‘Keep it simple stupid’ is the way to keep customers happy

According to Dr Gruner, consumers have become mentally fatigued from the increasing number of choices they have to make every day, and to be successful companies should try to avoid adding to this complexity.

Customers will pay more for simplicity

“We found consumers are willing to pay more for, and are more likely to cherish, brands they perceive as simple,” he explained.

“What matters more than an in-your-face presence is simplifying customers’ lives and solving their problems.”

The researchers found that most buyers who did not follow through on an intended purchase backed out because they were overwhelmed by information and choice.

“Consumers tend to reward companies that drive down their mental load and many brands – including Aldi (an international supermarket chain), Netflix and Google – owe some of their success to their ability to simplify consumers’ experiences,” Dr Gruner stated.

For example, one survey, conducted by leading brand consultancy Siegel+Gale with over 15,000 consumers across nine countries, found that brands perceived as providing the simplest, most seamless experiences boasted both the strongest stock performance and the most loyal customers.

At the core, smart brands make things easy and convenient for the end user through clever decisions about their product, promotion, price and distribution tactics.