Margaret Molloy: The Power of Simplicity – ClickZ

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Keep it simple, stupid! Or, as Margaret Molloy, Global CMO at Siegel + Gale puts it a little more delicately: “Great marketing leaders simplify.

Molloy believes that people often misunderstand simplicity. “It’s an experience someone has with your brand at the intersection of clarity and surprise,” she explains. However, far too many marketers take a reductive approach to simplicity, opting to cut everything out. In truth, simplicity is knowing what to take out and what to leave behind.

But why does this help brands? How can brands achieve this? Molloy breaks down simplicity, simply.

How to make it simple

Simplicity, argues Molloy, is a commitment. He must have the support of the leadership. She offers some practical steps for marketers who want to keep it simple.

“Leadership should reward and encourage simplicity. Second, be clear by using plainer language. Third, start with a deep understanding of your customer journey. People don’t always understand the journey holistically, and when they do, they struggle to understand which step to simplify. »

Molloy also argues that simplicity comes through innovation, but brands shouldn’t limit that to the product. For example, Dollar Shave Club innovated its service rather than the product to offer memberships, providing a simpler experience for its customers. However, this is not limited to B2C products. This is vital for B2B brands, especially in times of economic uncertainty.

“Think of people as users, not buyers. This change is super important because it means the content you create isn’t just a sales aid, and your job isn’t done when the cash register goes off. The work is done as the customer renews their commitment to you, as the user experiences the product.

There are also several characteristics of marketing leaders who embrace simplicity:

1. Humble: This can manifest in speaking clearly.
2. Simple but powerful language: for example, Steve Jobs launched the iPod with “A thousand songs in your pocket”.
3. Create psychological safety: people can say what they think without fear of repercussions.
4. Respect the process but allow creativity
5. Very data driven

When marketers achieve simplicity, it trickles down to the brand, says Molloy.

“Behind every brand that delivers a simpler experience is a leader who fundamentally and inherently believes in the power of simplicity.”

The power of simplicity

Siegel + Gale has spent years researching the power of simplicity and its impact on customer relationships. From trust to loyalty to willingness to pay, this positively impacts the entire reach of a marketer’s measurement toolkit.

“First, simplicity inspires deeper trust, builds loyalty and increases willingness to pay. Trust is intuitive, the correlation between simplicity and trust. If an experience is simple, it inspires trust, there is less dissonance afterwards. purchase.

Additionally, Molloy says more than three-quarters of customers are more likely to recommend a brand if it offers simple experiences, and more than half of customers are willing to pay more for simpler experiences.

The impact of simplicity extends beyond the customer. Siegel + Gale found that top-ranking brands in its global brand index (based on simplicity) perform better in stock indexes. It also impacts a brand’s internal culture, with employees finding it easier to innovate in a simpler environment. Finally, it will help marketers prepare for an uncertain economic landscape in 2023:

“The main benefit of embracing simplicity in an uncertain world is that it helps you prioritize.”

Timestamps

00:10 – Presentation

00:51 – What do you think makes a good marketing leader?

01:53 – What does simplicity mean to you?

04:09 – Why is it important for brands to simplify?

06:55 – What are some of the ways a brand can simplify?

09:43 – Does simplicity also apply to B2B brands?

12:28 – How can marketers embody simplicity?

16:28 – How embracing simplicity would help marketers prepare for 2023?

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Margaret Molloy is the global CMO of Siegel+Gale, the brand-led global experience company behind ‘Simple is smart’. ethos. A frequent CMO coordinator, she is a leading marketing voice on LinkedIn and host of the popular Future of Branding web series and the How CMOs Commit podcast.

Margaret delivers breakthrough marketing and business development programs that increase team awareness, profits and pride. She brings meaning and sensitivity – a mix of analytical and creative thinking – to everything she does. She is one of Forbes’ 5 Most Influential Social Media CMOs, The Drum’s (The Drum) 2017 Marketing Manager of the Year, and a former ClickZ contributor.