Imitation: The New Key to Business Success
Why Read This
What Makes This Article Worth Your Time
Summary
What This Article Is About
Imperial College London researchers challenge the widespread business prejudice against imitation, arguing that strategic copying is far more sophisticated and valuable than commonly acknowledged. Drawing on insights from Harvard economist Theodore Levitt and Stanford’s James G. March, who observed that “imitation probably represents the majority of what is normally called innovation,” the article demonstrates how imitation pervades successful commerce—from P&G’s Swiffer mop to Apple’s iPod design and Meta’s feature replication.
The researchers dismantle three key misconceptions: that imitation is inherently weak (when corporate giants like P&G and Apple have leveraged it effectively), that there’s only one way to imitate (when timing, integration, and strategic judgment create diverse approaches), and that imitation is easy (when successful copying requires understanding competitive advantages, superior resources, and market dynamics). Examples from fast fashion—where Zara pioneered rapid designer replication, only to be out-innovated by Shein—illustrate how imitation drives market evolution and competitive pressure, ultimately benefiting innovation rather than stifling it.
Key Points
Main Takeaways
Innovation Often Disguises Imitation
Leading academics argue that most innovation is actually imitation in disguise, challenging business culture’s idolization of pure originality.
Corporate Giants Leverage Imitation
Major companies like P&G, Apple, and Meta successfully employ imitation strategies, using superior resources to exploit smaller competitors’ innovations.
Imitation Creates New Markets
Fast fashion exemplifies how imitation chains—Zara copying designers, Shein surpassing Zara—drive market evolution and competitive innovation cycles.
Strategic Complexity Requires Judgment
Effective imitation demands sophisticated decisions about timing, which elements to copy, and how to integrate disparate components creatively.
Copying Isn’t Simple Replication
Successful imitation often requires superior resources, understanding hidden competitive advantages, and discerning which elements drive consumer preferences.
Defensive Strategy for Leaders
Imitation serves as effective competitive defense, allowing established firms to respond to challengers and maintain market position through adaptive strategies.
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Article Analysis
Breaking Down the Elements
Main Idea
Rehabilitating Imitation’s Reputation
The central argument is that business culture’s dismissive attitude toward imitation is fundamentally misguided—strategic copying is neither weak nor uncreative but rather a sophisticated competitive tool that drives innovation, creates markets, and provides advantages when executed with skill and judgment. The researchers position imitation not as innovation’s opposite but as its unacknowledged engine, citing academic authorities who argue that most “innovation” is actually imitation, and demonstrating through corporate examples that understanding imitation’s strategic value eliminates competitive blind spots.
Purpose
Challenging Business Orthodoxy
The researchers wrote this to correct what they view as a “blinkered and outdated” business perspective that stigmatizes imitation while idolizing pure innovation. Their purpose is both corrective and strategic—to provide business leaders with a more nuanced understanding of competitive dynamics that can inform better decision-making. By systematically dismantling three common misconceptions, they aim to legitimize imitation as a respectable strategic option and prevent leaders from overlooking valuable competitive intelligence and tactical opportunities due to prejudice against copying.
Structure
Problem → Evidence → Misconceptions → Implications
The article opens by establishing the cultural problem (business prejudice against copying), then provides academic and corporate evidence that imitation is ubiquitous and valuable. The core follows a systematic debunking structure, addressing three misconceptions sequentially with concrete counterexamples—P&G and Apple demonstrate that imitation isn’t weak, Zara and Shein show multiple imitation approaches, and the beer packaging example illustrates complexity. The structure concludes by synthesizing implications: underestimating imitation represents missed opportunities, and deeper understanding can inspire innovation and competitive advantages.
Tone
Authoritative, Corrective & Evidence-Based
The tone is confidently revisionist, positioning the researchers as correcting widespread business misconceptions with superior understanding. The authors write with academic authority—citing Harvard and Stanford luminaries—while maintaining accessibility through vivid examples like tribute bands and fast fashion. The tone balances intellectual correction (“set the record straight,” “blinkered and outdated”) with pragmatic business advice, avoiding condescension while firmly challenging conventional wisdom. This creates credibility for what is essentially a contrarian argument about business strategy.
Key Terms
Vocabulary from the Article
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Tough Words
Challenging Vocabulary
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Having a narrow or limited outlook; unable to see beyond one’s preconceptions, like a horse wearing blinders.
