Grocery giants Lidl and Whole Foods Market are two of the world's simplest brands

Siegel+Gale launches World's Simplest Brands Tenth Edition

• German grocer Lidl named the world's simplest brand, after placing in the Top 10 in last five editions
• Whole Foods Market overtakes Amazon as U.S. winner
• Restaurants, Hotels, and Travel Booking industries have greatest post-pandemic increases
• X (Twitter) named most complex brand in U.S.
• 64 percent of people are willing to pay more for simpler experiences
• 78 percent of people are more likely to recommend a brand that delivers simple experiences
• Companies leave $780 billion on the table by failing to simplify versus $402 billion in 2021 

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Siegel+Gale, the global brand experience firm—known as The Simplicity Company—has today announced its World's Simplest Brands Tenth Edition (WSBX). WSBX ranks the leading brands on simplicity, asking more than 15,000 people across nine countries which brands and industries provide the simplest experiences. According to the research, 64% of people are willing to pay more for simpler brand experiences, and 78% of people are more likely to recommend a brand for its simpler experiences and communications.

Brand complexity results in $780 billion of total annual unrealized revenue among the global brands surveyed. Additionally, since 2009, the publicly traded simplest brands consistently outperform the average global stock index by 1,600%.

From where they shop to how they communicate, people put a premium on experiences that are easy to understand; transparent and honest; caring for and meeting their needs; innovative and fresh; and useful. In short, simple.

"The world has never been more complex, and for consumers, the number of brand interactions has skyrocketed. While brand experiences happen at every touchpoint across a consumer's journey, they're not all created equal. After measuring the value of simplicity across ten editions of World's Simplest Brands, one finding is abundantly clear: When you understand and simplify your most important experiences, it pays," said David Srere, co-CEO and Chief Strategy Officer, Siegel+Gale.

"People today are prioritizing brands that deliver on the promise of simplicity, and they are willing to pay a premium for it," said Howard Belk, co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Siegel+Gale. "From finance to technology to groceries, the findings in World's Simplest Brands Tenth Edition reveal that simplicity is not a byproduct of success – it's the reason why brands thrive."

Additional key learnings:

• Consumers perceive brands' DEI and ESG communications as complex: Understanding maxes out at 37% and 42%, respectively.
• Industry scores signal continued desire to shake isolation: Restaurant, hotel and travel booking industries had significant increases globally.
• Post-COVID streaming takes a hit: Several streaming/video-on-demand brands (e.g., Netflix, Disney+, Hulu) have fallen in rankings, given new account sharing restrictions for users and increasing provider options.
• X (Twitter) is most complex: Social media brands have fallen in rankings both globally and domestically, and X (Twitter) now ranks as the most complex brand in the U.S.

Regarding additional unique offerings in WSBX, Brian Rafferty, Global Director of Analytics + Insights, Siegel+Gale, said, "Throughout our studies over the years, we have always seen some industries rated as simpler than others, like internet search. But with a deeper dive into consumer journeys for World's Simplest Brands Tenth Edition, we have found opportunities to simplify the consumer experience in every industry to drive business success."

To browse the full rankings by country and industry, visit worldssimplestbrands.com

About World's Simplest Brands
To determine the global state of simplicity, Siegel+Gale fielded an online survey with more than 15,000 respondents in nine countries to gather perspectives on simplicity and how industries and brands make people's lives simpler or more complex. Globally, 25 industries and more than 800 brands were rated on their perceived simplicity. The brands were selected as a representative set that respondents would be most likely to know and/or use in each country.

About Siegel+Gale
Siegel+Gale is a global brand 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. A part of Omnicom Group Inc., they have offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai and Tokyo.

About Omnicom
Omnicom (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:
Daniel Alonso, Senior Content Marketing Manager, Siegel+Gale
dalonso@siegelgale.com

Madeline King, Senior Marketing Manager, Siegel+Gale
madeline.king@siegelgale.com

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