It's said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and that mantra holds true in business, as well. When one company draws a roadmap for success, others are sure to try and follow -- except some key ingredient is often missing.

Currently, Nike and Disney are inspiring two companies with small stock prices and big plans. Levi Strauss Co. (NYSE: LEVI) is following the former's direct-to-consumer (DTC) playbook, while (OTC: NTDOY) is trying to replicate the latter's monetization of kid-friendly intellectual property. If they succeed, those low stock prices could climb. Investors should be encouraged by the similarities so far.

For many, buying new clothes has always meant browsing the local department store. That creates two problems for a manufacturer like Levi's. First, it doesn't know who bought its product, why they bought it, whether they had a good experience, or what might make them more likely to buy again.

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Source Fool.com