M&S: quality worth every penny?

The new Marks & Spencer's campaign went live recently, re-positioning themselves as the retailer that offers the best quality to its customer. I'm not too convinced though..after seeing the outdoor ads dotted around town it comes across as a weak attempt to regain the loyalty of customers who have long since jumped ship to a cheaper retailer. The ads consist of the strap line with a product shot in the back, it doesn't distinguish M&S in anyway, the same products can now be purchases at any retailer and most probably at a cheaper price!

Having done my dissertation on "consumer loyalty during the recession" I found that a lot of consumers don't see the quality differences between the supermarkets, it isn't a strong message to push forward. This campaign does little but to re-in force what the brand is already trying to say - we sell quality foods, however most consumers won't think they are worth every penny especially during such tough economic times.

The TV ad features a celebrity (twiggy) taking a trip down M&S memory lane, something that has been done to death (Hovis!!). Even though the 1p bazaar is going to pack M&S stores this won't bring back customers regularly, M&S needs a new strategy to push forward as a brand, not copy others and become a me to business and not get into a price war with the cheaper retailers. This definitely isn't the M&S of a few years ago and this definitely isn't the "my M&S" campaign.

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