ghost brand

English

Noun

ghost brand (plural ghost brands)

1. (marketing) A brand that is no longer successful in the mainstream but still retains some popularity among earlier consumers.
   • 2008, Peter Hitchens, The Abolition of Britain, page 250:

     It is true that few now smoke Capstan Full Strength untipped, perhaps the strongest cigarettes still marketed, and only available as a 'ghost brand' in a few specialist outlets.

   • 2015, Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover's Companion to New York City:

     By the 1980s, Mallomars had lost its “leadership status” and was considered a “ghost brand” by Nabisco, yet the company has continued to make them. Today, 70 percent are sold in the metropolitan New York area; […]