The challenge of obtaining distribution for me-too follower brands

Abstract

The article examines the decision of retail buyers to adopt or reject “me-too follower” branks. By definition such brands follow the pioneer in entry order, and hence are typically viewed more negatively by retail buyers. Retailers classify most new brands offered by sellers as me-too followers, yet there has been little research detailing, and exploring ways to overcome, the challenges these brands face. Our study examines a series of hypotheses which address, and suggest appropriate strategies to minimize, the me-too follower disadvantage in gaining distribution. A survey of 145 US retail buyers was conducted to test these hypotheses.

Keywords:

• Buyers
• Brands
• New products
• Supermarkets