World's Simplest Brands study details how consumers rank
leading brands, and what companies can gain by simplifying
NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The pandemic
has made people's lives more complex, according to research in the
ninth edition of Siegel+Gale's World's Simplest Brands study. The
global survey also revealed that consumers are more willing to pay
a premium for simpler experiences.
World's Simplest Brands ranks the leading brands on simplicity,
asking more than 15,000 people across nine countries which brands
and industries provide the simplest experiences, ultimately
reducing stress and improving the lives of consumers
everywhere.
Google led the global rankings, followed by
Netflix, German grocer Lidl, YouTube and
another German grocer, Aldi. In the United States, Amazon was named the
simplest brand, followed by streaming services Hulu and
Netflix. Costco and Google rounded out the top
five.
The brands that did best in both the global and national
categories tended to be those that consumers relied upon during the
pandemic. That's no accident. "The pandemic has made life harder,
and World's Simplest Brands found that people want transparent,
direct, simple experiences that make their lives easier," said
Howard Belk, co-CEO and Chief
Creative Officer, Siegel+Gale. "The brands that topped this list
simplified not only the consumption experience; they simplified the
human experience."
The Pandemic Puts a Premium on Simplicity
World's Simplest Brands asked respondents if their lives had
grown more complex during COVID-19, and a large plurality said that
it had.
Those results became even more stark when looking at younger
consumers. For example, in the 18–34 demographic, 55 percent of
people said their life was more complicated; 45 percent in the
35–54 segment shared that sentiment. On the other end of the
spectrum, 37 percent of 55–64-year-olds said life became more
complex; 29 percent said it became simpler. For consumers over 65,
38 percent said life became more complex; 17 percent said it became
simpler.
Income also played a significant role, showing the divide
between people who could afford to work from home, and those who
either lost their jobs or were required to report to work in
challenging environments. Over half of the people interviewed that
earn under $70,000 in annual income
said that life had grown more complex. The numbers are inverted for
people earning over $100,000 in
annual income, with 51 percent of those surveyed saying life had
become simpler for them.
There are huge benefits for brands that can deliver simple
experiences to beleaguered consumers. "Our study confirms that the
last year and a half has been a clarion call for simplicity," said
David Srere, co-CEO and Chief
Strategy Officer, Siegel+Gale. "World's Simplest Brands quantifies
the substantial monetary value of investing in simplifying.
Companies can thrive by keeping it simple for customers…or suffer
the consequences."
Here are some of the study's key findings:
- 76 percent of people are more likely to recommend a brand that
delivers simple experiences, compared to 64 percent in 2018.
- 57 percent of people are willing to pay more for simpler
experiences, slightly higher than the last report's findings.
- While there isn't a significant change in people willing to pay
more for simplicity, the premium people are willing to pay for it
has quadrupled. Siegel+Gale estimates that companies leave an
estimated $402 billion on the table
by failing to provide simple experiences, versus $98 billion in 2018.
- A stock portfolio of the World's Simplest Brands has
outperformed the average of the major indexes by 1,600 percent
since 2009.
Simplicity has always been important, whether brands knew it or
not. But the pandemic has placed a premium on it. "Brands
throughout the world have long competed for a variety of
superlatives. The rare few can count simplicity as an accolade,"
said Margaret Molloy, Chief
Marketing Officer, Siegel+Gale. "Now is the time for all brands and
CMOs to re-examine their commitment to simplicity."
The World's Simplest Brands Were Pandemic Staples
The isolation of consumers during the pandemic meant they
shifted focus inward—from cooking at home to streaming content at
record paces. They used shopping services and Internet
searches to bring the world to their front door. Not surprisingly,
the brands that performed best in this year's index delivered on
simplicity during dark times. Here are their rankings:
2021 Top 10 World's Simplest Brands
- Google
- Netflix
- Lidl
- YouTube
- Aldi
- McDonald's
- Samsung
- Amazon
- Uniqlo
- Spotify
2021 Top 10 U.S. Simplest Brands
- Amazon
- Hulu
- Netflix
- Costco
- Google
- Burger King
- Publix
- Levi's
- Disney+
- Dunkin'
To browse the full rankings by country and industry,
visit worldssimplestbrands.com
About World's Simplest Brands
For the ninth edition of their study, Siegel+Gale asked more
than 15,000 people across nine countries in the U.S., Europe, Asia,
India, and the Middle East to evaluate brands and industries
on their simplicity.
About Siegel+Gale
Siegel+Gale is a global brand strategy, design
and experience firm. With unlimited imagination and a dedication to
the facts, the firm builds brands that cut through the clutter—and
unlock success for their clients. Since 1969, Siegel+Gale has
championed simplicity for leading corporations, nonprofits and
government organizations worldwide with offices in New York, Los
Angeles, San Francisco,
London, Dubai, Shanghai and Tokyo. As a part of Omnicom Group Inc.,
Siegel+Gale has strong partners all around the world.
About Omnicom Group Inc.
Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a
leading global marketing and corporate communications company.
Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide
advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and
interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public
relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000
clients in more than 70 countries.
Contact:
Madeline King, Marketing Manager,
Siegel+Gale
madeline.king@siegelgale.com
Daniel Alonso, Content Marketing
Manager, Siegel+Gale
dalonso@siegelgale.com
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