Label Brands Research Articles

Does Political Representation through Parties Decrease Voters' Acceptance of Decisions?

Are decisions by political parties more or less accepted than direct-democratic decisions? The literature on parties as brand names or labels suggests that the existence of political parties lowers information and transaction costs of voters by providing ideological packages. Building on this important argument, we posit that this informational rationale for parties is not universally applicable and is contingent on the context of the decision that is made. Intermediary political decision-making institutions may impose additional costs on voters in situations where the decision is perceived to be personally important to the individual voter. We conduct an experimental online vignette study to substantiate these claims. The results imply that a combination of representative democracy and direct democracy, conditional on the distribution of issue importance among the electorate, is optimal with regard to acceptance of a decision.

Does Taste Matter? How Anticipation of Cola Brands Influences Gustatory Processing in the Brain

Brands surround us everywhere in daily life. Here we investigate the influences of brand cues on gustatory processing of the same beverage. Participants were led to believe that the brand that announced the administration of a Cola mixture provided correct information about the drink to come. We found stronger fMRI signal in right mOFC during weak compared to strong brand cues in a contrast of parametric modulation with subjective liking. When directly comparing the two strong brands cues, more activation in the right amygdala was found for Coca Cola cues compared with Pepsi Cola cues. During the taste phase the same beverage elicited stronger activation in left ventral striatum when it was previously announced by a strong compared with a weak brand. This effect was stronger in participants who drink Cola infrequently and might therefore point to a stronger reliance on brand cues in less experienced consumers. The present results reveal strong effects of brand labels on neural responses signalling reward.

Re-producing western goods for transnational markets: Case studies in rebranding and revaluing second-hand clothes

Abstract In an age of consumer plenty, the over abundance of clothing available to western consumers has, through rapid cycles of consumption and disposal, generated a surfeit of unwanted, yet clearly still useful, second-hand clothing. While some of these garments are sold in charity shops, many find their way to commercial sorters who specialize in transforming these waste items to wanted, and resalable, goods in new contexts. This is done by adding value to the garments, through selection from the waste pile, by giving further care through washing or mending, and by specially choosing new market outlets for optimum resale. Through these means, old clothes are effectively rebranded with a metaphorical quality mark of the person or company reprocessing them. Based on three case studies with middlemen resellers who operate on local, national and transnational scales, this article shows that the reinvigoration of second-hand clothes is embedded in person-to-person and person-to-clothing relations, whereby new value is given to old clothes that often supersedes the designations of brand names and labels granted during original production.

Brands as Product Coordinators: Matching Brands Make Joint Consumption Experiences More Enjoyable

People often consume multiple products at the same time (e.g., chips and salsa). Four studies demonstrate that people enjoy such joint consumption experiences more when the products are merely labeled with the same brand (vs. different brands). Process evidence shows that this brand matching effect arises because matching brand labels cue consumers’ belief that the two products were coordinated through joint testing and design to go uniquely well together. This shows that there is no universal answer to which brand a consumer likes the most; it depends on what other brands are consumed with it. More generally, the authors establish that a simple additive model of brand liking cannot fully capture consumption utility and that brands interact and influence enjoyment at the level of the brand combination.

Brands as masks: public secrecy and the counterfeit in Côte d'Ivoire

Rethinking Simmel's comparison of secrecy and adornment, I consider the ways in which brands function much like masking practices, concealing even as they reveal, using the visible to hide/signify the invisible. The classic masking scenario is one in which men wear masks and claim to be powerful ancestral spirits, keeping the fact of their performance a secret from women and uninitiated boys. However, the secrecy is ambiguous, for women give signs of knowing and men seem to believe in the spirits they pretend to be only pretending to be. In Côte d'Ivoire, where masks are a symbol of national identity, consumption focuses around displaying supposedly authentic name brand labels. Urban Ivoirians call this display of wealth and consumption ‘bluffing’, exposing the artifice of their supposed affluence. Still, the success of their performance depends on the authenticity of expensive European and American brands, in a market where most of what is available is counterfeit. Underneath the public secret of their performative display lies the deeper secret that they remain uncertain of the legitimacy of their purchases. Masks and brands both metaphorically delineate a metonymic though invisible connection to authentic power, but the secrecy of what lies beneath the masked performance provides an unstable ambiguity in which it is always possible that the surface is that which it represents. Brands always contain this instability between appearance and the genuine, for all are ultimately copies whose uncertain authenticity we cover up with public secrecy.

