• Brandweek , Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:47 AM

OfficeMax is introducing four new private label brands -- Ascend, Canterbury, Divoga and Infuse -- including presentation supplies, stationery, pens and envelopes, all of which can be viewed here .

Marc E. Babej, a partner at Reason, New York, says private-label brands work best when they're "anti-brands," meaning when consumers don't develop an emotional connection with the products but simply buy them because they're "almost as good or as good" as products already on store shelves, and they "cost less."

Interestingly, for the most part the Office Max private-label products are priced similarly to their branded counterparts. It wants to focus on "innovation through private label, while adding a little flare and personality to office supplies to make cubicles a more pleasant working environment," says an OfficeMax rep.

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