refined GDPR-compliant and privacy respecting PoinTER framework. The list of ethical principles, as suggested, could also inform ethical technical pentests.

Previous work has considered penetration testing humans, but few have produced a comprehensive framework such as PoinTER. PoinTER has been rigorously derived from multiple sources and ethically scrutinised through inspection, using a comprehensive list of ethical principles derived from the research literature.

The use of aggressive media campaigns to parody a competitor is a relatively recent development. The aim of this study is to gauge the consequences of parody on attitudes towards the brand that is the victim of the parody.

The data collection was carried out in an experiment design in two steps (before and after brand parody exposure) in order to measure the effects of a parody exposition on brand‐parodied attitude.

The results show that average level of attitude toward the brand parodied is significantly different after exposure to the advertisement that parodies it. Thus, the average level of attitude toward the brand parodied is significantly different in accordance with the degree to which those exposed to parodies are subject to feelings of anti‐commercial rebellion.

This study shows that a brand parody communication by playing negative humour with an anti‐commercial style represents a real threat for the brand parodied.

This research measured the effect of parody on attitude toward the brand parodied by its competitor. For this, the original materials were used (iPod advertising and iPod parody advertising made by its competitor).

Existing brand literature on assemblage practices has focused on providing a map or geography of brand assemblages, suggesting that an artist brand’s ability to evolve and achieve brand longevity remains constant. Using geology of assemblage, this study aims to explore the types and mechanisms of change in brand evolutions to address the problem of identifying when and how a brand can transform in an evolving marketplace.

The authors apply an interpretive process data approach using secondary archival data and in-depth interviews with 31 self-identified fans to explore the artist brand David Bowie over his 50-year career.

As an artist brand, Bowie’s ability to evolve his brand was constrained by his assemblage. Despite efforts to defy ageing and retain a youth audience appeal, both the media and his fans interpreted and judged Bowie’s current efforts from a historical perspective and continuously reevaluated his brand limiting his ability to change to remain relevant.

Brand managers, particularly artist brands and human brands, may find that their ability to change is constrained by meanings in past strata over time. Withdrawal from the marketplace and the use of silence as a communicative practice enabling brand transformations.

The geology of assemblage perspective offers a more nuanced understanding of brand changes over time beyond the possibilities of incremental or disruptive change. We identify the mechanisms of change that result in minor sedimentation, moderate cracks and major ruptures in a brand’s evolution.

This paper presents the results of an international and interdisciplinary Delphi survey on the future development of electronic journals. The expert panel comprised 45 scientists, publishers, librarians, journal agents and consultants. The survey covered five areas of interest regarding e‐journals: future role of scholarly journal literature; scenarios for the journal of the future; serials crisis; archiving of e‐journals; and new pricing and access models. The Delphi survey studied changes expected within the next five to ten years. The results are discussed and indicate that, throughout their 300‐year history, journals have never been faced with as many changes as we are experiencing now, or expect to see within the next five to ten years.

Many have noted the role of metaphor in branding understanding. More than mere decorative frills, tropes play a fundamental, foundational part in the process. The purpose of this comment is to consider some of the branding's core conceits and classifies them for scholarly convenience.

Metaphors, first and foremost, are figures of speech not analytical tools or techniques. Accordingly, the commentary adopts an appropriate literary approach to its subject matter. Reflective for the most part, it seeks to deconstruct and reconstruct simultaneously. Suggestion not stipulation is the aim.

After scrutinising branding's figurative landscape, then focussing on several promising analogies, the commentary concludes with a cautionary note concerning internal branding. Metaphor is not all fun and games, nor the be all and end all of branding understanding.

Services marketing possesses two powerful and deeply entrenched tropes – relationships and dramaturgy. Although this comment touches on both, particularly the former, it points out the plethora of figurative possibilities, some fresh, others familiar, that are available to brand managers and researchers both.

In the democratic digital environment, brand managers frequently deal with the unauthorized use of the brand by third parties. The phenomenon, known as brand hijacking, has been treated in different and sometimes conflicting ways in the academic and professional literature. The aim of this paper is to clarify the meaning of brand hijacking and to shed light on the various motivations and intentions underpinning the phenomenon.

A Delphi-based survey among both academic and professional experts was conducted to explore the key features of brand hijacking and expand existing theories.

The results of the Delphi survey enable the main brand hijacking actions to be mapped, based on two motivational axes (utilitarian–idealistic and destructive–constructive) and on the various intentions that guide the hijackers. The results help re-define the key elements of brand hijacking, through the lens of non-collaborative brand co-creation.

Managerial implications are presented in terms of the corporate response to the two main effects of hijacking, namely, brand reputational damage and brand repositioning.

The paper helps to shed light on the main components of brand hijacking, thus gaining expert consensus in refining the existent conceptualization in relation to a rapidly changing brand management scenario because of the gradual loss by brand managers of their traditional control.