Rank change from 2013:
+6
Brand Simplicity Score:
911
Industry:
Social media
WeChat moves from #7 last year to #1 on this year’s China Simplicity Index with respondents sending a resoundingly positive message that this innovative app is convenient, fast and easy to use. WeChat has grown to a whopping 400 million users around the world, more than doubling its audience in the past year as it offers more lifestyle-oriented functions like online shopping, games and payments.
Rank change from 2013:
0
Brand Simplicity Score:
903
Industry:
Internet search
Baidu, a leading Chinese-language search engine, holds steady at #2 on the China Simplicity Index. Known as a front-runner in innovation, Baidu has been attracting users with a variety of offerings like group buying and online financial products. On its homepage, Baidu favors minimalism and provides a “quick smart search” function. Respondents call it “comprehensive” and “intuitive.”
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
875
Industry:
Internet retail
Tmall.com, one of the largest online retail websites in China and a spin-off from Taobao, makes its debut on the China Simplicity Index at #3. Respondents say they can find almost anything here, and appreciate Tmall.com’s clear and comprehensive classifications. They also give Tmall points for creating a “genuine shopping experience.”
Rank change from 2013:
+11
Brand Simplicity Score:
861
Industry:
Restaurants
McDonald’s—the world's most ubiquitous hamburger joint—operates nearly 2,000 outlets in China. Based on its strong finish in this year’s Simplicity Index—up 11 spots from last year—consumers are satisfied with the experience. That’s saying a lot considering the recent “expired meat” scandal that hurt the fast-food chain in China as well as competitors like KFC and Pizza Hut. But respondents say they still like McDonald’s convenience, proximity, user-friendly menus and customer service.
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Rank change from 2013:
-1
Brand Simplicity Score:
860
Industry:
Restaurants
KFC has been catering to local tastes for much of its 27-year history in China. And with more outlets there than any other foreign fast-food chain, KFC is by definition more accessible than its competitors. Although it was impacted by a recent food-safety scandal like its competitors, KFC still wins simplicity points for quick service and a simple menu that’s, as one respondent puts it, “suitable for a fast-paced life.”
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Rank change from 2013:
-5
Brand Simplicity Score:
851
Industry:
Social media
QQ lands again in the China Simplicity Index Top 10. Respondents say QQ, the largest instant messaging service in China, offers a rich, wide range of technologically advanced features that are easy to use, perform well and connect them to a large number of users.
Rank change from 2013:
-1
Brand Simplicity Score:
811
Industry:
Internet retail
Taobao, the largest online shopping website in China, is still going strong on the Simplicity Index. Often referred to as China’s eBay, respondents like Taobao’s convenience, its affordable pricing and the ease of finding many of “the basic necessities of life” on the site. That’s, no doubt, a function of Taobao integrating more offerings into its platform, including household services and movie ticket purchasing.
Rank change from 2013:
+6
Brand Simplicity Score:
801
Industry:
Retail/General
The Swedish furnishing giant returns to the Top 10 in China, up six spots from #14 in 2013. Consumers say they like the store’s cozy environment, the intuitive, minimalist simplicity of the products, and how it saves space and simplifies their home environment. And now that IKEA is offering appliances like refrigerators and TVs, and opening more locations throughout China, respondents see the brand as offering even more convenience.
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
-4
Brand Simplicity Score:
790
Industry:
Retail/Grocery
Beijing-based Hi-24 is all about convenience. Respondents find the chain offers rich choices, low prices and consistency across its stores. And with Hi-24’s expansion into even more neighborhoods, consumers say it’s getting easier to pick up everyday necessities at all hours.
Rank change from 2013:
+47
Brand Simplicity Score:
784
Industry:
Travel/Booking
Discount online travel site Elong soars from 57th place on the China Simplicity Index to #10 this year. Credit an easy-to-navigate website that respondents say offers a “rational layout” they can “operate smoothly.” That kind of simplicity leads consumers to the conclusion that it’s easier and cheaper to book their travel with Elong, which now books apartment rentals as well.