The effect of brand names on flavor perception and consumption in restrained and unrestrained eaters

In an increasingly obesogenic food environment, making healthful food decisions can be difficult. Because consumers are often bombarded with excessive information about foods they often rely on simple heuristics to decide whether to purchase or consume a food. In the present study we tested females who were either restrained (n=33) or unrestrained (n=33) to determine whether their sensory perception and intake of a food would be affected by brand information. Participants were provided with in an ad libitum snack of cookies which was labeled with a brand typically associated with healthful snacks or a brand associated with unhealthful snacks. Results indicated that all participants rated the cookies with the healthful brand label as more satisfying and as having a better taste and flavor. Furthermore, restrained eaters consumed more of the healthful brand than the unhealthful brand, whereas unrestrained eaters’ consumption did not differ. Thus it appears that food-related beliefs do influence consumers’ intake, especially that of restrained eaters. Further research is warranted to investigate these beliefs in order to improve recommendations for healthful eating in a society facing an increased prevalence of overeating and obesity.

Reactions of Nepali Adults to Warning Labels on Cigarette Packages: A Survey with Employee and Medical Students of a Tertiary Care Medical College of Western Region of Nepal

For the past 30 years, there have been no changes in the text-only cigarette warning labels in Nepal. During this same time period, other countries placed large graphic warning labels on cigarette packages. The purpose of the current study was primarily to compare the differences in reactions to different types of warning labels on cigarette packages, with a specific focus on whether the new warning label adopted by WHO FCTC was better than the text only label used by Nepal. This study was conducted in Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital (GMCTH) in 2012, in a tertiary care hospital located in the western region of Nepal. Eligible study participants included in this survey were those aged 18 years and over and those who are studying MBBS/Nursing or who were employees of GMCTH. 500 participants finished the survey. Participants were shown nine types of warning labels found on cigarette packages.They comprised one text only warning label used within Nepalese market and eight foreign brand labels. Participants were asked about the impact of the warning labels on: their knowledge of harm from smoking, giving cigarettes as a gift, and quitting smoking. On comparing the Nepalese warning label with other foreign labels with regards to providing knowledge of harm warning, impact of quitting smoking and giving cigarettes as a gift, the overseas labels were found to be more effective. Both smokers and non-smokers thought that warning labels with text plus graphics were substantially more of a deterrent than text-only labels. The findings from this study support previous research that has found that text-plus graphic warning labels were more salient and potentially more effective than text-only labels.Warning labels are one of the component of comprehensive tobacco control and smoking cessation efforts. Stronger warnings on cigarette packages need to be part of a larger Nepalese public health educational efforts.

“Buying status” by choosing or rejecting luxury brands and their counterfeits

Even in difficult economic times, many consumers consider the social implications of the goods they select and therefore take into account whether those goods carry a luxury brand label—which for some will be authentic, for some counterfeit. While previous research has investigated influences on the authentic vs. counterfeit choice, this study adds a third possibility: rejecting both types of luxury brands to show that one has better claims to status than “buying the label.” This study tests a model of three alternative brand type choice processes and finds support for the importance of status considerations in the selection or rejection of luxury brands.

Availability, Brands, Labelling and Salmonella Contamination of Raw Pet Food in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Area

The purpose of the study was to characterize the commercially available raw meat pet food diets in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area by (i) determining the number and types of available diets; (ii) assessing pet food stores and brand labels for the provision of precautionary statements regarding the risk of foodborne illness from raw meat; (ii) assessing the labels for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) required content and nutrient-related information; and (iv) culturing purchased diets for the presence of Salmonella. Sixty raw meat diets were purchased, representing 11 different brands from eight different stores. Diets were readily available in the form of raw-frozen, dehydrated or freeze-dried varieties from different protein sources, such as lamb, beef, chicken or duck. All stores promoted raw meat diets; however, none provided foodborne illness warnings. Brands varied greatly in their precautionary statements; none of the diets underwent feeding trials; and nutritional adequacy substantiation was through formulation only. The first five ingredients tended to consist of meat, organ meat (by-products), vegetables, grains and ground bones. Currently, it is required that pet foods have an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement and provide a guaranteed analysis table. Three brands did not meet these FDA requirements. Thirty-one (51.7%) of the 60 raw meat diets underwent some degree of processing including dehydration, freeze-drying or high-pressure pasteurization. Four of the 60 raw diets (7%) tested positive for Salmonella. Analysis of raw meat pet food labels indicated a lack of foodborne illness warnings. Based on these findings, we recommend that warning statements similar to those required by the United States Department of Agriculture and placed on labels of raw meat intended for human consumption be provided on the labels of raw meat pet food diets.

