There’s nothing genuine about Café Parisien

I was interested to read David Benady’s article about brands using provenance to reassure consumers of their credibility (Local Flavour, DW 18 February). Haircare brand Aussie and confectioner Krupskaya are true examples of how provenance has been used – it is their point and consumers appreciate them for that reason.

But it was also interesting to see other examples that to my mind do the opposite. Nescafé Parisien is a prime example of why consumers are losing trust in some claims of authenticity. Does anyone believe that Nescafé has captured all the provenance of a Parisian café by producing a bit of classical type, framed within a swirly pen-and-ink line drawing with an espresso cup and a saucer on a silver tray? There is nothing authentic about this.

When we redesigned Brecon Carreg water we used imagery sourced from the Brecon Beacons. Consumers in Wales see it as their brand and for those wanting to buy into its robust refreshment values, nothing could be more Brecon than this.

Where it needs to be contrived, perhaps authenticity isn’t the point; there is often a more compelling and interesting brand proposition.

Lawrence Barnett, Managing director, Wonderland WPA, London N1