• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, November 9, 2015

Brands can become top of mind or fade into the background based on the strategies they use to communicate with consumers. Online content, apps and hardware devices are key tools to communicate simplicity. In fact, 69% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand because it offers simplicity, according to a study released Monday.

The 6th Annual Global Brand Simplicity Index from Siegel+Gale surveyed more than 12,000 consumers worldwide to evaluate the simplicity of today's top brands. This year's U.S. findings show a trend toward a need for on-demand and simplicity, with each brand in the Top 10 connecting consumers with what they want, when they want it. Google is the leader -- up 11 spaces compared with the year-ago ranking. Netflix follows at No. 2, up three spots. Grocery store Publix came in at No. 3, up 20 spaces. Amazon takes the fourth spot, down two spots. And Chipotle rounds out the top five, up four spaces.

One notable U.S. brand that has made a huge leap is Maytag, which comes in at No. 15, up 50 spaces. Several brands declined more than 20 spots in the U.S.: Southwest Airlines fell 20 spots to No. 34, while Craigslist fell 23 spots to No. 42 and Bing fell 21 spots to rank at No. 46. Days Inn took the biggest dive, at 56 spaces, to land at No. 88.

Simplicity played a major role in the ranking this year. "We deliver on this promise through search," Google CMO Lorraine Twohill said in the report. "We think a lot about curiosity, which is a big part of our culture and company. When people are curious about something, we give them information on it quickly through search."

Simplicity is key when it comes to opening and using apps, how products work, and the message the brand sends to consumers.

"All the complexity can be behind the scenes, but the user experience should be simple," Twohill said. "We need to get people what they’re looking for, fast, and simplicity is a core part of our promise."

While simplicity in connecting consumers with brands is the focus, the challenge becomes delivering truly simple brand experiences in a world where consumers have limitless choices. Brand experience leads to loyalty, and simplicity will get brands there faster, the report indicates. Sixty-nine percent of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand because it provides simpler experiences and communications, and 63% are willing to pay more for simpler experiences.

Globally, Google ranks No. 2 -- the same as the prior year, behind German discount supermarket chain Aldi. Uncomplicated offers, low prices, high-quality products, and great customer service have helped the store maintain its edge, per the report. Last year, Aldi also came in at No. 1 globally.

YouTube hits the global ranking at No. 1, up 11 points.  eBay jumps 11 spaces. Yahoo comes in at No. 12, up three spots. Amazon fell to No. 15 from No. 10. Bing ranks No. 34 -- down 4 spaces -- and Microsoft comes in at No. 35, up three spaces.

Other notable brands on the global ranking, Apple fell nine spots to No. 31. Facebook also fell from six places to rank at No. 63.

If branding is the sum of a customer’s experience with an organization, then every touchpoint and channel is an opportunity to deliver a powerful brand experience. The report also examined how consumers use social media platforms to discover information about products and resolve customer service issues.

Some 74% of consumers younger than age 45 use social networks like Facebook and Pinterest to get updates on brands, whereas 61% are older than 45. Twitter is the network that allows all ages to stay up to date on news, and 67% of respondents spend less than 25% of what the report calls "entertainment time" on social channels.

Only 12% of consumers participating in the study use social media to resolve customer service issues. Of those 86% were able to resolve their issues through their selected social media channel.