Avaliação da Compatibilidade entre Bulas de Diferentes Marcas de Tiras Reagentes de Urina

Com o exame de urina podemos avaliar a função renal e identificar patologias do trato urinário. As tiras reagentes de urina são um método de análise fácil, rápido e muito utilizado. É de suma importância verificar a compatibilidade entre as diferentes marcas, garantindo uma melhor compreensão no diagnóstico. Foi feita a comparação das bulas de oito diferentes marcas de tiras reagentes de urina quanto aos reagentes utilizados nas determinações urinárias, além das informações quanto ao limite de detecção, intervalos de leitura e possíveis interferências. A comparação das bulas mostrou diferenças entre elas. No que se refere aos reagentes utilizados, em geral, todas as marcas utilizam reativos similares, porém em quantidades diferentes. As bulas apresentam inúmeros interferentes, porém se observou que algumas marcas não mencionam interferentes que em outras marcas são citados. Quanto às legendas das dosagens semiquantitativas, grande parte das marcas não inclui essas informações na bula do produto; entre as demais se observou que os analitos glicose, bilirrubina, cetonas e sangue não possuíam a mesma correspondência de concentração e legenda entre as marcas. Ressalta-se a importância de que haja uma maior padronização das informações contidas nas bulas das tiras reagentes.

Estimation of total free fatty acid and cholesterol content in some commercial edible oils in Ethiopia, Bahir DAR

In the present investigation an attempt has been made to find out total free fatty acid and cholesterol content in some commercial edible oils in Ethiopia, Bahir Dar. Acid value, peroxide value, saponification value and cholesterol content were determined in a total of nine varieties of edible vegetable oils of which six are branded and three are non-branded. The analysis, performed using Liebermann-Burchard method, revealed varying levels of cholesterol content. Cholesterol was detected in seven of the vegetable oils while for two oil samples (Niger seed k-16 and Niger seed k-7) it was nil. Rapeseed branded vegetable oil has significantly highest cholesterol concentration (257.1 ± 0.42 mg/L) while branded palm oil has the least concentration (88.8 ± 0.85 mg/L) of cholesterol. Unlike the peroxide value, all the acid values and some saponification values show high values in comparison with the maximum permissibility level of codex standard for named vegetable oils (CODEX STAN210-1999). In conclusion, this study could be a guide line, to understand the quality of vegetable oils in Ethiopia, Bahir Dar. Consequently, these studies have been able to show that there is no cholesterol free oil in the market as opposed to what is claimed on the vegetable oil brand labels. Therefore, companies producing and marketing vegetable oils are enjoined to desist from misleading the public by labeling their products as “cholesterol free”. They should indicate the amount of cholesterol present in the vegetable oil, no matter how small the quantity may be. Key words: Edible oils, free fatty acid, cholesterol, peroxide value, saponification value and liebermann-Burchard test

Social benefits of luxury brands as costly signals of wealth and status

Drawing from costly signaling theory, we predicted that luxury consumption enhances status and produces benefits in social interactions. Across seven experiments, displays of luxury — manipulated through brand labels on clothes — elicited different kinds of preferential treatment, which even resulted in financial benefits to people who engaged in conspicuous consumption. Furthermore, we tested preconditions in which the beneficial consequences of conspicuous consumption may arise and determined the proximate mechanisms underlying them. The present data suggest that luxury consumption can be a profitable social strategy because conspicuous displays of luxury qualify as a costly signaling trait that elicits status-dependent favorable treatment in human social interactions.

