You might think that you have a wide variety of companies to choose everyday products from but, what if we tell you that it’s just an illusion? Most of the products that we think are completely unrelated to each other are actually subtly linked together as they come under the ownership of a single company.
Nestlé is one such company that uses the illusion of choice of consumer goods to its benefit. Nestlé is known for numerous food products such as Kit Kat, Nescafe instant coffee etc. But one often doesn’t know that Nestle is also the owner of Nespresso coffee machines, DiGiorno pizzas, carbonated drinks and many other products from over 29 brands with annual sales over $1 billion. The company literally has hundreds of different products in sectors ranging from baby to pet food, to soups and sauces. It makes up a revenue of a total of $240 billion from its food products, leading the global food industry.
You may go to a store to buy a chewing gum and pick out one from the large range of Extra, Doublemint, 5 Gum, Spearmint and many others. However, the fun part is that all these products are actually owned by Mars, which very few people know. All this time we believed that Mars is just a company that got popular for its famous chocolate. The company creates an illusion of choice for the customers each time they shop but little do the consumers know as the revenues are generated by the same company, anyway.
The illusion does not harm the consumer but it is important to have awareness about the product that you choose to buy because you are not only purchasing a product but you are promoting the philosophy of the company as well. Thus, it is important to know the companies that you believe in and the companies that do not align with your core values.
People at Visual Capitalist have put together a detailed and eye-opening infographic encompassing the major brands and products owned by the same companies. So, you thought you had a choice when it comes to buying consumer goods? Well! Think again.
Explore the full-size version of the infographic shown below in all its glory.
Courtesy of Visual Capitalist