Consumers believe the hype so long as they can understand the message

Nigel Salter said that Marks & Spencer is the antithesis of a “brand”, while Lynda Relph-Knight appealed for clear design of marques that need no explanation (DW 8 October).

Are you both under the influence of Henri Lloyd’s underground posters Same World – Different Planet? M&S is a well known marque that lost sight of its brand values and changing customer expectations.

Yes, we live in a world where brands are important, some perhaps hype their value beyond their worth. But encourage the people who create the hype to work together and create the marque that attracts customers and creates the products that we want.

That is why Tesco is Britain’s number one retailer. It knows how to manage design effectively throughout its organisation. Long live creativity, design and innovation in our multicultural and multidisciplinary society. Design is not the intellectual property of the few who claim to understand it, it is a recipe for success in business.

Andrew Mitchell

andrew.mitchell@dial.pipex.com