Simplicity rules the day. In our über-branded world, we’re seeing a sea change washing over the landscape. Some observers say it started with Google, which sported the cleanest interface on the web when it launched. (Isn’t it interesting that Microsoft’s Bing is now trying to out-simplify Google on functionality?) Others say Target paved the way when it started providing a simpler, cleaner shopper experience that utilized design as a strategic advantage in its pitched battle with Walmart.
Other examples abound in all areas of our culture: packaged goods, service brands and, of course, visual merchandising design. Countless brands these days feature simple, back-to-basic value propositions that appeal to a seemingly endless desire for the honest, the true, the uncomplicated – in a word, simplicity.
Retail designers and store display professionals, take note: This is more than a trend. It’s a more fundamental change, a cultural shift, and one that the anthropologists and semioticians will be studying for decades. And the brands that recognized it early are reaping the rewards of reflecting the values that are driving the culture, even as they accelerate the shift through their powerful brand expressions.
The Power of Doing More with Less
This shift to simplicity has many parents: our increasingly fragmented culture, media overload, overextended brands, SKU proliferation and, of course, the current economic reversal that is fostering a deep desire for simple value as a response to the excesses of the recent past. In “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less,” psychology professor Barry Schwartz argues that consumers today are faced with too many choices and that consumers would be far better off with a few distinctly different options instead of the countless array they currently have. Whether choosing an insurance plan, a jar of tomato sauce or even a pair of jeans, Schwartz discusses how a bewildering array of choices is overwhelming and paradoxically inhibits happiness instead of enhancing it. He debunks the notion that more choices will make consumers happier, offering instead the idea that having all these choices actually infringes on consumers’ psychological well-being.
Author and consultant Jack Trout similarly contends that simplicity is one solution for marketers who find it increasingly difficult to gain traction among consumers beset by too many complicated options. In his book, “The Power of Simplicity: A Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right,” he urges managers to “get back to basics” and use simplicity as an organizing principle to guide enterprises to success. Trout notes that simplifying the value proposition can also reduce costs and increase sales and profits.
When it comes to visual merchandising, retail design and branded environments, some brands are already leveraging the power of simplicity to advance their value proposition. Crate & Barrel’s visual aesthetic is anchored in clean, unembellished lines, a look that informs its product selection, merchandising techniques and navigational systems. All aspects of the brand experience feature an essential simplicity that expresses the brand meaning beautifully and authentically.
In the used-auto business, CarMax has become the nation’s largest retailer in just over 15 years, with around 100 locations today. Its growth traces directly to the core concept driving the value proposition – honest simplicity and straightforward dealing – the direct opposite of most consumers’ experiences with used car dealers.
Nine West’s New York flagship offers another example of a clean, unencumbered shopping experience with a decidedly artful bent. This store creates a sense that fashion footwear is art with merchandise displayed throughout the space on illuminated tables that evoke a runway setting. Simple surroundings, elegant surfaces and a consistent focus on “footwear-as-art” create a rewarding experience for shoppers and gawkers alike.
Managing brands for growth in these tough economic times is difficult; but when done right, it looks, well, simple.
Michael Coleman is a brand strategy and design consultant with over 20 years experience. Follow him on Twitter (mcolemantwi) or reach him via email at michaelcoleman@mac.com.
A FEW SIMPLE RULES
Simple ideas capture imaginations, inspire organizations and motivate audiences. Consistent with this, a few simple rules can assist retailers and designers in ensuring that their brand activities simply are effective.
1. Base everything you do on a simple, compelling, differentiating idea.
Häagen-Dazs touts a few simple ingredients with its Häagen-Dazs Five line. The concept is simple and clear, and everything about the brand supports the idea.
2. Execute your brand expression consistently across media and geographies.
Philips, the global electronics and lighting company, uses its “Sense and Simplicity” tagline more as a corporate covenant. The idea extends to products, marketing, service contracts – wherever the brand is manifested. Apple transfers the iconic simplicity of its user interface, industrial design and packaging to its retail settings, offering a holistically unified brand experience.
3. Avoid jargon.
Use plain, honest, unpretentious language in the verbal elements of your retail merchandising design. Think Strunk. Think White. Volkswagen built an entire design language around simple forms, and its verbal expression is honest, to the point and reflective of its historically “of-the-people” sensibility.
4. Edit, edit, edit: not just verbally, but visually and conceptually.
We all know the maxim that “less is more,” so put it into practice with all of your merchandising components. Every element you add needs to “pay its way” in furthering the central brand promise. If it doesn’t, you should think twice, or three times, about adding it. Bang & Olufsen, the design-driven manufacturer of high-end audio and video hardware, mirrors its simple, elegant products in the design of its retail spaces, creating a seamlessly elegant shopping experience that ignites desire even among non-audiophile consumers.
5. Create a culture of belief around your brand’s promise.
Make sure you manage all brand points with the central theme of your brand in mind. Southwest Airlines nailed this by consistently offering a pleasant, friendly flying experience from real people who actually seem to value travelers’ business. Nordstrom’s famously shopper-centric attitude drives sales and loyalty.
6. Revisit your merchandising vehicles regularly.
Are there too many elements? If so, borrow a page from Barry Schwartz’s book and simplify.