Design can offer so much more than advertising in fmcg

Get your coat, ad man, clients are spending on design because we add value (Voxpop, DW 20 September).

Brand, packaging and point-of-sale design in the wonderful world of fmcg has to work so hard for its supper, flexing into every niche, yet engaging in a moment. The same goes for the best design groups – they’re happy to stretch themselves creatively, offer holistic thinking and get on with looking after the client.

Budgets don’t stretch far with advertising types and clients are more switched on than ever to the fact that they can find strategic expertise elsewhere. Retailer-power influences clients and consumers alike, so brands need our on-shelf perspective.

This means more opportunities ahead for groups offering industrial know-how and creative bandwidth.

Dave Forman, Creative director, Epoch Design, Bristol BS1 4LH