Netflix revealed as World’s Simplest Brand, according to annual study from Siegel+Gale

Tech brands, retail and quick-serve restaurants dominate global rankings

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2018 — Today, Siegel+Gale named Netflix, ALDI and Google as the top three World’s Simplest Brands. The 2018 top-ranked companies consistently deliver on their brand promise with simple, clear, intuitive experiences.

For this year’s study, Siegel+Gale asked more than 15,000 people across nine countries in the US, Europe, Asia, India, and the Middle East to evaluate brands and industries on their simplicity. Key findings include:

• 55 percent of people are willing to pay more for simpler experiences.  
• 64 percent of people are more likely to recommend a brand that delivers simple experiences. 
• A stock portfolio of the simplest global brands has outperformed the average of the major indexes by 679 percent since 2009.
• Companies that fail to provide simple experiences leave an estimated share of $98 billion on the table.

“World’s Simplest Brands quantifies the substantial monetary value of investing in simplifying,” said Howard Belk, co-CEO and chief creative officer, Siegel+Gale. “Now in its eighth year, our study reaffirms an increasing demand for transparent, direct, simple experiences that make peoples’ lives easier. Once again the data proves that simplicity pays.”

Movers and Shakers
Against a backdrop of political, economic and cultural uncertainty, and given rapidly shifting customer expectations, people are demanding simplicity more than ever before. Highlights from this year’s global rankings include:
Netflix: For the first time, the leading Internet entertainment service has been named World’s Simplest Brand. Its ease of experience, which allows users to stream, pause and resume viewing high-quality content—without commercials or commitments—earns them the top honor for simplicity.
ALDI and Lidl: The German discount grocers are a mainstay of our global Top 10. They surpass big-box competitors by virtue of their clear communications, affordable prices and premium private label products.
Spotify and Trivago: The Swedish music streaming service and the German online booking platform are both newcomers to the Top 10 global ranking.  
Uniqlo: In a beleaguered fashion industry, this Japanese clothing retailer’s philosophy—simplicity, quality and longevity—resonates around the world.
Media struggles: Perhaps not surprisingly, given the current context of ‘fake news’ claims and evidence of disinformation campaigns, the news and social media industries fared poorly in this year’s ranking.
Consistently complex: Again, this year, industries mired in complexity such as insurance, telecommunications and car rental are at the bottom of the ranking.

2018 Top 10 World’s Simplest Brands

1. Netflix
2. ALDI
3. Google
4. Lidl
5. Carrefour
6. McDonald’s
7. trivago
8. Spotify
9. Uniqlo
10. Subway

“The top performers in our study operate in crowded, highly competitive marketplaces. That said, their ability to consistently deliver their brands with simple, compelling experiences sets them apart,” said David Srere, co-CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at Siegel+Gale. “Companies will benefit greatly by keeping it simple for customers…or suffer the consequences.”

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

About Siegel+Gale
Siegel+Gale is a global brand strategy, design and experience firm. Using facts, intuition and creativity, we blend science with art, unlocking the power of simplicity to help organizations realize their full potential. Since 1969, Siegel+Gale has championed simplicity for leading corporations, nonprofits and government organizations worldwide. We have offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Dubai and Shanghai, but we’re willing to fly just about anywhere. We’re also not alone. As part of the Brand Consulting Group, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), we have strong partners all around the world.

Contact: 
Molly Muldoon, PR Director, Siegel+Gale
[email protected]
1.212.453.0491