Simplify Your Marketing

The message of today is simplicity. We can thank the recession, along with the relentless demands of living in a connected world.

In this post-recession environment, we’ve all become more selective about what we buy. Even the way we think about consumption has changed.

According to Dr. Kim Yarrow, in a recent issue of Psychology Today, “Insights acquired during the recession will crystallize a notion that Americans have been nursing for years … Many Americans are frankly relieved to have a little less expected of them and will live by a new mantra, ‘good enough is good enough.’”

However, Professor Yarrow continues, “While American values may have shifted toward simplicity and self-reliance … what [consumers] want are feelings of self-sufficiency, control and caring for others – and they’ll buy products that help them get there within the time and constraints of modern life.”

What this tells us – and it’s supported by consumer research in the McKinsey Quarterly – is that people are willing to spend money. But they only want products that meet their needs. They’re less likely to spend money on luxuries or status symbols.

There’s even a growing consumer movement toward simplicity in Japan. Muji is the brand that eschews brand. The no-style style. Their clothes don’t even have labels. Muji strives to provide “good enough.” Not cheap, not over-designed nor under-designed. Just simple, clear and functional: the “deliberate pursuit of the pure and the ordinary.”

In this post-recession economy, consumers want proof of value. They don’t mind paying a fair price for what they need, but the days of mindless consumption are gone. This trend will not end with economic recovery. Serious downturns have proven to shape long-term buying habits. Like children of the Great Depression, our patterns of consumption will bear the scars of this recession for many years.

So what does this mean for smart marketers? As the recession loosens its grip and consumers open their wallets, products with the right positioning can get a faster start. According to the Harvard Business Review (July/August 2009), “A new thriftiness and desire for simplicity will combine with pent-up demand to shape buying behavior.” There’s opportunity out there, although it has limits.

The opportunity begins with product development. As marketers, we must pay attention to this new consumer mindset from conceptualization through design, positioning and communication.

Simply put, we need to show product benefits clearly and directly. Focus on satisfying basic emotional needs, such as comfort, self-sufficiency, control and helping others. Don’t pile on the features and avoid messages that promote consumption and status.

There are consumers out there ready to buy. Our job is to simplify their decision-making process.