“May you live in interesting times.”

I’ve always used this quote in a positive way. I recently found, however, that it is really the English translation of a Chinese curse. Well, in today’s brand driven world, that saying…in both translations may never be more true: For brands these times are a blessing AND a curse.

A recent research report, released by Deloitte, suggest that this recession has actually put brands in a more difficult position than we’ve witnessed in the last great recession of the 70’s. (To read more about the Deloitte Study as reported in Media Post, follow this link: Deloitte Study: Consumers Love Spending Less.

Way back in the 70’s—well maybe NOT so long ago, people were gravitating to brands more. Brand were what cost conscious consumers trusted and in hard times; consumers wanted to be certain they spent their money on, what they perceived as, quality products they knew and trusted. And while Private Label and Generic products were a short-term rage an buying haven for price driven consumers, brands continued to thrive even in tougher times.

Today, however, the major grocery chains and retailers have done such a good job and packaging their own private label products as “brands” the way we know them, that consumers are widening their consideration set and including more store “brands” in than ever before. Grocery chains and retail outlets have been largely successful through copy-cat marketing and taking a big page out of the brand development book. But they also have weeded out secondary and third level competing brands in favor of their own store brands to help their own margins and strengthen their bottom line.

As a result, consumers believe that these store brands are bona fide “Brands”, but they feel that if they are store brands they are likely, according to the Deloitte study, made by the major brands anyway.

It is a fascinating turn of fate, and further illustrates the power of brands and brand development—no matter the source.