Our World’s Simplest Brands: The B2B Report 2026 examines how B2B decision-makers perceive simplicity across 80 brands in four industries—and how those perceptions relate to trust, consideration, and the desire to do business. In this excerpt, Lisa Kane shares her perspective on the report’s US healthcare findings.
The business value of simplicity
Across the US and UK, simpler healthcare brands earn greater loyalty, trust, and consideration. The study reports the following advantages:
Simplicity impact |
Healthcare |
|---|---|
| Increase in NPS |
+52 |
| More likely to receive the benefit of the doubt |
124% |
| More likely to be considered |
34% |
| More likely to be trusted to do the right thing |
112% |
| More desirable to do business with |
189% |
What drives simplicity in healthcare
The research identifies five leading brand elements that contribute to perceived simplicity in healthcare, shown below in order of contribution.
Category |
Brand element |
|---|---|
|
Brand strategy |
Easy to find the product/service |
|
Brand strategy |
Competitive advantage |
|
Brand communications |
Sounds authentic |
|
Brand communications |
Sounds distinct |
|
Brand strategy |
Presentation of products is distinct |
Prior authorizations, regulation, supply chain pressure, and high-stakes outcomes make healthcare the most complex industry in this report.
For healthcare brands, the opportunity to simplify is significant. Clarity can take the burden off people who have no time to spare.
Healthcare buyers are already carrying too much. Yet, they are faced with the white noise of healthcare brands that use the same language and make the same promises. While this study acknowledges that simplicity works differently across healthcare, the industry aggregate data shows that:
Simpler healthcare brands earn a 52-point increase in NPS, are 189% more desirable to do business with, and 124% more likely to receive the benefit of the doubt.
The strongest brands share three habits:
- They organize around people.
- Their message, identity, and actions all point to the same place.
- They make their direction unmistakable.
Health systems, pharmaceutical brands, and payer brands face different pressures, serve different audiences, and earn trust in different ways. So, the drivers of simplicity change too.
For health systems, it starts with patient focus. For pharma, clear science and a clear pipeline. For payers, responsive support and follow-through. The following sections show what matters most for each.
Explore the full findings across financial services, technology, industrials, and healthcare.
Download World’s Simplest Brands: The B2B Report 2026
