THE ART OF KEEPING IT SIMPLE

The question of effectiveness at all levels

"A world with too much data, too many choices, too many options and too little time

forces us to choose what we attach the greatest importance"

Translated from English - read the article: http://bit.ly/1CnNgZK

Arianna Huffington  

TODAY, SIMPLICITY IS MORE THAN A TREND, IT IS A NECESSITY !

As we are redefining our priorities and seeking to enjoy only the best of our experiences, it is necessary to eliminate daily stress and compensate the complexity of our modern lifestyles.

3 REASONS TO TRULY BELIEVE IT

Chapter 1

As our lives get filled, time is the rarity of the century. Urgency is omnipresent and a hunt for downtime has been launched. Today, while we are redefining the value of time, slowing down or finding ways to win are the only ways to move forward.

“

Reason 1

A NEW APPROACH TO TIME

More than a quarter of the population, 28%, is considered to be 'chrono-victims': they run after time, looking for any solution that can help them to manage their use of this constantly filled time.

TNS Sofres Read the article: http://bit.ly/1CnSXH3

"We are in a society where the experience of time is no longer the same as it was fifty years ago. Time became

a good master. " 

Stefano Monzani, psychologist FSP Geneva Read article : http://bit.ly/1y7PPw5

2 ILLUSTRATIONS

We have the possibility to know anything about everything and to make fully informed choices. However, in addition to being time-consuming, our searches give us too much information at once, without any prioritization. The problem is that we no longer have any time to read and process all this information. 

“

Reason no. 2

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

"' According to experts, humanity has created more information over the past two years than during its entire history', recalls Isabelle Carcassonne, of IBM France. '' [This] growth will continue at the frantic pace of 45%  "per year until 2020, as per IDC, a market research firm"

Le Figaro Read the article: http://bit.ly/1txAEoq

'The hyper-connective, sensory overload and the constant flood of information in the digital domain  depletes consumers"

Karan  Cushman – « Simplification is a Top Trend for Thought Leaders in 2014 »  Read the article: http://bit.ly/1lm5aDI

2 ILLUSTRATIONS

Our choices have never been so open. Under the injection of innovations, we are always tempted to test all, just to try. Far from being liberating, that 'overflow' of choice generates frustration and anxiety, to the idea of missing something better, more interesting. It gets tiring gradually.

“

Reason no. 3

TOO MANY DECISIONS

Between 2000 and 2009, the references of yoghurt available for the alcohol drinks increased from 208 to 281. At the same time, the number of references for cafés rose from  110   to  199.

Le Journal du Net - on a Nielsen study Read the article: http://bit.ly/1vrZzyY

'"They want the best deal and are happy to    rely on algorithms and aggregators to find[…] The key is that the consumer remains

autonomous" Jason Mander - Future Foundation    

Translated from English -Read article: http://bit.ly/1CnNgZK

2 ILLUSTRATIONS

EVENTS FOR CONSUMERS

Chapter 2

1. THE ADVENT OF CURATION From information to purchasing a product, including getting gift ideas, we want to be guided in our decision-making. Through presets, we want to have access to relevant, qualitative and reduced choices, according to our tastes and our interests, to consume more simply.

THE BOX Beyond discovery and surprise, the box is a selection of the best products in their category which the brand wants to recommend to its consumers, according to their profile. They can thus discover what is likely to please them without going through the infinite scroll in products cluttered in stores or e-shops.

FOLLOW THE NEWS IN "FLIPBOARDS". To organize information and escalate content in connection with the topics of interest of the consumer, news aggregators multiply and give them the ability to customize the restitution of the info, via sorting and simply deleting.

EDITORIALS FOR E-COMMERCE: Online fashion shopping is increasingly via editorials that guide the shoppers. To avoid the loss of time related to the provision of a catalogue of unlimited clothing, many players are distinguished by pre-selecting the best parts, the best trends and we guide them toward what they are looking for.

2. PRIORITIZE INFORMATION Faced with a volume of available information that increases exponentially, sorting and ranking allow us to see more clearly and find what we seek more simply and more quickly.