Reactions of Chinese adults to warning labels on cigarette packages: A survey in Jiangsu Province

BackgroundTo compare reactions to warning labels presented on cigarette packages with a specific focus on whether the new Chinese warning labels are better than the old labels and international labels.MethodsParticipants aged 18 and over were recruited in two cities of Jiangsu Province in 2008, and 876 face-to-face interviews were completed. Participants were shown six types of warning labels found on cigarette packages. They comprised one old Chinese label, one new label used within the Chinese market, and one Chinese overseas label and three foreign brand labels. Participants were asked about the impact of the warning labels on: their knowledge of harm from smoking, giving cigarettes as a gift, and quitting smoking.ResultsCompared with the old Chinese label, a higher proportion of participants said the new label provided clear information on harm caused by smoking (31.2% vs 18.3%). Participants were less likely to give cigarettes with the new label on the package compared with the old label (25.2% vs 20.8%). These proportions were higher when compared to the international labels. Overall, 26.8% of participants would quit smoking based on information from the old label and 31.5% from the new label. When comparing the Chinese overseas label and other foreign labels to the new Chinese label with regard to providing knowledge of harm warning, impact of quitting smoking and giving cigarettes as a gift, the overseas labels were more effective.ConclusionBoth the old and the new Chinese warning label are not effective in this target population.

Sodium content in retail Cheddar, Mozzarella, and process cheeses varies considerably in the United States

Reducing the sodium content in cheese is expected to contribute to reducing the overall intake of sodium by US consumers. The purpose of this study was to measure the sodium levels in cheeses that are most commonly purchased by US consumers in the retail market, including brand and private label. A secondary purpose of the study was to generate data that can enable the dairy industry to adopt best practices regarding sodium levels in cheeses. The sodium content of a total of 1,665 samples of Cheddar (650 samples), low moisture part skim (LMPS) Mozzarella (746 samples), and process cheese singles (269 samples) from 4 geographical regions were collected over a period of 3 wk, and were analyzed over a 1-mo period. Process cheese contained the highest mean level of sodium (1,242mg/100g), followed by string cheese (724mg/100g). Across Cheddar cheese forms and brands, the mean analytical sodium was 615mg/100g, with 95% between 474 and 731mg/100g; label sodium ranged from 600 to 800mg/100g (mean 648mg). Across all LMPS Mozzarella forms and brands, the mean analytical sodium was 666mg/100g, with 95% between 452 and 876mg/100g; label sodium ranged from 526 to 893mg/100g (mean 685mg). Across all process cheese forms and brands, the mean analytical sodium was 1,242mg/100g, with 95% between 936 and 1,590mg/100g; label sodium ranged from 1,185 to 1,740mg/100g (mean 1,313mg/100g). These findings demonstrate that manufacturers tended to be conservative with their reporting of sodium on labels. Manufacturers need to reduce variability to better target desired sodium levels, which is an opportunity for better process control, and will enable them to label sodium more accurately.

How do peanut and nut-allergic consumers use information on the packaging to avoid allergens?

Recent legislation has sought to improve the information printed on packaged foods relevant to the safety of food allergic consumers. We aimed to understand the complex risk assessment decisions made by peanut and nut-allergic adults when purchasing food, with particular reference to use of printed package information. The behaviour and 'thinking aloud' of 32 participants were recorded during their normal food shop, followed by a semi-structured interview. During the interview they were given 13 potentially problematic packaged foods, and asked if they would purchase the product and what their reasons were. Transcribed data from the shop, interview and 13-product task were analysed to explore use of allergy advice boxes, ingredients lists and other packaging information. Some participants used the ingredients list as their primary check for allergens, but most used the allergy advice box. Package-based information was generally considered reliable, but some supermarket and brand labels were trusted more than others. Images and product names were used to draw inferences about the presence of nuts. A number of improvements were suggested by participants, particularly a request for more 'nut free' labelling. Food labels were used in conjunction with nonpacket-based strategies (e.g. previous experience) to make choices. External factors (e.g. trust of manufacturer) informed interpretation of and confidence in labels. Images and product names, not intended by manufacturers as an allergen risk assessment aid, were also used to inform choices.

Pricing strategy in electronic commerce from a perspective of channel bargaining power between manufacturers and retailers: Application to private label and national brand

Pricing strategy in electronic commerce from a perspective of channel bargaining power between manufacturers and retailers: Application to private label and national brand

Are private label users attractive targets for retailer coupons?

