P&G should think beyond pack size

Sir, Procter & Gamble's decision to supply product directly to Poundland ('Poundland and P&G link up to work health and beauty market', 9 July) is an interesting one, especially given that its intention seems to be to develop smaller pack sizes of its known brands rather than create new ones.

There's no question that targeting the growing channel of discounters is a savvy one, as the Him! research into shopper habits proves. But P&G's strategy of tweaking product sizes raises a couple of key branding questions.

Could selling the same product, in a smaller pack, for less money, in a downmarket channel devalue brand perception? It will work initially for sales but in the long run, the risk is that overall brand perception could be downvalued.

Obviously P&G knows its stuff, and its strategy is based on its experience in the US as well as observation of how other brand owners downsized their products at the start of the recession.

I'm just wondering whether P&G has also considered new product development, or rolling out an equivalent of an 'essentials' range to target this segment?

Andrew Tharme, managing director, SPA Future Thinking