• Brandchannel, Brandweek, Wednesday, October 28, 2009 10:47 AM

Abe Sauer says that data from a yearlong consumer behavior study by Integer Group are both "fascinating" and "counterintuitive." For one thing, it seems that the older one gets, the less brand loyal one becomes. Overall, the study says that only 37% of consumers feel name brands are more reliable, and only 39% believe name brands are better quality products.

It also finds that consumers are least likely to swap the Kraft, Coca-Cola and Tide brands for store brands. "Tide is certainly a head-scratcher," Sauer writes. "Given the bevy of private label laundry detergents on offer from almost every large retailer ... and the difficulty of distinguishing Tide's cleaning properties from that of a private label ..., the brand's strong performance should leave brand owners scrambling to break down Tide's brand characteristics and aspirational qualities in a quest to adopt them as their own."

Speaking of private label, Stacy Straczynski reports in Brandweek that 7-Eleven is expanding its 7-Select private label line to include 15 bakery-type snack products. Joe Hermes, 7-Eleven senior product director for bakery and produce, feels that saving money is not enough motivation to keep consumers coming back.

"Our goal was to match or improve on the taste and quality of the baked goods by the national brands," he says. "If you can do that and save a customer money, they're more likely to become loyal to that product."

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