THE BATTLE OF RELEVANCE The war of algorithms is in full swing. Regardless of their need, alcohol drinks are turning to actors who are able to recommend the most relevant choices, compared to their profile, their desires and interests.

THE PHENOMENON OF 'TOP '. It is one of the star formats at the moment, and is the most shared. It allows you to simply classify information, so that it is always more digestible and entertaining.

QAPA Even job search is simplified thanks to algorithms. On Qapa, we upload our CV, our job requirements and what we are looking for. The service classifies the offers by relevance and shows only those which meet a minimum of the required conditions.

3. BY THE IRRESISTIBLE RELEASE When too much choice causes frustration, simplicity is embodied in the absence of choice. More & more shops and services make choices in our place, offering only a single option or letting others decide for us.

A RESTAURANT, A DISH! People know why they come and don’t ask themselves too much questions. They sit down and enjoy dishes without any hesitation or any "oh I should have chosen that other dish » spoiling the party. Single dish restaurants are a real trend that develops, like « Balls », a Parisian restaurant... of meatballs !

THE RANDOM DECISION ALGORITHMS Knowing what to eat tonight, finding an outfit for Christmas, choosing a shower gel: we sometimes would like not to have to make a decision. To remedy this, we today find services that suggest us answers randomly.

DELEGATE THE DECISION TO OTHERS Today, some services allow us to crowdsource our decisions. Ask a question, or put forth a dilemma and people vote for the option they prefer. They decide for us when we don't want to make a choice on our own.

4. STREAMLINE OUR INTERACTIONS It is now necessary to lift all barriers on our journey as consumers and seek to facilitate our interactions to go straight to the point, whatever we do.

BETWEEN US Many services simplify our human interactions to the maximum, through messages or modes of binary contact, to make our exchanges more effective and to interact more quickly.

IN-STORE Consumers are increasingly fond of "click'n'collect" and "fast check out", which facilitate their buying process and make them save time while in shops, hotels and others.

OVER THE INTERNET Buy with one click, easily find a size, facilitate returns, etc.: irritants and barriers are numerous for e-commerce and are gradually overcome by a few simple innovations, which reassures us and makes our purchasing process most enjoyable.

SHYP To post your letters and parcels without suffering queuing and without worrying about opening hours, start-ups such as Shyp have grown and they come home, collect the objects or letters to send, then take care of everything for us

5. THE DIGITAL CONCIERGE With one click, we can find someone who will complete all these small arduous tasks that take us increasingly more time on a daily basis.

FLYCLEANERS Doing laundry has never been easier. Through an app, we can hire a person who will come to take our clothes to clean, is responsible for any deposits to the dry cleaners and other washes and then return the laundry, clean and folded.

E-CONSTAT The demand for digitalisation of many business processes is increasing. From 1 December 2014, it is possible to complete a car accident form for assurances online. You will only need an application on your "smartphone" to solve your possible clashes on the road.

MAKING AN APPOINTMENT ONLINE Today, many doctors are accessible on the web. The mondocteur.fr platform can simply and quickly make an appointment. While sitting at home, a consumer can select the desired speciality, see all available doctors, their information and their open slots. In one click, the appointment is made.

6. DO EVERYTHING AT THE SAME LOCATION To best manage what we have to do every day, while having a good time, many places become multifunctional, combining the useful and enjoyable. Everything is done in one place and everything is easier for us, to avoid being forced to run to different places.

WASBAR Do your laundry, while working at the local café or a drink with friends: this is the concept of Wasbar, which includes a café in the same place to comfortably use washing machines to do one's laundry in a pleasant environment .

STORE PICKUP BY MAIL To remove this barrier in online shopping, send packages without loss of time, order a delivery of flowers, chocolates or buy wine, but also to manage one's laundry, Post launches PickUp Store, a space concierge, in places with high traffic (coming to St Lazare) to facilitate the management of every day things for people who work and pick up the same later in the week.

VÉLOS-CAFÉS Tomorrow, we will be at the local café. Starting with repair of our bikes in the metropolis to encourage this means of transport more and more, which is environmental and sporty for everyone. The phenomenon of bike cafés, though very new, is rapidly becoming popular in France, where there are already a dozen such institutions.

