Rising costs spell brand PR nightmare

Supermarket brands are really getting it in the neck right now.

The media are claiming that manufacturers are hoodwinking consumers because they have been shrinking pack sizes but keeping the prices the same.

Pampers, Pringles and Dairylea are among the leading brands that stand accused of doing the dirty.

And now the National Consumer Council (NCC) has spoken out and accused them of cheating unsuspecting shoppers already under financial pressure from rising household and motoring costs.

Yet manufacturers are also feeling the pinch and have been left in a PR pickle as they seek to counter the effects of soaring manufacturing costs.

Do they ask consumers to stump up more or downsize their packs a little?

The NCC also warned companies that most customers were savvy and their reputations could suffer as a consequence.

But that is precisely the point- because those same savvy consumers were not going miss a price increase either.

These brands have been stuck between a public relations rock and a hard place and have fundamentally made the right move.

They have given themselves some PR leeway and some good defensive standpoints if the backlash continues.

They can argue that customers would rather have less of what they like than face not being able to afford it at all.

And they are also choosing the right line by addressing concerns that cheap food and large portions are contributing to the obesity epidemic.