Rank change from 2013:
+11
Brand Simplicity Score:
776
Industry:
Restaurants
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
774
Industry:
Internet search
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
773
Industry:
Social media
Rank change from 2013:
+9
Brand Simplicity Score:
772
Industry:
Shipping/Mail
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
770
Industry:
Shipping/Mail
Rank change from 2013:
+16
Brand Simplicity Score:
770
Industry:
Travel/Booking
Rank change from 2013:
-14
Brand Simplicity Score:
763
Industry:
Shipping/Mail
Rank change from 2013:
+49
Brand Simplicity Score:
757
Industry:
Restaurants
Rank change from 2013:
-7
Brand Simplicity Score:
757
Industry:
Travel/Hotels
Rank change from 2013:
-12
Brand Simplicity Score:
750
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
749
Industry:
Retail/Grocery
Rank change from 2013:
+39
Brand Simplicity Score:
749
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
+31
Brand Simplicity Score:
748
Industry:
Retail/Grocery
Rank change from 2013:
+6
Brand Simplicity Score:
748
Industry:
Internet retail
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
746
Industry:
Travel/Booking
Rank change from 2013:
-15
Brand Simplicity Score:
746
Industry:
Fitness
Rank change from 2013:
+47
Brand Simplicity Score:
745
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
+19
Brand Simplicity Score:
745
Industry:
Appliances
Rank change from 2013:
-12
Brand Simplicity Score:
745
Industry:
Fitness
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
738
Industry:
Retail/General
Rank change from 2013:
+18
Brand Simplicity Score:
737
Industry:
Social media
Rank change from 2013:
-23
Brand Simplicity Score:
737
Industry:
Retail/Fashion
Rank change from 2013:
+42
Brand Simplicity Score:
733
Industry:
Appliances
Rank change from 2013:
+16
Brand Simplicity Score:
732
Industry:
Retail/Fashion
Rank change from 2013:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
732
Industry:
Social media
Rank change from 2013:
+9
Brand Simplicity Score:
728
Industry:
Travel/Booking
Rank change from 2013:
-3
Brand Simplicity Score:
726
Industry:
Retail/Fashion
Rank change from 2013:
+24
Brand Simplicity Score:
722
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
-2
Brand Simplicity Score:
721
Industry:
Social media
Rank change from 2013:
+69
Brand Simplicity Score:
720
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
718
Industry:
Shipping/Mail
Rank change from 2013:
+30
Brand Simplicity Score:
716
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
+47
Brand Simplicity Score:
715
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
-20
Brand Simplicity Score:
712
Industry:
Media
Rank change from 2013:
-10
Brand Simplicity Score:
703
Industry:
Fitness
Rank change from 2013:
+27
Brand Simplicity Score:
702
Industry:
Appliances
Rank change from 2013:
+21
Brand Simplicity Score:
702
Industry:
Retail/Health and beauty
Rank change from 2013:
+27
Brand Simplicity Score:
698
Industry:
Telecom/Cell phone
Rank change from 2013:
-41
Brand Simplicity Score:
698
Industry:
Travel/Hotels
Rank change from 2013:
-9
Brand Simplicity Score:
697
Industry:
Media
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
696
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
693
Industry:
Social media
Rank change from 2013:
+11
Brand Simplicity Score:
692
Industry:
Social media
Rank change from 2013:
-40
Brand Simplicity Score:
692
Industry:
Fitness
Rank change from 2013:
-17
Brand Simplicity Score:
692
Industry:
Retail/General
Rank change from 2013:
-24
Brand Simplicity Score:
686
Industry:
Retail/Fashion
Rank change from 2013:
-7
Brand Simplicity Score:
683
Industry:
Fitness
Rank change from 2013:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
680
Industry:
Retail/Fashion
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
679
Industry:
Travel/Booking
Rank change from 2013:
-26
Brand Simplicity Score:
679
Industry:
Retail/Grocery
Rank change from Previous Year:
+29
Brand Simplicity Score:
677
Industry:
Automotive
Rank change from 2013:
-19
Brand Simplicity Score:
674
Industry:
Internet search
Rank change from 2013:
+7
Brand Simplicity Score:
674
Industry:
Retail/General
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
671
Industry:
Media
Rank change from 2013:
-5
Brand Simplicity Score:
664
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
-9
Brand Simplicity Score:
664
Industry:
Media
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
656
Industry:
Travel/Car rental
Rank change from 2013:
+34
Brand Simplicity Score:
654
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
652
Industry:
Travel/Booking
Rank change from 2013:
+7
Brand Simplicity Score:
646
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
+9
