Brands are powerful stuff. Think about it. We all know that branded acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol) is essentially the same as the private label sitting next to it on the shelf, but we often fork over an extra buck or two for the branded product. Why? Because Tylenol has invested heavily in building their brand equity and grown consumer loyalty by fulfilling their brand promise: Gentle on the stomach, effective on pain. And when we’ve got a headache, we don’t want to mess with anything less than that promise.