Brand co-creation in the value chain: evidence from a case-study in the cosmetic industry

Objectives. The goal of this article is to illustrate the processes of value creation and delivery value and brand co-creation exploring the underlying mechanisms taking into consideration the role of an intermediary in such processes. Methodology. The context of the study regards the cosmetic industry, in particular a case study from the hair care sector has been chosen. Data have been collected through interviews both with the manufacturer (a beauty care company) and with the intermediary (beauty professionals) side. Findings. Professionals not only sell the merchandise and transfer the producer’s brand identity to the final customer, but help him/her to extract more meaning from the brand. Such strategic alliances, that are not constituted through a commercial partnership but rather rely on closeness and value alignment between the manufacturer and the professionals, can provide several benefits for the company. Research limits. Results are very industry specific. Another limitation is that not all stakeholders involved were considered in the study. For instance final customers were not interviewed. Practical implications. The study can help companies to understand the activities that intermediaries can do in order to co-create value helping the supplier to deliver higher value to the final customer. Originality of the study. This paper provides an empirically-grounded representation of actors’ participation in B2B branding co-creation