Some of our latest thinking

According to Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of purchasing choices are subconscious. Princeton researchers also found that it took less than 0.1 seconds for people to form judgements about faces from pictures they were shown. The question is then, how do you appeal to customers’ subconscious in little more than a split second?

Sophie Lutman + Matteo Di Iorio

July 2021

Pride month witnessed an explosion of brand activity, from logos wrapped in rainbows to limited-edition merchandise. But a vast gulf separates genuine LGBTQ+ support and opportunistic virtue signaling. The LGBTQ+ community can discern the distinction, and allies notice, too.

Margaret Molloy

July 2021

In SMPL Q+A, we interview our practitioners on all things relevant to branding, design and simplicity. Here, we speak with Katie Conway, Senior Director, Strategy and Maureen Perry, Senior Designer about our work with U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries. 

Siegel+Gale

July 2021

Earn the trust of new followers and maintain the trust of loyal followers with marketing experiences that are rooted in your brand’s mission and values.

Margaret Molloy

July 2021

On June 29th, I welcomed five LGBTQ+ marketing leaders for the third annual Pride Edition of our Future of Branding roundtable. During our extensive conversation, we reflected on how brands have been observing Pride month and looked to how brands can craft a more inclusive society; how to walk the line between authenticity and action and how to meaningfully show up for the LGBTQ+ community throughout the entire year—not just in June.

Margaret Molloy

July 2021

Your brand’s voice should be rooted in a well-functioning, up-to-date strategy, working as a set of coherent attributes for expressing or implying that strategy in every message. In combination with a clear view of your audience, strategic components like mission, vision, and values can inform what your brand has license to communicate when it comes to sensitive issues.

Derrick Mead

June 2021

In an increasingly complex landscape where brands rely on multiple internal and third-party data sources to guide customer decisions and stay relevant, we are presented with a potential paradox to manage. How to move forward with a model built around data capture and tacit listening when audiences increasingly demand a more open and human relationship with brands?

Emma Lewis

June 2021

During a merger, acquisition or divestiture, healthcare companies should follow these five principles to build brands that deliver greater clarity and utility for customers, investors and talent.

Matt Egan

June 2021

To celebrate Pride month this year, our global design teams created a series of virtual backgrounds inspired by the rainbow flag, psychedelia, pop art and beyond. We hope you enjoy this selection of vibrant designs from our best and brightest visual thinkers. You can view and download the full set of backgrounds here for your next Zoom, Slack or Teams call.

Siegel+Gale

June 2021

As a result of the fundamental shift from static copy and images to experiences, today, a brand's success is defined by the sum of all its touchpoints across a broad spectrum of stakeholders. On May 26th, I welcomed five global CMOs representing B2B and iconic consumer brands to explore the importance of crafting meaningful brand experiences. Throughout the spirited discussion, we analyzed balancing consistency with authenticity, evading the pitfalls of jargon and the latest technology, focusing on business-to-human interactions and why simplicity is the secret to elevating brand experience. In closing, I asked the panelists, what is your commitment to taking your brand's customer experience to the next level? And how do you know that you are succeeding? Here's what they had to say.

Margaret Molloy

May 2021