“attempts to set the record straight on this blinkered and outdated view”
Widespread or abundant; occurring frequently or in large quantities throughout a particular area or context.
“Imitation is rife throughout commerce—and has been applied widely”
In a skillful, clever, or neatly precise manner; demonstrating quickness and adroitness in physical or mental action.
“Used deftly, imitation can speed up the pace of change, spark innovation and leverage creativity”
To admire, revere, or love excessively; to treat something or someone as an ideal or object of worship.
“We idolise what is new and creative without acknowledging the debt owed to existing business”
To drive out or expel from a position or place; to force someone or something out through competition or force.
“new challengers from China are poised to oust Shein with superior offers”
Brief periods of commotion or excitement; sudden bursts of activity, often numerous and occurring in quick succession.
“This has resulted both in meteoric growth and flurries of copyright complaints”
Reading Comprehension
Test Your Understanding
5 questions covering different RC question types
1According to the researchers, investors generally prefer startups with completely novel, untested technology over those that borrow from existing solutions.
2The fast fashion example (Zara and Shein) primarily illustrates which of the following points about imitation?
3Which sentence best captures why successful imitation is more difficult than businesses typically assume?
4Evaluate these statements about P&G’s Swiffer product according to the article:
The Swiffer was based on a similar product that already existed in Japan.
The article uses P&G’s Swiffer to demonstrate that powerful companies can successfully leverage imitation.
P&G claimed the Swiffer was a completely original invention with no precedent.
Select True or False for all three statements, then click “Check Answers”
5Based on the article’s discussion of Theodore Levitt and James G. March’s observations, what can we reasonably infer about the relationship between innovation and imitation?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the article, business imitation goes far beyond simple copying. It encompasses emulating products and processes, replicating a firm’s technologies and resources, or even adopting organizational structures and strategies. The researchers emphasize that imitation can involve integrating disparate elements creatively to produce something new, making timing decisions about when to copy, and exercising judgment about what and who to imitate. This sophisticated view contrasts sharply with the dismissive “copycat” stereotype, positioning imitation as a strategic tool requiring skill, resources, and deep understanding of competitive dynamics.
The researchers note that when Apple launched the iPod in 2001, it “bore a close physical resemblance to the Diamond Rio, the world’s first digital audio player launched four years earlier.” This example appears in the section debunking the misconception that “imitation is weak,” demonstrating that even Apple—a company celebrated for innovation—built upon existing designs. The implication is that Apple’s success came not from pure originality but from superior execution, marketing, and ecosystem integration (iTunes), using their substantial resources to exploit an innovation pioneered by a smaller player. This supports the broader argument that powerful firms strategically leverage imitation.
The article addresses timing when dismantling the misconception that “there’s only one way to imitate.” The researchers explain that “timing can be critical” and pose the strategic question: “is it better to wait until a new product or service has bedded in or move swiftly?” They note that “speed can influence how competitors respond and creates its own market dynamic.” This suggests that early imitation might catch competitors off-guard or establish market position before defenses are erected, while delayed imitation allows learning from the pioneer’s mistakes and market feedback. The timing decision requires strategic judgment about competitive responses and market readiness.
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This article is rated Advanced difficulty. It requires understanding sophisticated business concepts like competitive dynamics, strategic positioning, and market evolution. The vocabulary includes specialized academic and business terminology (“blinkered,” “disparate,” “legitimise,” “opaque”), and the argument structure demands tracking multiple examples across abstract categories of misconceptions. The writing assumes familiarity with business case studies (P&G, Apple, Zara) and academic citations (Levitt, March) while navigating nuanced distinctions between innovation and imitation. Successfully comprehending this article requires comfort with complex business analysis and abstract strategic thinking.
Imperial College London is one of the world’s leading research institutions, and this collaborative work draws on expertise from multiple top business schools including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Michigan, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The research challenges deeply entrenched business orthodoxy with empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks. The article references foundational work from Harvard and Stanford academics spanning decades, positioning this research within a substantial intellectual tradition. By systematically addressing misconceptions and providing contemporary examples, the researchers offer business leaders practical strategic insights that could reshape competitive thinking, making the work both academically rigorous and commercially relevant.
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