Today I want to convince you of the importance of simplicity in shopper
marketing. There are few things that are more annoying for shoppers than not
to find what they're looking for or to be confused by clutter and complexity.
A merchandise strategy that is too complex will negatively influence the overall
clarity of the store. How products a presented should be very
easily comprehensible. In general, you should keep visual merchandising
presentations simple and avoid unnecessary complexity. The power of
simplicity has been recognized by the Asian Zen philosophy. An integral part of
the Zen aesthetic, which is prevalent in Japanese arts and daily life, is "kanzo".
Kanzo can be roughly translated as minimalism. It is achieved by the
reduction of non-essential design elements. Through this reduction the
important information is accentuated. it is not only Zen, however, that values
simplicity. Science has also recognized the benefits of simplicity. In cognitive
psychology the concept of processing fluency explains the advantage of simple
merchandise presentations. Processing fluency is the experienced ease with
which incoming information can be processed by a person. Simple visual
information can be processed more easily than complex information. For example, it
is easier to process a clearly structured symmetrical product display
that contains only a few product variations of one brand than a more
complicated display containing a variety of different product and brands. The font
used on a sign can also influence processing fluency. A store sign with a
simple font is more easily processed than a sign with a more unusual font.
A simple brand name is more easily processed than a brand name that is
difficult to pronounce. Rhymes also facilitate processing. A slogan that
rhymes can be more easily processed than a slogan
that doesn't rhyme. Now here's the important thing: Consumers perceive
easily processed information as more attractive than complex information.
To put this in different words: processing fluency has a positive effect on
aesthetic pleasure. Even more importantly, when information is easily processed,
people experience positive emotions, which in turn leads the shopper to more
positive evaluations. Simply put, easily process simple
information is evaluated more positively without shoppers being aware of this
effect. They missattribute the positive emotions derived from their ease of
processing to the stimulus itself. That's why brands that can be easily pronounced
sell better. Signs that use simple fonts are more credible and simple, more
symmetrical product presentations are more attractive and likeable. The optimum
level of complexity differs for each store and the type of customer it serves.
For instance, it has been shown that a low complexity store environment is
somewhat more important for utilitarian shoppers, who want to make their purchase
in an efficient hassle-free way, than for hedonic shoppers, who expect a fun
shopping experience, perhaps in a themed flagship store with more visual variety.
In general, however, the lessons derived from the study of processing fluency is
very clear: In the world of shopper marketing visual merchandising and store
design simple is almost always better!