Branding is becoming increasingly important to companies within the B2B-sector and they put a lot of effort and capital to develop and strengthen their brands. One way of working with brands is through ingredient branding. An ingredient brand is an alliance between two brands where the ingredient brand is applied on a host brand and works as an ingredient on the product. The purpose of ingredient branding is to create competiveness, differentiation and to create quality associations. Ingredient brands can be divided into emotional and functional categories. The functional fills a function for the customer while the emotional increases the value in an emotional aspect. Ethical brands works as emotional ingredient brands and the concept of ethical brands has become more commonly used as a market solution. Marketing managers have become ethically more sensitive, and they are largely convinced that customers and the public expect them to act in a morally acceptable way. The purpose of this study was to create knowledge about the most important aspects a company should take into consideration when establishing an ethical ingredient brand. And the research questions were:  Which are the biggest risks when establishing an ethical ingredient brand? What are the possibilities when establishing an ethical ingredient brand? This research used a qualitative approach, using in-depth interviews with brand managers on Swedish ethical organizations to gain data. In the literature review six concepts could be identified: impact, risks, expectations, reason to cooperate, ingredient brand and finally marketing and InBranding. Based on these concepts the empirical data was presented. When the empirical material had been analyzed it could be concluded that for ingredient brands the main focus is to spread their message, not necessarily to gain profit margins. The ingredient brand then can use the host brands as a marketing tool. Furthermore a big risk for the ethical ingredient brand is to lose credibility due to unfulfilled criteria’s by the host brand.

This study utilized two diets (25 and 35% crude protein) fed at 10 different rates to produce differences in shrimp specific growth rate which were regressed against daily digestible protein (DP) and digestible energy (DE) intake to estimate daily DP and DE requirements for sub-adult L. vannamei. Apparent DP and DE requirement for maximum growth decreased throughout the 7-week trial as shrimp size increased. Mean apparent daily DP requirement for 7.69 to 13.08-g L. vannamei fed the 25% protein diet was 6.31 g DP kg-1 BW d-1 while the 35% protein diet produced a mean apparent daily DP requirement of 8.00 g DP kg-1 BW d-1 for 8.11- to 13.79-g L. vannamei. Maintenance requirements were estimated by regressing DP feed allowances back to zero weight-gain and were 1.03 g DP kg-1 BW d-1 for shrimp fed the 25% protein diet and 1.87 g DP kg-1 BW d-1 for shrimp fed the 35% protein diet. Mean apparent daily DE requirement for shrimp fed the 25% protein diet was 402.62 kJ DE kg-1 BW d-1 while the 35% protein diet produced an apparent daily DE requirement of 334.72 kJ DE kg-1 BW d-1. Mean apparent daily DE maintenance requirements for shrimp fed the 25% protein diet was 66.23 kJ DE kg-1 BW d-1 while the requirement was 78.82 kJ DE kg-1 BW d-1 for shrimp fed the 35% protein diet. Daily DP and DE requirements were also determined by regressing whole-body protein or energy change against daily DP and DE intake and were similar to those values obtained by regressing change in body weight against daily DP and DE intake. Another component of this project involved evaluating 32 different feedstuffs for dry matter, protein and energy digestibility coefficients. Fish meal apparent crude protein digestibility coefficients as a group were higher than all other ingredient classifications except purified ingredients. Protein in 48% soybean meal and 90% isolated soybean protein were significantly more digestible than protein found in fish, animal and marine meals tested. This data will improve the quality and reduce the cost of commercial shrimp feeds.

