Abstract
Purpose – The objective of this paper was to explore which branding strategy (brand extension versus new brand) is most convenient for healthy products, by taking into account the effect that the perceived fit between the nutritional attributes of the regular products of the parent brand and the healthy extensions have on the credibility of the latter. Design/methodology/approach – The required information was obtained through personal interviews with 107 consumers resident in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. The type of study was exploratory-descriptive and focused on the manufactured snacks that are sold in Mexico. Findings – Reformulations of traditional snacks that are commercialized under the name of the parent brand have low credibility with respect to their nutritional value due to the high association between non-healthy attributes and the image of the parent brand. The snacks categorized as healthy are products with well differentiated ingredients but with low brand familiarity. Originality/value – The branding of healthy brands is an incipient area of research in marketing, and thus this paper contributes to the theoretical development of strategies for the commercialization of these brands.
Highlights
The theme of healthy eating has been on the international agenda and on the governmental agenda of many countries for several decades
89% of USA consumers reported that the responsibility for being healthy is an individual commitment, only 70% stated that they are trying to adopt healthy behaviors such as following a complete and balanced diet. This trend towards healthier consumption represents an opportunity for food manufacturers, which through the development of new products can satisfy the current needs of health-conscious consumers and, at the same time contribute to controlling the social problem that overweight and obesity represents
This review suggests that in order to reduce the risk of low similarity with the parent brand it is important to get support from celebrities to increase positive consumer evaluations of the brand extension
Summary
The theme of healthy eating has been on the international agenda and on the governmental agenda of many countries for several decades. 89% of USA consumers reported that the responsibility for being healthy is an individual commitment, only 70% stated that they are trying to adopt healthy behaviors such as following a complete and balanced diet. This trend towards healthier consumption represents an opportunity for food manufacturers, which through the development of new products can satisfy the current needs of health-conscious consumers and, at the same time contribute to controlling the social problem that overweight and obesity represents. Which of the following savory snacks are you familiar with? Mark with an “X” the cell corresponding to the brand(s) that you know
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