Sunday, April 22, 2018

Brandless Branding?

I’ve recently come across an ad on my Instagram feed that struck my attention. It was an advertisement for a brandless line of products. The concept is an online grocery shopping service that entirely leaves out any sort of brand name. 


They’re based in San Francisco and Minneapolis. According to their website embedded below, “Our mission is deeply rooted in quality, transparency, and community-driven values. Better stuff, fewer dollars. It's that simple.” This product line is meant to be cheaper than your typical grocery store prices. Their concept behind this is that without attaching a brand, they can avoid a BrandTax. “BrandTax™ is the hidden costs you pay for a national brand. We've been trained to believe these costs increase quality, but they rarely do. We estimate the average person pays at least 40% more for products of comparable quality as ours. And sometimes up to 370% more for beauty products like face cream. We're here to eliminate BrandTax™ once and for all.” This is an interesting concept that i have personally never seen done before.  They focus on healthy and safe products at affordable prices, which is a great business model considering the current trends. They also have a large focus on corporate social responsibility. They partner with Feeding America and donate to the organization with every purchase made. 


In theory, I believe this is a very cool concept, and could be incredibly successful due to the fact that it has not been done before, or at least has not been well known. But what strikes me about this company the most is that by focusing on a particular business model and public image, they are creating a reputation for themselves. Doesn’t this make the Brandless company a brand? Is what they’ve come up with just more of a vision for image and not actually a no-brand product line? I like the thought process behind this company, but in the end, isn’t it just ironic? 

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