HOUSEHOLD NAMES PEOPLE USE AS GENERIC TERMS
Making a brand so popular it becomes a generic term is every marketeer’s dream but also can be their worst nightmare. ‘Genericization’ is the ultimate marketing accolade, a sign that a household name has universal appeal and is the go-to in its field, but it can also lead to the dreaded ‘genericide’, when a brand loses identity and distinctiveness, not to mention its trademark. Here are 50 brand names that, for better or worse, have ended up as generic terms.