BRANDS
Private labels
HBR ARTICLE
Just because you
are paranoid
doesn’t mean they
are not out to Get
you
What was
this ?
Well……
……
This was
reaction of
Brand-Name
Manufactures to
competion from
At times there is a
reaction &
At times it Goes over
The over reaction comes
when one of the two things
are forgotten………
Firstly…..Private Label
strength varies with
economic conditions.
*Secondly… Brand
Manufacturers can
control Private
Labels.
Threat such as what
follows threatens…….
Classic cola
,offered at
20%lower cost ,
had 65% share
at Sainsbury &
15%at UK
Market.
An over reaction or an
under reaction is not the
Solution.
Managers should
consider……
Lifetime of
private
labels
whether it
will grow or
fade
Strength of Brand
Name which is far from
dead.
Threats since 1990’s
global context……
Narrowing gap btw Private Labels & Brands
Development of private label lines
Emergence of new channels such as mass
merchandiser & e-commerce favors private labels
INDIAN
CONTEXT……..
Private labels are at a nascent stage in India
Influence of retailers is huge and they favor it due to
higher profitability
New channels such as e-commerce favor private labels
such as Myntra
But the quality served by private labels is almost
equivalent to the ‘ Kirana Stores’ we generally buy from
The private labels employ western ideas considering what
favors the organization & not what Indian consumers desire
Thus….
Private Labels have way
to go in India……….
&
Returning to global
context……………..
These threats doesn’t
mean an end to
Brands !
How can we forget the
Brand Power?
Brand Power is
territorial
ownership of
values with the
ability to
influence masses
Strength lies in its
name : It has a
running start
Purchase process favors
brand name product.
Brands have value for
retailers as these are
the traffic building
agencies.
What would be more convenient
, some retailer argue, than to
have consumers remember a
single store name
Retailers can’t
overemphasis on
Private Labels
After all these……
Still Brands are tempted to enter
Private Label manufacturing
arena in order to…..
Use excess capacity
Invariably use private label
opportunities to increase
profitability
Consequences faced !
For manufacturers
seeking only to use
excess capacity ,Private
Label Production can
eventually become
narcotic
Next Step….
Supply of private-label
goods in categories
that are life blood of
manufacturer’s
branded sales
fate of the company…….
Company’s strategy
becomes confused
&
it cannibalizes its
brand name products
After the pros & cons , what
should a Brand Name
Manufacture do
?
The only recommendation
is……….
If you Don’t , Don’t start
Then, how to stem any further share
gain by Private Labels ?
Whether a Dual Manufacturer or National
Brand Manufacture only….
Follow the following…….
Invest in Brand Equity
Consistent
investments in
product
improvements
raises costs to
Private Label
Imitator .
Innovate Wisely
Say ‘ NO’ to
worthless trade
extensions
Use Fighting Brands sparingly
They take
away
purchasers of
National
Brands &
rarely make
profit.
Build Trade Relationships
Know about
your end
customers,
more than
anyone else.
Manage the Price Spread
Knowing the
shape of your
brand’s price
elasticity curve
is essential for
smart pricing &
maximizing
profit.
Exploit Sales Promotion
Techniques
Enhance
merchandising
of Brand
Manage Each Category
What works for
detergents,
wont
necessarily
work for soft
drinks.
Use category profit pools as a
performance measure
Brand’s objective
should be to
maximize overall
category profit
pool & its share
of that pool.
Take Private Label Seriously
Brands should
include in their
marketing plan
on how to limit
Encroachment
of Private
Labels.
Private
Labels
Taking firm considered action, Brand-
name manufacturers can successfully
fight
Private Label Challenge
RECAP
Stem
Encroachment by
Private Label by
Innovating
Wisely
Sparingly
usage of
Fighting
Brands
Investing in
Brand Equity
Managing Each
Category
Managing the
Price Spread
Use category profit pools
as a Performance Measure
Take Private
Label Seriously
Building Trade
Relationship
Exploiting
Sales
Promotion
tactics
DISCLAIMER
Created by
Khushi Sahu
IIT BHU,during an internship by
Prof. Sameer Mathur, IIM
Lucknow.
www.IIMinternship.com

Brands vs private label