Abstract:

In this paper we analyse which marketing-mix variables are key to sustain leading manufacturer's brands competitiveness versus retailer's brands. In order to address this issue we conducted an experiment with 454 actual consumers of the low involvement chocolate biscuit category. We studied specifically the impact of the retailer's brand product quality, branding policy, packaging appearance and price advantage on its purchase preference versus the market leader. The results are of prime significance and show in particular the pivotal role of product superiority even in a category where product differences are slight.