That move to Massy is one bold move. In the case of “The Nation’s Favorite Food Store” they have thrown out a familiar family friend and introduced us to a new person called Massy. There are obvious advantages:
- Brand has greater visibility with less cost
- Cross-selling is easier
But I question the applicability and suitability of this “Branded House” approach because Massy’s product markets are not similar. The person buying a Caterpillar tractor and a pound of Kerrygold butter are now being both asked to check out Massy for their fix.
I would have gone for a hybrid strategy. Pulling together brands in similar product markets under one name and leaving some brands on their own. (like how Toyota does it. Toyota endorsed brands like Toyota Hilux plus individual brands like Lexus.)
But the biggest reason I would not go for one size fits all is that the 21st century seems to be heading to be the age of mass individualization. People are yearning for authenticity and intimacy. The digital revolution is making this easier. Farmers in Utah are “talking” to farmers in Delhi.
Massy can cause its various companies to become ‘vanilla’ by its monolithic structure. And brands that people love are never vanilla. Genius or folly? It will take many years to find out but as always, the markets will decide.