7. THE SUCCESS OF SHORT VISUAL The image invaded all our communications. Easy to consume, quickly comprehensible it became the star of exchanges and consumer expressions. Everything is transmitted faster.

SOCIAL NETWORKS PHOTO Today, social networks centered on images are the fastest growing networks. Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest: all tools that now support our desire to share quickly and simply, what we see and live.

AN IMAGE FOR EVERY IMAGINARY PRODUCT One of the most effective campaigns recently - and rewarded by Effie in 2014 - was "No Logo" by McDonalds. In 2013, Big Mac or Sundae were the big products that caused a stir in the market. In 2014, the pictograms of "Big 6" (its most popular products) adorned its print ads. Nothing is more effective to evoke a desire in the consumer than an imagination linked to the brand!

ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT IS GETTING SHORTER INCREASINGLY As people's attention span decreases, the formats we use get shorter. The content is short, fitted to the extreme, to keep only the essentials and entertain us effectively.

8. SIMPLICITY AS PHILOSOPHY Today, when they do not find a solution to better manage their lives ever faster, people decide to slow down. Rather than try to do everything more efficiently, they are doing less and refocussing on what really matters.

THE "SLOW LIVING" Lifestyle choices are increasingly prevalent, it can apply to anything: "Slow food", "slow design", "slow cities", etc. The "slow" promotes a healthier and accountable lifestyle away from the urgency of today's world. It encourages following the natural rhythm of things, to respect the humans and environment by living in the moment.

VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY For ethical, ecological and social reasons, more and more people are choosing to go against the grain of the consumer society to consume only what they absolutely need. They want to improve their quality of life, prioritizing family, human and community.

FOCUS ON SIMPLE THINGS "Simple Things", "Real Simple", "Happinez" and many magazines around the simple living and fun things in everyday life, meet great success, with consumers looking to return to the modes of quieter life.

9. KEEP ONLY THE ESSENTIALS Forgetting superfluous to navigate better and grasping things better becomes paramount for an increasing number of consumers. The art of the empty and clean spills pushes us to think about the value of each item.

CLEANING OF DRESSING AREA A dressing room of a fashionista is more likely to be filled easily. Yet for some time, keeping only the essential, key parts, has become an art. They simplify their options and return to the timeless, giving way to the real beautiful pieces.

REFINED DESIGN Minimalism, "lean" and "flat" design: today we have a tendency to eliminate frills and keep only the essential elements both in the way we imagine, design, represent and decorate. We go for the simpler and it is more beautiful!

THE "TINY HOUSES" The "tiny houses" movement (litt. Tiny houses) is gaining ground. These houses consist of a living area of less than 10m2, mounted on wheels and transportable as a caravan. As we become increasingly mobile and voluntarily reduce our impact, they are the new alternative, inexpensive but comfortable.

THE DESIRE OF SIMPLICITY, BY CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS DEVELOPING THE HABITS OF CONSUMERS AND MAKING THEIR THEIR SEARCH EXPERIENCES MORE FLUID, MORE FREE AND MORE USEFUL.

IMPACT ON THE BRAND/ALCOHOL DRINKS RELATIONSHIP

Chapter 3

KEEP IT SIMPLE  STUPID*

* litt. "Keep it simple, stupid" = "Do not complicate things"

Facilitating increased access in using your products and services, answering each question, raising all barriers, guiding consumers

# 1 MAKING LIFE EASIER EVERYDAY Today it is to imagine new services that will improve the lives of its consumers on a daily basis. Brands can provide simple solutions to the problems faced by consumers while responding to insights of their daily lives, .

KLM #HAPPYTOHELP This is THE customer service for people who travel. It supports all calls for help from any passenger on any airline, for problems ranging from knowing the departure time of the flight, to finding a service to collect forgotten passports

ESURANCE To access the estimation of insurance reimbursements for damage faster, Esurance provides an opportunity for its members to handle everything via video chat. On the app, the consumer makes an appointment, fills the information requested in advance and everything is settled (support, estimation and payment) during scheduled video chat.

