Articles

22.2.2011 Brand "simplicity" is key

McDonald's, Nokia and Amazon are among the brands perceived as offering "simplicity" and improving the lives of customers, a multimarket survey has found. Siegel & Gale polled 6,152 adults in China, Dubai, Germany, India, Saudi Arabia the UK and US, asking them to name the products that met these criteria. "While what makes for simplicity isn't always straightforward, it is improving the lives of people everywhere. And, they're willing to pay more for it," the branding consultancy's study argued. By industry, restaurants and entertainment topped the charts, scoring over 900 index points, the only sector to surpass this benchmark, with retail falling slightly short. Technology and electronics was another segment to scale 800 points, media being the other, as telecoms and travel came in just below the same level.

At the other end of the spectrum, banks and utilities hovered around the 550-point mark. But insurance and credit cards had even lower ratings, on less than half the total recorded by restaurants and entertainment. In identifying how much extra they would consider splashing out on "simpler experiences", contributors pegged this amount at approximately 6% for technology, fashion, groceries and cars. Television, health and beauty, mobile phones and restaurants logged 5.5%, media attained 5%, and mortgages and credit cards achieved 4.5%. Fast-food giant McDonald's and mobile telecoms provider Nokia shared first place in the global rankings, as both companies received 854 points.

B.L. 22.2.2011