Brand Simplicity Score:
646
Industry:
Automotive
Rank change from 2013:
-7
Brand Simplicity Score:
643
Industry:
Media
Rank change from 2013:
+25
Brand Simplicity Score:
640
Industry:
Travel/Air
Rank change from 2013:
+19
Brand Simplicity Score:
636
Industry:
Travel/Air
Rank change from 2013:
-14
Brand Simplicity Score:
629
Industry:
Retail/Health and beauty
Rank change from 2013:
-27
Brand Simplicity Score:
629
Industry:
Retail/Health and beauty
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
621
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
+4
Brand Simplicity Score:
620
Industry:
Electronics
Rank change from 2013:
+17
Brand Simplicity Score:
608
Industry:
Travel/Air
Rank change from 2013:
-26
Brand Simplicity Score:
606
Industry:
Travel/Hotels
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
605
Industry:
Retail/General
Rank change from 2013:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
605
Industry:
Internet retail
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
603
Industry:
Retail/General
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
602
Industry:
Automotive
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
597
Industry:
Travel/Air
Rank change from 2013:
-2
Brand Simplicity Score:
595
Industry:
Travel/Air
Rank change from 2013:
-12
Brand Simplicity Score:
587
Industry:
Restaurants
Rank change from 2013:
-11
Brand Simplicity Score:
576
Industry:
Automotive
Rank change from 2013:
+2
Brand Simplicity Score:
576
Industry:
Banks/Retail
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
574
Industry:
Telecom/Cable
Rank change from 2013:
-13
Brand Simplicity Score:
567
Industry:
Retail/Health and beauty
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
565
Industry:
Travel/Car rental
Rank change from 2013:
+9
Brand Simplicity Score:
564
Industry:
Travel/Air
Rank change from 2013:
0
Brand Simplicity Score:
560
Industry:
Telecom/Cell phone
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
558
Industry:
Automotive
Rank change from 2013:
+9
Brand Simplicity Score:
557
Industry:
Automotive
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
556
Industry:
Retail/Grocery
Rank change from 2013:
-54
Brand Simplicity Score:
549
Industry:
Automotive
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
542
Industry:
Retail/Grocery
Rank change from 2013:
+8
Brand Simplicity Score:
541
Industry:
Banks/Retail
Rank change from 2013:
-6
Brand Simplicity Score:
536
Industry:
Retail/Health and beauty
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
521
Industry:
Telecom/Cell phone
Rank change from 2013:
-36
Brand Simplicity Score:
519
Industry:
Travel/Hotels
Rank change from 2013:
+7
Brand Simplicity Score:
499
Industry:
Banks/Retail
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
493
Industry:
Telecom/Cell phone
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
483
Industry:
Shipping/Mail
Rank change from 2013:
+3
Brand Simplicity Score:
476
Industry:
Banks/Retail
Rank change from 2013:
+1
Brand Simplicity Score:
473
Industry:
Banks/Retail
Rank change from 2013:
+4
Brand Simplicity Score:
449
Industry:
General insurance
Multinational insurance giant AIA engages the services of subsidiaries and affiliates around the world, but advertises very little, leaving the impression that it is a “strange,” “veiled” and foreign entity. On top of that sentiment, consumers lament overly complex and confusing terms and conditions presented in ways they don’t understand.
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
387
Industry:
Utilities
China Petroleum & Chemical Company (CPCC) is another giant, state-owned entity like CNPC with limited market exposure in China. Respondents say that just fuels the feeling of “non-transparency.” In fact, some said they see the company as a “monopoly” where power and influence is “hidden.” Coupled with poor service, it’s not surprising to find CPCC in the Bottom 10.
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
375
Industry:
Utilities
China Petroleum & Chemical Company (CPCC) is another giant, state-owned entity like CNPC with limited market exposure in China. Respondents say that just fuels the feeling of “non-transparency.” In fact, some said they see the company as a “monopoly” where power and influence is “hidden.” Coupled with poor service, it’s not surprising to find CPCC in the Bottom 10.
Rank change from Previous Year:
+4
Brand Simplicity Score:
371
Industry:
General insurance
PingAn is all too much for survey respondents, who say they are overwhelmed by the brand’s “too many types of insurance products” and “too much marketing information.” Making matters worse are the “complex contractual terms,” a website they can’t make sense of and policies they don’t totally understand.