Background: Branding in the B2B sector can be conducted in a phenomenon called ingredient branding. Ingredient branding is an alliance between two brands where the ingredient brand is applied on a host brand and works as an ingredient on the product. An ingredient brand works as a guarantor for the host brand. Ingredient brand will be used to enhance and build associations to a host brand. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how consumer’s attitudes are affected by ingredient branding on products in the segment of low price host brands. Research Questions: How does an ingredient brand affect consumer’s attitudes on a low price host brand in a positive or a negative way? How does an ingredient brand affect consumer’s attitudes on high or low involvement products? Method: The thesis was conducted as a qualitative research with an abductive approach and focus groups as data collection method. Conclusion: Ingredient branding can change consumer’s attitudes both in a positive and negative way on products in the segment of low price brands. This research shows that when an ingredient brand is added the consumer are expecting that the price and quality increase on the end product.  An ingredient brand has low effect on consumer’s attitudes on high involvement products and high effect on low involvement products.

<p>Purpose/Topic: The proposed research explores impact of the direct marketing actions by component suppliers on (a) sales (objective measure) and (b) industrial customer‟s perception (subjective measures) of the final product (c) and the market development. The proposed research will focus on the bicycle industry. Research Question: "To what extent Shimano‟s component brands important to Shimano customer, and which actions can Shimano undertake to facilitate its brand‟s further market penetration?" Design/Methodology: Two approaches were used to answer the main research question. First, existing literature on ingredient and co-branding was analyzed. Second, we conducted an experiment on a new direct marketing initiative by Shimano-Europe BV. The initiative is "Reliability" campaign that introduces a service logbook across 8 European countries. Originality/Value: There is no research to this date, which empirically examines the influence of component supplier on sales and perception of ingredient brand, especially in the bicycle industry. Role of service and service network is also examined as one of the crucial influences on ingredient brand management. This research provides the base for further exploration in the area of ingredient branding and give guidelines for Ingredient Brand Management. So far, ingredient branding has been studied in contexts of food, chemical and computer industries. This research examines market leader in bicycle industry on 8 different national markets in Europe. Products supplied by Shimano require service and those products differ from ingredients which are consumed in form of food or apparel (that does not requires any service).</p><p> </p>

Purpose/Topic: The proposed research explores impact of the direct marketing actions by component suppliers on (a) sales (objective measure) and (b) industrial customer‟s perception (subjective measures) of the final product (c) and the market development. The proposed research will focus on the bicycle industry. Research Question: "To what extent Shimano‟s component brands important to Shimano customer, and which actions can Shimano undertake to facilitate its brand‟s further market penetration?" Design/Methodology: Two approaches were used to answer the main research question. First, existing literature on ingredient and co-branding was analyzed. Second, we conducted an experiment on a new direct marketing initiative by Shimano-Europe BV. The initiative is "Reliability" campaign that introduces a service logbook across 8 European countries. Originality/Value: There is no research to this date, which empirically examines the influence of component supplier on sales and perception of ingredient brand, especially in the bicycle industry. Role of service and service network is also examined as one of the crucial influences on ingredient brand management. This research provides the base for further exploration in the area of ingredient branding and give guidelines for Ingredient Brand Management. So far, ingredient branding has been studied in contexts of food, chemical and computer industries. This research examines market leader in bicycle industry on 8 different national markets in Europe. Products supplied by Shimano require service and those products differ from ingredients which are consumed in form of food or apparel (that does not requires any service).

Master of Science / Food Science and Industry / Fadi M. Aramouni / Gluten-free products are becoming more prevalent in the market today, however there are a few types of products that have “hidden” gluten and people will not realize until after consumption. Products like soy sauce and beer are sources of gluten that people don’t know about. Soy sauce contains wheat as a main ingredient so replacing it with a gluten-free flour such as sorghum may produce a product similar to wheat-based soy sauce. Sorghum was used in this experiment since it is a grain grown in the mid-western region of the United States and a growing food ingredient in the global market. Sorghum can come in many different varieties and colors so we used different varieties in this study. Four treatments were done using three different sorghum flours (black, white, and waxy sorghum flour) and a wheat flour for a control. Cooked soybeans were mashed in a kitchenaid mixer and the treatment flour was added to make a dough. That dough was formed into a log and cut into slices. The slices were then staked with wet paper towels to mold. After 13 days of molding, the slices that were made were dried, placed in a salt solution, and fermented for 100 days. The solution was mixed with a spatula for 30 seconds to homogenize the mixture every 2-3 days and samples were taken every 10 days to test for pH, salinity, and color. Once the 100 days were complete and the pH of each treatment did not drop for consecutive testing periods, the liquid was removed from the solids and pasteurized. The pH curve did show that a fermentation process did occur, however there was no control over what microorganism could grow. Consumer testing was not performed since all test sauces were deemed unacceptable at the initial screening.

