Subway tops "simple brand" rankings

NEW YORK: Subway, Dunkin' Donuts and Google are the three US brands with the greatest "simplicity", research from Siegel+Gale has indicated.

The consultancy's latest Global Brand Simplicity Index, which ranks companies on the relative simplicity or complexity of its products, services and marketing, when compared to category rivals, also named Amazon and Netflix in its top five.

The survey took in brands from 25 industries, and involved a survey of just over 6,000 people in seven countries. There was a focus on companies in the travel, financial services, entertainment and FMCG sectors.

Subway, the top-ranked brand, was praised by Siegel+Gale for its easy-to-understand $5 menu, and for the clarity of its communications.

"By providing transparency in ingredients and nutritional information across its 35,000 locations globally, Subway used simplicity to establish a solid customer base," the report added.

By contrast, leading social networks fell notably in the 2012 rankings, with Twitter in 93rd place, having been 70th in 2011, and Facebook down by 31 to 118th place. The latter company was singled out for criticism in the report.

"Users say they're frustrated by Facebook's 'incomprehensible' personal privacy policies, frequent changes to the interface and a lack of usability in general," Siegel+Gale added. "It's just been one big 'dislike' for those seeking simplicity."

Elsewhere in the report, the consultancy argued that consumers are willing to pay a "simplicity premium" for clearly-positioned products and services.

A poll conducted for the study indicated that up to 31% of people say they will "pay more" for "simpler interactions" with brands, though this proportion varied depending on the industry.

The actual size of the premium people were typically willing to pay also varied by industry, with shoppers saying they would pay 3% more for "simple" brands in sectors including internet retail, banks and travel. This total rose to 4.1% for the retail/grocery and restaurant sectors.

Data sourced from Siegel+Gale; additional content by Warc staff, 31 October 2012

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