Brand, the importance of
Ironically for a company that would become a world leader in branding, in the early years, the Rowntree family thought that quality products should and would sell themselves. But a gradual recognition of the need to have a strong marketing campaign and the development of outstanding brands such as Black Magic and After Eight and KitKat led to a complete turning around of the fortunes of the company, especially under the visionary directorship of George Harris in the mid 20th century.
When Nestlé purchased the Rowntree company in 1988, one of the company’s key strengths was in its ability to manipulate brand in marketing.
References
R. Fitzgerald, Rowntree and the Marketing Revolution 1862-1969, Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Lecture by Ralph Kaner on George Harris to the Sheldon Memorial Trust in 2012, http://www.sheldonmemorialtrust.org/lectures.html