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It sounds like they're trying to imply that same manufacturer == same product; foxconn manufactures blackberry phones and iphones, it doesn't mean they're just slapping an apple logo on a blackberry.
Not in all cases, but in many, many cases, they are the exact same product (it's more expensive to build a "crippled" product, see Intel's Celeron - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celeron).

Especially supermarket generic brands, but also other products.

The article itself says "ingredients, designs and quality may differ substantially among the labels made under the same umbrella. "But often the main difference is marketing -- and price -- and that can be hard to sustain once products are perceived as commodities. "

Also:

"Some consumer-product companies have been forced to make both generic and branded products to please retailers. "If a major manufacturer is unwilling to produce private-label products, there's a possibility the retailer won't sell their branded products" (another thing retailers do is force companies to give free samples or special discounts if they want to keep selling to a major chain).

It's the same with eyewear. Check out the 60 Minutes story on Luxottica:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDdq2rIqAlM

They control over 80% of the global market, from manufacturing, to opticians, retail stores, and brands, including the second largest vision benefits company in the US.