SIMPLIFY THE CULINARY EXPERIENCE Knowing what to cook with what you have in the fridge is the goal of Hellsman, thanks to the possibility that the brand gives us through twitter and give us a simple and great recipe according to the the contents of our fridge

# 2 BE ACCESSIBLE EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME Brands must always be within reach of their consumers. They must now adapt and integrate fully into the rhythm of their customer's life, offering the same quality of service across all channels so that any issue or barrier is managed effectively.

BOUYGUES TELECOM In addition to its traditional customer service, Bouygues has developed many ways for customers to contact them. The woobees are on twitter, the forum is lively and full of questions and answers and the brand is also available on Facebook, to help any user. More recently, the brand has provided the option of making online appointments in a store close to home. Everything is done to make the brand available for the consumers.

DARTY To expand its customer service and always be accessible, Darty has recently created the connect button. A problem with any device? Press the button and contact us. It is as simple as that.

H&M In the US, the company offers many services before, during and after the purchase. Click'n'collect, online store for returns, exchange of old clothes against vouchers, contact-less payment booths, etc. : Brand innovates and streamlines the process increasingly.

# 3 GUIDE TO MAKING CHOICES SIMPLER To facilitate choices, brands must use direct messages, "talking", view aggregations, screening, etc. Anything that emphasizes on the most obvious decision. And this involves managing the wealth of information available in the most transparent way possible.

TESCO As making a choice in multimedia range is considered particularly difficult by many consumers * TESCO has installed interactive screens just to facilitate comparison of the offered phones. The consumer has to enter the names of two phones and the screen automatically displays the comparative characteristics of both models

* http://bit.ly/192LUmO

NUTRITION LABELLING CARREFOUR Although controversial, still under discussion, the labelling system devised by Carrefour's food is a good method to guide consumers towards what is best without skipping any ingredient.

BIOGARAN With Biogaran Council, the brand indicates the drug of choice indicating clearly the symptom and the dosage of each drug available as a free service. The consumers may self-medicate without fear.

# 4 THE BEST USE Whether in operation, in its organization, point of sale, in its web and mobile interfaces, in its design or its offer, a brand must remain functional and practical. Everything must be usable and findable in an instant, to avoid the pitfalls of taking time to understand or seek, and not to offer too complex an experience.

BNP / HELLOBANK With Hellobank, BNP Paribas reinvents the bank. The interface, as long as the service has been optimized and working to be "user-friendly". Simple to understand, use, manage, everything is presented so that the user can do everything himself as easily as possible - and, in case of problem it always has access to an ultra available customer service.

NEIMAN MARCUS An app offering loyalty benefits which can be used by a consumer to book items online, program market events in his calendar, find an item he loves with just a picture, take appointment with a salesperson to be received personally in store, etc. : The list of all that is accessible via the Neiman Marcus application is very long - but it has the advantage of centralizing everything in one place to make consistent customer experience and facilitate its relationship management with the brand. All this, while remaining hyper functional!

LOCALISATION IN-STORE Ikea, Galeries Lafayette or Carrefour use mobile store to facilitate research products which enable consumers to easily find their way and what they really need.

# 5 SIMPLE, DOWN TO EARTH IDEAS Being simple is also about being smart and possessing the know how to communicate the ingenious and accessible ideas at the heart of its brand without embellishment. The trend today is to have a clever idea of an easy device for consumers looking to simply and clearly understand what they are offered, no frills, so not to get lost in the details.

DHL Although it was not premeditated by DHL themselves, it is the epitome of a simple idea that was useful. On a thermoreactive packaging the message "DHL is faster" was inscribed (in English). During the trip, the package reacts to temperature and displays the message on the boxes carried by couriers to all competitors. A great source of inspiration to promote which surprisingly and unexpectedly added value of its brand.

ANZAC The New Zealander organization for veterans selling badges on the streets to raise funds. But who has the currency with them always? To make it an even simpler donation, the association has set up the "moment of silence" phone, the gift is simply charged to the phone bill, when the person calls the number which has been set up.

NIVEA To illustrate its promise to protect children (with sun cream 60), Nivea has created the "protection ad" in Brazil, a pub with a connected print bracelet that warns parents via smartphone, when the child strays too far. More protection for children, less concern for parents!

Document produced by Paola Craveiro & Mathieu Genelle  

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