Abstracts Category : Other

Private labels: The brands of the future

by Kristopher Keller

This dissertation consists of three essays that study private labels evolution from private labels as brand class to individual private-label brands from three different perspectives. In the second chapter of this dissertation (essay 1), I study the antecedents and performance implications of retailers decisions whether to attach their name to a private-label tier or develop a stand-alone brand name. In the third chapter (essay 2), mirroring the contention that it is easier to build equity in a single brand, I study retailers occasional practice of rebranding private-label tiers from multiple, category-specific private labels to one umbrella brand across product categories and its effects on the brands strength, marketing effectiveness as well as the marketing-mix setting (marketing conduct). Finally, in the fourth chapter (essay 3), I document retailers increasing practice to launch more and more unique private label SKUs, historically a forte of national brands, and assess to what extent unique new private label SKUs help in growing a category vis--vis unique new national brand SKUs.Advisors/Committee Members: Dekimpe, M.G., Geyskens, I., Center Ph. D. Students.