A Shropshire company has backed a call for companies to “design themselves out of the downturn” by reinventing their image to survive recession.

Research from the Design Council, a national organisation set up as a strategic body to demonstrate that design can play a vital role in strengthening the economy, shows that 83 per cent of companies believe design to be integral to market share increases.

Elaine Nester, of Shrewsbury-based Alpha Design and Marketing said: “We echo the findings of the Design Council and have many examples on our own client list where business  owners have used times of recession to reinvent  products and services, and also to change the means they use to promote themselves.”

“A primary example quoted by The Design Council is Castle Rock Brewery whose growth rates have doubled in the past 12 months despite a general decline in beer drinking in pubs, the credit crunch and competition from cheap alcohol in supermarkets.”

“The brewery decided to improve its image by using design to focus its portfolio of brands and strengthen it main corporate identity. Another example Net-a-Porter a luxury online fashion store, launched in 2000 when the dot com bubble was bursting but by focusing on interface, experience and service design, Net-a-porter has become a £55 million business.”

“Recession can, and should be a time for innovation and re-invention rather than battening down the hatches only to find upon emerging that your business has been overtaken by the competition.

By Business Editor Amy Bould

• For more information on the design council click here