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Restaurant brands take several top spots on Global Brand Simplicity Index

Fast casual, quick serve and pizza brands took half of the top 10 spots in this year's Simplicity Index.

November 10, 2015

Global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale revealed its sixth annual Global Brand Simplicity Index, a comprehensive report that reveals how consumers rank leading brands based on how simple they are, why disrupters are gaining ground, and what companies can gain by simplifying customer experiences.

Fast casual, quick serve and pizza brands performed exceptionally well, taking half of the top 10 spots in the United States. Chipotle leads at No. 5, with Dunkin' Donuts at No. 7, and the Top 10 is rounded out by Burger King (No. 8), KFC (No. 9) and Pizza Hut (No 10).

Customer experiences that capitalize on the "on-demand" nature of today's economy are what makes these restaurant brands rank among the likes of Google (No. 1) or Amazon (No. 4). Notable absences from the Top 10 include McDonald's and Starbucks. That said, all major quick serve companies are ranking in the Top 15 of the study, showing how well consumers respond to these brands.

A survey of more than 12,000 consumers across eight countries, the Siegel+Gale Simplicity Index evaluates the global state of simplicity for the world’s leading brands. The evaluation is based on an online survey in which consumers were asked to evaluate perceived points of simplicity or complexity in their interactions with, and perception of, more than 500 brands across 25 industries.

This year’s study revealed several trends of note, including:

• Americans want it all and want it now.
• Google, known for delivering information instantaneously, ranked No. 1 in the U.S.
• Netflix, delivering TV and movies on-demand, ranked No. 2.
• Amazon and Zappos.com, both retail giants who have earned points for free next-day shipping, came in at Nos. 4 and 6, respectively.
• Chipotle, Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut all offer food, fast, coming in at Nos. 5,  7, 8, 9 and 10, respectively.
• Globally, citizens want it all and they want it cheap
• German discount grocery stores Aldi and Lidl came in at Nos. 1 and 3, respectively.
• IKEA, with its famously unclear instructions but with prices that can’t be beat, ranked No. 7.
• eBay, the marketplace with negotiable prices, came in at No. 9.
• Fast (and inexpensive) food won globally, as well, with McDonald’s at No. 5, Burger King at No. 6 and KFC at No. 10.Social is complicated