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Milking the Industry: The Expiration Date of Brand Rivalries An in-depth qualitative study unraveling consumer attitudes toward an inter-firm brand rivalry in the Swedish milk industry

Wasserfaller, Elisa Paulina LU and Markkanen, Tuuli Maria LU (2024) BUSN39 20241
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
The cultural significance of dairy milk in Sweden is deeply ingrained, with dairy products being a staple at the breakfast table. However, the past decade has witnessed a formidable challenge to the traditional Swedish dairy industry, with the rise of plant-based milk alternatives. The emergence of new preferences has spurred the ascent of brands like Oatly. The Swedish oat drink producer Oatly, who has initiated a brand rivalry by da(i)ring the heritage brand Arla, a representative of the traditional dairy industry in Scandinavia. Arla and Oatly diverge not only in their product offerings but also in their brand values and ideologies. While Arla has built a well-known reputation for their production of dairy milk products, Oatly... (More)
The cultural significance of dairy milk in Sweden is deeply ingrained, with dairy products being a staple at the breakfast table. However, the past decade has witnessed a formidable challenge to the traditional Swedish dairy industry, with the rise of plant-based milk alternatives. The emergence of new preferences has spurred the ascent of brands like Oatly. The Swedish oat drink producer Oatly, who has initiated a brand rivalry by da(i)ring the heritage brand Arla, a representative of the traditional dairy industry in Scandinavia. Arla and Oatly diverge not only in their product offerings but also in their brand values and ideologies. While Arla has built a well-known reputation for their production of dairy milk products, Oatly vehemently challenges the traditional milk consumption with their plant-based products. In this shifting landscape, where consumers’ brand choices are not solely about fulfilling their needs, but also about expressing their self-identity, the study delves into the attitudes of Swedish consumers towards the brand rivalry between Oatly and Arla. Drawing on Tajfel’s (1974) Social Identity Theory, Graham and Wilder’s (2020) Consumer-Brand Identification and Festinger’s (1957) Cognitive Dissonance Theory, this study illuminates the wide spectrum of complex consumer attitudes engendered by the brand rivalry in the milk industry. Our findings reveal a nuanced interplay of both positive and negative attitudes, culminating in the proposition of the concept of Ideological Brand Rivalry. (Less)
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author
Wasserfaller, Elisa Paulina LU and Markkanen, Tuuli Maria LU
supervisor
organization
course
BUSN39 20241
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
brand rivalry, milk industry, consumer attitudes, inter-firm rivalry, brand ideology, comparative advertising, Social Identity Theory, Consumer-Brand Identification, Cognitive Dissonance, Ideological Brand Rivalry
language
English
id
9168094
date added to LUP
2024-06-27 09:19:27
date last changed
2024-06-27 09:19:27
@misc{9168094,
  abstract     = {{The cultural significance of dairy milk in Sweden is deeply ingrained, with dairy products being a staple at the breakfast table. However, the past decade has witnessed a formidable challenge to the traditional Swedish dairy industry, with the rise of plant-based milk alternatives. The emergence of new preferences has spurred the ascent of brands like Oatly. The Swedish oat drink producer Oatly, who has initiated a brand rivalry by da(i)ring the heritage brand Arla, a representative of the traditional dairy industry in Scandinavia. Arla and Oatly diverge not only in their product offerings but also in their brand values and ideologies. While Arla has built a well-known reputation for their production of dairy milk products, Oatly vehemently challenges the traditional milk consumption with their plant-based products. In this shifting landscape, where consumers’ brand choices are not solely about fulfilling their needs, but also about expressing their self-identity, the study delves into the attitudes of Swedish consumers towards the brand rivalry between Oatly and Arla. Drawing on Tajfel’s (1974) Social Identity Theory, Graham and Wilder’s (2020) Consumer-Brand Identification and Festinger’s (1957) Cognitive Dissonance Theory, this study illuminates the wide spectrum of complex consumer attitudes engendered by the brand rivalry in the milk industry. Our findings reveal a nuanced interplay of both positive and negative attitudes, culminating in the proposition of the concept of Ideological Brand Rivalry.}},
  author       = {{Wasserfaller, Elisa Paulina and Markkanen, Tuuli Maria}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Milking the Industry: The Expiration Date of Brand Rivalries An in-depth qualitative study unraveling consumer attitudes toward an inter-firm brand rivalry in the Swedish milk industry}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}