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
352
Industry:
Utilities
With an ongoing series of probes into the energy sector that included an audit of State Grid, transparency is not only preferred, it’s required. So when respondents say they find the world’s largest state-owned electric utilities company “mysterious,” something they are not quite able to understand, and that it leaves a “poor impression,” you have a formula for complexity.
Rank change from 2013:
+1
Brand Simplicity Score:
336
Industry:
General insurance
China Pacific Insurance (CPI), a life insurance company that offers products covering life, annuity, health and accident, has been trying to improve its website. But it seems CPI still has a far way to go to get anything close to simple. Respondents say they have trouble filling orders, find services hard to understand and find terms and rules overwhelming.
Rank change from 2013:
+2
Brand Simplicity Score:
328
Industry:
General insurance
China Life Insurance is the largest life insurance company in China. As it continually expands its service categories and products, respondents complain that China Life offers an excess of choices. Consumers note they are also frustrated by the company’s complicated and redundant procedures.
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
306
Industry:
General insurance
This Beijing-based insurance company receives the same criticism from respondents that’s lobbed at other insurers—complicated procedures, products that are hard to understand with multiple provisions and a feeling that the company is deceptive. With services that range from life insurance to asset management, part of Taikang’s business also focuses on high-risk investments connected to real estate and retirement community projects, which brings more regulation, more terms and, clearly, more complexity.
Rank change from Previous Year:
N/A
Brand Simplicity Score:
288
Industry:
General insurance
There’s nothing new or particularly special about New China Life Insurance when it comes to issues and complaints. Respondents note that claims provisions are difficult to understand and that procedures are cumbersome. Others view terms of service as a trap.
Rank change from 2013:
0
Brand Simplicity Score:
275
Industry:
General insurance
People’s Insurance Company appears exactly where it did last year—at the very bottom of the China Simplicity Index. Complicated forms, multiple terms, advertising that’s hard to understand and just a general sense that “domestic insurance companies [are] unreliable” all account for the brand’s sorry state of simplicity.
Industry Simplicity Score:
950
Simplicity Premium:
4.6%
Industry Simplicity Score:
843
Simplicity Premium:
4.8%
Industry Simplicity Score:
800
Simplicity Premium:
5.4%
Industry Simplicity Score:
748
Simplicity Premium:
5.3%
Industry Simplicity Score:
680
Simplicity Premium:
4.4%
Industry Simplicity Score:
679
Simplicity Premium:
4.0%
Industry Simplicity Score:
674
Simplicity Premium:
5.2%
Industry Simplicity Score:
673
Simplicity Premium:
5.9%
Industry Simplicity Score:
671
Simplicity Premium:
4.5%
Industry Simplicity Score:
655
Simplicity Premium:
6.1%
Industry Simplicity Score:
651
Simplicity Premium:
5.2%
Industry Simplicity Score:
631
Simplicity Premium:
4.4%
Industry Simplicity Score:
628
Simplicity Premium:
5.0%
Industry Simplicity Score:
628
Simplicity Premium:
5.0%
Industry Simplicity Score:
613
Simplicity Premium:
5.2%
Industry Simplicity Score:
612
Simplicity Premium:
6.1%
Industry Simplicity Score:
582
Simplicity Premium:
4.6%
Industry Simplicity Score:
562
Simplicity Premium:
4.7%
Industry Simplicity Score:
547
Simplicity Premium:
4.6%
Industry Simplicity Score:
536
Simplicity Premium:
5.7%
Industry Simplicity Score:
492
Simplicity Premium:
5.6%
Industry Simplicity Score:
445
Simplicity Premium:
4.0%
Industry Simplicity Score:
301
Simplicity Premium:
5.4%
Industry Simplicity Score:
240
Simplicity Premium:
5.1%
The simplicity premium
Depending on the industry, up to 54% of people are willing to pay more for simpler experiences and interactions. The amount they are willing to pay varies by industry but is significant.
For simpler experiences, people would pay:
Money to be made
All brands can benefit from simplifying, but not all may benefit equally. To understand which brands in China can reap the greatest financial reward, and what they need to do to command more for their services, download the full report.