Fast company has this interesting interview with A.G. Lafley, CEO of Procter & Gamble. He says:
We have to create a great experience every time you touch the brand, and the design is a really big part of creating the experience and the emotion. We try to make better, but better in her terms.
I think it's value that rules the world. There's an awful lot of evidence across an awful lot of categories that consumers will pay more for better design, better performance, better quality, better value, and better experiences. Our biggest discussion item with a lot of retailers is getting them to understand that price is part of it, but in many cases not the deciding factor.