When the provider of the final product or service is willing to compromise its own brand-building to add the ingredient brand on to the package and in its advertising, it means that the ingredient is highly differentiated. It is also supported by patent protection to add a sense of quality to the overall product - like Gore-Tex for water resistant rainwear.

In other cases, the ingredient brand is central to the functional performance of the final product. Consider the integration of Shimano gear systems on performance bicycles or Monsanto's NutraSweet added to the Equal sweetener brand. The final products are not well-branded themselves because the category is relatively new, the customers buy infrequently, or because there is no drastic difference seen among the options. Think about all of Du Pont's ingredient brands for clothing, from Rayon through Lycra.

Ingredient brands not only make your company look bigger in the overall market, but also provide exposure to a wider audience of clients from a number of other industries.

CMI will provide the careful analysis of your company's products and services necessary to expand and leverage any highly differentiated aspect of your company.