Ingredient Brand Strategy in manufacturing sector: enhancing the value proposition

Objectives. This viewpoint paper aims to highlight the role played by Ingredient Branding (IB) a strategy implemented in manufacturing sector. Methodology. Starting from a literature review on service dominant logic and IB the role of this activity is studied within the service context. Then, in order to reach the goal of the paper, secondary sources were exploited generating qualitative data: illustrative examples show the practical use of IB strategies in the manufacturing sector. Findings. The main implication of the paper lies on the analysis of the important strategic work implemented through IB. It appears that IB is a strengthening strategy that could offer distinct competitive advantage. Practical implications. The major contributions of this study are as follows: first, it identifies and examines IB applied in the manufacturing sector. In addition, the findings from this study highlight effects of IB. Finally, this is the first study that explores a more strategic role for the IB: IB can help manufacturing brands to successfully communicate to customers and to partners. Originality of the study. The paper is the first step in a stream of research that analyses IB as a strategy for strengthening manufacturing branding. The paper analyses different illustrative examples, as exploratory cases vignettes that could demonstrate how an IB campaign is of fundamental importance. Moreover, the research studied how proactive and effective the role played by communication was as a determinant of resulting outcomes