'Branded access offers' dilute parent brand via perceived lack of consumer commitment: Study

Why buy when you can rent? From cars to high-end clothing, the short-term renting or sharing of consumer goods through "branded access offers" has become an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional ownership model. But such time-limited consumption may have unintended consequences for the parent brands that offer them, according to a new study co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in consumer-brand relationships.