The pros and cons of private brands

Marketers say it can be difficult to build the reputation of a brand, just to then decide to sell it under a private label at another retailer.

BrandStorm, a United Fresh Produce Association event, hosted three chief marketing officers that focus in on the produce industry and had them answer questions during a panel on Feb. 22, according to The Packer.

Chris Pruneda, chief marketing officer of Austin, Texas-based Cece’s Veggie Co., noted that to receive such a request from a customer is not particularly surprising.

“Produce has often been an unbranded category in general,” Pruneda said. “You go to shop at Wegmans’ produce department, you go to shop at H-E-B’s produce department — oftentimes they really kind of take ownership of the brand of produce that they present.”

Cece’s has been approached about producing its veggie noodles and other value-added items for private label, but the company is still deciding whether it wants to go that direction.

“Brands are important,” Pruneda said. “They engage consumers. They educate consumers. They build loyalty with consumers. They help change categories and invent new categories within the grocery store, right? So brands are important, and I think it’s really important that we try to protect those brands.”

To read the Packer article, click here.