Imitation of Business Models: The Case of Online News Industry in France

In the rapidly evolving landscape of online business models within the news industry, the phenomenon of business model imitation has emerged as a prominent yet understudied aspect. This paper investigates the forms and implications of strategic imitation on competition dynamics and economic sustainability, focusing on French news producers from 2015 to 2020. Leveraging an extensive original dataset and methodology, our findings reveal a prevalent trend of imitation, particularly driven by rivalry-based dynamics. However, this copycat strategy poses long-term risks to industry performance and societal systems. To ensure economic viability and foster innovation, industry stakeholders must prioritize the development of original and forward-thinking strategies in response to the challenges posed by imitation.