Definition
“Kleenex” has been used as a generic term for “facial tissue” for decades.
Genericize is a colloquial term used to describe what happens to a brand name when it becomes so well recognized by consumers that the brand serves as the overall category name. [1]
Genericized brands include:
- Kleenex for facial tissue
- Xerox for photocopy
- Scotch tape for cellophane tape
- Jello for gelatin dessert
- Post-it for sticky notes, and
- Band-Aid for adhesive bandages.
Genericide refers to the legal loss of trademark protection when a product’s brand mark or name becomes synonymous with the category. An example is “Aspirin,” which was originally trademarked by Bayer AG but became commonly used to describe a class of pain relievers. [2]
See Also
References
- American Marketing Association, AMA Dictionary.
- Universal Marketing Dictionary Project, 2026.