Siegel+Gale Praises Revised and Redesigned Fuel Economy Window Labels

NEW YORK, May 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale, a pioneer in bringing clarity to business and government communications, today commended the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation's joint effort to revise fuel economy window labels, which were unveiled this week. The new stickers, which will be required for all 2013 model-year vehicles, provide clearer language, a more consistent ratings scale and straightforward, visual clarity for consumers. They replace a five-year-old design that provided only basic information about fuel economy, and represent the broadest overhaul in the sticker program's 35-year history.

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"We applaud the decision to adopt this new label," said Irene Etzkorn, executive director, simplification at Siegel+Gale. "The good news is that the revised labels provide more contextual information and clarity to consumers, making it easier to understand the fuel economy of new car models. With the rising cost of fuel and tighter budgeting habits among many Americans, buying a car is a bigger decision than ever before. It's essential that government agencies show that they are committed to clear and effective communications so consumers can make informed decisions."

This redesign reflects survey results from a 2010 study, "Evaluation of Proposed Environmental Protection Agency Fuel Economy Labels," (http://www.siegelgale.com/pdf/Siegel_Gale_EPA_Labels_Evaluation_FINAL.pdf) commissioned by Siegel+Gale's SimplicityLab™. The agencies made several decisions that were consistent with Siegel+Gale's research recommendations, including reducing visual clutter, rejecting the letter grade, emphasizing costs rather than savings and explaining the new smart phone icon in a more detailed way.

An authority on the Siegel+Gale study and simplification, Ms. Etzkorn held a session at the SAE Government/Industry Meeting in January. Her talk re-visited consumer findings from the SimplicityLab™ survey.

About Simplicity Lab™

SimplicityLab (http://www.siegelgale.com/services_detail/research/simplicity_lab/) is a proprietary quantitative research tool that uses online panels to evaluate a wide range of transactional communications on multiple dimensions, such as comprehension, clarity perception, navigation, intent to act and communication effectiveness. SimplicityLab utilizes a highly visual, Flash®-enabled interface that keeps respondents engaged, as well as a variety of customized research methods, including innovative click-testing, heat mapping and timed comprehension.

About Siegel+Gale

Siegel+Gale (www.siegelgale.com) is a global strategic branding firm committed to building world-class brands through elegantly simple, unexpectedly fresh strategies, stories and experiences. With Simple is Smart as its operating philosophy, Siegel+Gale delivers powerful services in brand development, simplification, research, and digital strategy.

Since its founding by branding pioneer Alan Siegel in 1969, Siegel+Gale has helped drive business results for brands such as Aetna, American Express, Bank of America, China Youth Development Foundation, Dell, Dow Chemical Company, The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the Internal Revenue Service, The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Microsoft, Motorola, Pfizer, Qatar Telecom, SAP, Sony PlayStation, Yahoo! and the YMCA.

Siegel+Gale has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Hamburg, Dubai, Shanghai and Beijing and strategic partnerships around the world as a member of the Omnicom Group of companies (www.omnicomgroup.com).

Contact: Camille Priselac, CooperKatz for Siegel+Gale, 917 595 3042

SOURCE Siegel+Gale