Brand-nonspecific retailer coupons that entitle customers to assortment-wide discounts appeal in similar ways to national brand (NB) and private label (PL) users. The latter may be considered an attractive target group because they express high levels of deal proneness. However, it is unclear how assortment-wide retailer coupons affect customers' purchase behavior. In particular, nothing is known about how PL users behave during coupon promotions. The authors deal with these issues by conducting a large-scale field experiment ( N = 28,000). They find that assortment-wide coupons increase both segments' (PL vs. NB users) profitability but that the route to increased profitability is different for the two groups. In the group of PL users, segment-level profitability is mainly driven by additional customers who would not have made a purchase in the absence of the promotion. On the contrary, in the segment of NB users, individual profitability increases because customers trade up to more expensive brands and/or products. Based on the differences in response behavior, the authors derive segment-specific managerial recommendations and emphasize that different promotional aims should be associated with PL and NB users.

Impacts of national parks on tourism: a case study from a prominent alpine national park

-National parks and other categories of protected areas are often assumed to enhance regional economic development due to park tourism. The current study attempts to estimate the impact of the Hohe Tauern national park (Austria) on tourism by exploring whether and to what extent the national park may have had an influence on tourism development. For most national park communities, the results suggest that the establishment of the national park had some impact by enforcing an already positive trend or by weakening or reversing a negative trend of tourism. However, breakpoint tests exhibit turning points up to several years after the establishment of the park, indicating that taking a national park as the basis for tourism development is a medium to long term development strategy. In the short term, the impact of a national park on tourism is not measurable. Tourism increased by 1 to 3% annually after the breakpoint, indicating that the establishment of a national park has to be incorporated into the tourism and development strategy of a region right from the start. The causal relationship between the establishment of the national park and tourism development may be weak, in particular in communities where the difference between the actual and the forecast numbers of overnight stays is small. Marketing national park tourism and building up a brand or distinctive label may therefore contribute to regional development particularly in the long term.Key words: Tourism, national park, protected area, time series, stationarity, breakpoint test, ARIMA.JEL classifications: R110, L830, C220.Parole chiave: Turismo, parco nazionale, area protetta, serie temporale, stazionarietŕ, test di breakpoint, ARIMA.

Private Labels and National Brands Across Online and Offline Channels

Private Labels and National Brands Across Online and Offline Channels

Capturing Loyalty across Garment Ranges: The Case of Supermarket Children's Clothing in the UK

In recent years, the UK clothing and fashion industry has undergone some major changes. While the demise of traditional high street brands such as C&A have been widely heralded in the media, a new phenomenon has dramatically changed the children's garment landscape with the emergence of supermarkets as viable alternative providers. In a world where fashion is the prerogative of a substantial majority of the population, image, social status, personality, identity and self expression are so crucial and modelled around key top brands, the main UK supermarket chains seem - rather against the odds - to have created a new, socially-acceptable type of fashion consumption. Have supermarkets own label brands really moved from 'me too' to suitable everyday prestige alternatives? In addition, while parents control purchases for the smallest children, are they convinced to stay loyal across the age ranges - without somehow stigmatizing themselves or their children? Our exploratory research encompasses supermarket stores that are located on the outskirts of town - not accessible by walking from city centres - as a reflection of current spatial change in shopping patterns in the UK. Fifty nine interviews conducted in two ASDA and two TESCO stores in Devon and in Glasgow were analyzed. Our theoretical perspective draws on a body of research covering areas such as intra-household economy and relationships, children and childhood imagery, the consumer decision making process, and retailing. We surmise that, due to the nature of the products/services, clothing shopping is, in effect, bringing new complexities for consumers which have yet to be addressed by most retailers' marketing strategies. While ease of access (through linked grocery shopping) price and quality are perceived as the main decision factors, we reveal that style and design, commendation by word of mouth, refund policies and assortment/variety also linked to multiplicity of usage are greatly influencing parental choice. We highlight the increasing importance of browsing as a modern improvisation choice practice (planned impulse buying). We then provide a re-definition of 'taste and style' and another view of what it could be to be a good parent. Supermarket clothing ranges are perceived as a way to help in grounding, forming and assessing future clothing consumptions.