Whipping creams are oil-in-water emulsion which by whipping can be formed to a foam by the incorporation of air into the system. Traditionally whipping creams are made out of milk but today imitation whipping creams based on vegetable fat has gained a large share of the marked due to their many benefits compared to traditionally whipping creams. Imitation whipping creams are both cheaper and more flexible than traditionally creams. By vary the characteristics of the fat system and the cream recipe the properties of the imitation creams can be adapted to fit the purpose of a specific product. The aim of this thesis was to increase the understanding of how different types of fat systems and other ingredients affect the properties of imitation whipping creams based on vegetable fat. This was done by studying three vegetable fat systems with different physicochemical properties. The properties of the fat systems were characterized and the three fat systems were then used for making different imitation whipping creams. The properties of the creams were characterized and the properties of the fat systems and the creams were assessed and compared with each other. The study showed that the fat characteristics that generally seem to have the highest impact on the properties of whipping creams are the structure, the solid fat content and the crystallization temperature of the fat. A fat solution with a hard structure, a high crystallization temperature and a high solid fat content at a wide range of temperatures overall seem to provide the whipping creams with the best properties. This as these fat properties provide the creams with a high foam stability, a high overrun and a short whipping time. This study has also shown that other ingredients than the fat systems provide the creams with diverging properties. This is best shown by the results of the freeze-thaw stability which indicate that a recipe with a high amount of sugar seem to provide the whipping creams with good freeze-thaw stability. Other properties of the whipping creams also seem to be very much influenced by other ingredients than the fat systems but further studies are needed to provide clarity to the complexity of the interplay of the ingredients in whipped creams.

Ingredient branding implies that a company incorporates an additional brand into their product in order to increase consumer awareness. This has been proven to be successful in certain product categories such as computers and food. These products can be seen as low involvement and low cost products, since they are bought frequently and generally involves low risk for the consumer. Ingredient branding has never been tested on product categories that are categorised as high involvement and high cost, which is therefore the intention of this thesis. By investigating consumers’ attitudes and perception of quality, towards advertisements with and without ingredient brands, we conclude that ingredient branding does not affect consumers in high involvement and high cost product categories, nor in a positive or negative way.

Ingredient branding implies that a company incorporates an additional brand into their product in order to increase consumer awareness. This has been proven to be successful in certain product categories such as computers and food. These products can be seen as low involvement and low cost products, since they are bought frequently and generally involves low risk for the consumer. Ingredient branding has never been tested on product categories that are categorised as high involvement and high cost, which is therefore the intention of this thesis. By investigating consumers’ attitudes and perception of quality, towards advertisements with and without ingredient brands, we conclude that ingredient branding does not affect consumers in high involvement and high cost product categories, nor in a positive or negative way.

<p>Ingredient branding implies that a company incorporates an additional brand into their product in order to increase consumer awareness. This has been proven to be successful in certain product categories such as computers and food. These products can be seen as low involvement and low cost products, since they are bought frequently and generally involves low risk for the consumer. Ingredient branding has never been tested on product categories that are categorised as high involvement and high cost, which is therefore the intention of this thesis. By investigating consumers’ attitudes and perception of quality, towards advertisements with and without ingredient brands, we conclude that ingredient branding does not affect consumers in high involvement and high cost product categories, nor in a positive or negative way.</p>