In marketing terminology, ingredient-branding defines the creation of a separate brand identity for an ingredient or component of a product. The aim is to enable a company to powerfully leverage the quality of the specific ingredient, offering an enduring point of differentiation. Common examples of ingredient brands include Intel Inside®, Gore-Tex® and Microban®.
Whilst a company can choose to create its own ingredient brand, many are opting to partner with ones that are already well-known. Microban® discusses the key benefits of collaborating with a reputable ingredient brand.
Enhance a commoditised product
If you operate in a relatively saturated market, then making your product stand out from the crowd can be a challenging process. For example, tile grout is an extremely competitive product category with little room for valuable differentiation. Thailand-based manufacturer Jorakay recognised this challenge and decided to partner with Microban® to create grouts and sealants that are resistant to the growth of harmful bacteria. Developing a partnership with a renowned ingredient brand has enabled Jorakay to offer a superior level of product quality and performance that is distinguishable from its competitors.
Align with esteemed brands
Ingredient branding can be a great way to associate your business with well-known brands that utilise the same ingredient, but in other product types. For example, Microban® provides antimicrobial solutions to a plethora of established companies who operate in a range of different industries. Such associations present an enhanced level of product credibility that is endorsed by a valuable trustmark.
Diversify your marketing strategy
As a business, you will probably employ several marketing strategies to achieve your commercial objectives. These may include advertising, price reductions, and line extensions - all of which can be costly, high risk and easily replicated by competitors. Ingredient branding can act as a powerful, high-impact and cost-effective alternative. The inherent equity of an ingredient brand communicates a compelling and credible benefit to your customers without exhausting all your internal resources.
Ingredient brand: the secret ingredient to growing your business
An ingredient brand is a Trustmark that reassures your customers of the safety, efficacy, durability and/or performance of a promised feature – it gives your customers a reason to believe. As you move forward and consider the possibilities of an ingredient branding strategy, remember that the real secret to success is to seek out an ingredient brand that will not only deliver a relevant and compelling benefit to your customers, but also create long-term value for your brand.
A partnership with Microban® can help you to increase price point, gain or defend market share, improve your product mix and/or secure valuable distribution. We are utilised as an ingredient brand partner by some of the world’s leading manufacturers, including Rubbermaid, Whirlpool, Speck, JCP Micron Ware, Mentor Optical, and Panariagroup.
Contact us today to discover how you could benefit from adding antimicrobial technology to your product range.
