U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain has jumped in the polls from single-digits to a leader with nearly 30%. His ‘9-9-9’ tax code proposal has been the fuel in his rocket and virtually the only issue he discusses. It is a simple proposed solution to one of the hot issues on voters’ minds. No matter what you think of Cain or his idea (now that his proposal is getting scrutiny, he could fall out of the race just as quickly as he rose), but the lesson to take away is a message is powerful when it can be communicated simply and clearly.

Consumers need a clear message based in a key benefit area.

Legendary adman David Ogilvy said it best, “Big Ideas are usually simple ones.”

The next time you are doing something as big as devising your positioning strategy or something as tactical as writing a promo, remember David Ogilvy and think simple.