Local restaurant chain beats international technology and social media brands

KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA–NOVEMBER 13, 2018 – Global strategic branding firm, Siegel+Gale, today announced fast food chain, Al Baik, as the top performing brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in their annual World’s Simplest Brands report. This was closely followed by Internet giant Google and Instant Messaging Service WhatsApp. The 2018 top-ranked companies consistently deliver on their brand promise with simple, clear, intuitive experiences.

For this year’s study, Siegel+Gale asked more than 15,000 people across nine countries in the US, Europe, Asia, India, and the Middle East to evaluate brands and industries on their simplicity. Key findings include:

 

  • 55 percent of people are willing to pay more for simpler experiences.  
  • 64 percent of people are more likely to recommend a brand that delivers simple experiences.
  • A stock portfolio of the simplest global brands has outperformed the average of the major indexes by 686 percent since 2009.
  • Companies that fail to provide simple experiences leave an estimated share of $98 billion on the table.
  • Internet and social media-based brands, as well as technology manufacturers, dominate KSA’s industries, holding seven out of the Top spots.
  • Retailer Carrefour and Emirates Airline are among the Top 10 as well.
  • WhatsApp and parent-company Facebook both appear on the Top 10 brands list, representing the simplest social media platforms in KSA.
  • KSA shows an increase in demand for social media, hinting at the general appeal of social media in the region.

Top 10 Simplest Brands in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:

  1. Al Baik
  2. Google
  3. WhatsApp
  4. Samsung
  5. YouTube
  6. SOUQ
  7. Facebook
  8. Carrefour
  9. LG
  10. Emirates

Zouheir Zoueihed, Managing Director Siegel+Gale Dubai comments: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world so it’s not surprising that Google and WhatsApp were rated among the top three Simplest Brands in the region. What we were surprised by, however, is that Al Baik – a bricks and mortar brand – trumped them. Our research shows brands that deliver simple experiences are more likely to resonate with consumers – and this couldn’t be truer than in the case of Al Baik. Quality food plus a simple experience equals a number one brand.”

To browse the full rankings by country and industry visit SimplicityIndex.com.