An ingredient brand is a well-known brand with well-known qualities that is included as a component or feature of another brand or product to enhance perceptions and the marketability of that brand or product. The ingredient brand calls out unique features or performance and is often used to increase the acceptance of a product or brand that is using a new technology identified by the ingredient brand.
Following are some examples of ingredient brands:
- Android
- Bluetooth
- Cinnabon
- Dolby Digital
- Plus a touch of Downy
- Gore-Tex
- HEMI (Dodge)
- Hybrid Synergy Drive
- Intel Inside
- NutraSweet
- OnStar
- Splenda
- Stainmaster
- Contains Scotchgard Protector 3M
- Shimano
- (Dupont) Teflon
So, what leads to successful ingredient branding?
- The ingredient brand must be strongly associated with a specific feature, benefit or performance attribute
- The ingredient brand must have its own strong identity
- Ideally, the ingredient brand already has high awareness
- The ingredient brand’s unique feature or benefit must be a significant enhancement to the brand or product in which it is embedded
- The ingredient brand must be visibly featured on the product and its packaging
- Linking the ingredient brand to the other brand enhances both brands’ desirability and awareness
- The financial deal struck between the two brands must be mutually beneficial
If you are considering this strategy for your brand be sure to consider the pros and cons to ingredient branding.
We wish you much success with your ingredient branding efforts.
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One comment
Angela Walters
September 19, 2014 at 12:02 pm
I’d also add for conversation:
– The ingredient brand isn’t just an enhancement to the product, but must be highly functional or key to the final product performance
– The ingredient brand benefit is clear, simple, easy to understand by the end user and the benefit must be visible/tangible/value experienced by the end user, all of the examples you shared shows this.
– The ingredient brand should have a clear idea of the target product/customer’s value chain, knowing where the ingredient brand has influence
– Ideally they have a good amount of influence at each step or are closer to the end user
– The ingredient brand finds a way to build creditability / trust with end user example: Gore “Guarantee”
– like other branding strategies, should start narrow in focus and then broaden for instance, Dolby was in tapes before the movies and surround sound. Shimano was strictly cycling gear before fishing rods and Stainmaster, carpets before clothes.
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