Valuing Innovation and Marketing the Difference: A Case Study on Ingredient Branding in Biopharma

Hajee, Abdul Carimo (2025) Valuing Innovation and Marketing the Difference: A Case Study on Ingredient Branding in Biopharma. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Purpose – This research addresses a critical gap in ingredient branding literature by examining the foundational business-to-business relational processes that enable ingredient branding alliances. While existing research focuses on consumer outcomes, the antecedent organizational dynamics and institutional mechanisms remain under-explored. This study investigates how ingredient branding strategies develop within knowledge-intensive sectors, examining their formation and failure in the highly regulated biopharmaceutical industry.

Design/methodology/approach – Grounded in critical realism, this longitudinal single case study traces M Corporation's subsidiary M Biopharma and its decade-long attempt (2012-2023) to launch "Astra," a technically superior hyaluronic acid, as a branded ingredient. Data collection combined elite interviews from the strategy's inception (2012-13) and retrospective interviews (2022-23) with archival records. The analysis integrates thematic analysis with Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) configurations to identify causal mechanisms of strategic failure.

Findings – The research reveals Astra's failure stemmed not from product quality but a fundamental mismatch between M Corporation's established industrial market practices and the requirements of pharmaceutical markets. This misalignment prevented the company from developing necessary marketing capabilities and relationships within the pharmaceutical industry. The study identifies a "Legitimacy-Visibility Paradox": Astra's technical advantages, particularly its novel source, worked against market acceptance by creating regulatory hurdles and commercial scepticism. Customers preferred familiar, standardized ingredients, despite their inferior quality.

Originality/value – This thesis advances ingredient branding theory with three contributions: (1) the "Legitimacy-Visibility Paradox" concept, explaining how high differentiation can be counterproductive in knowledge-intensive markets; (2) a processual "Institutional Branding Work" model describing the legitimacy-building process across scientific, regulatory, and commercial domains; and (3) the prescriptive Knowledge-Intensive Ingredient Branding (KIIB) Framework. The research provides a comprehensive causal explanation for ingredient branding failure, demonstrating how path-dependent core competencies become core rigidities that undermine technically superior innovations in complex institutional environments.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Norwich Business School
Depositing User:	Bethany Turner
Date Deposited:	22 Sep 2026 11:28
Last Modified:	22 Sep 2026 11:28
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/104612
DOI:

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