Brand Equity and Store Brand Tiers: An Analysis Based on an Experimental Design

Abstract

The creation of strong brands interests manufacturers and distributors, as well as researchers. However, previous investigations of brand equity have focused almost exclusively on manufacturers’ brands, without considering the brand equity of store brands. A few exceptions analyse store brands from an aggregate perspective, without differentiating their types. The present study instead considers the effect of store brand tiers (e.g. generics, standard, premium) on brand equity. An experimental design compares scores for different store and manufacturer brands across branded and unbranded tests. Store brands, including premium ones, suffer a brand equity disadvantage compared with manufacturers’ brands. Generic store brands are at a clear disadvantage; premium store brands do not differ from standard store brands in terms of brand equity.