The greatest ROI is Joy!

The greatest ROI is Joy!

Imagine a world where your ads don’t just sell but actually make your customers laugh. Where your email copy is less about convincing people to buy things and more about creating a moment of pure joy. A place where smiles are just as valuable as dollars.?

Yes, we’re saying happiness could be the ultimate return on investment (ROI). Because in a world that demands conversions, growth, engagement and all those necessary KPIs, we believe that aiming for joy first will make the rest fall into place.

So come with us as we explore a new world where happiness isn’t just an emotion—it’s the best ROI your brand can hope for. Let’s go.

The science of smiles

Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty. Research suggests that happiness can influence decision-making in profound ways. In fact, a person’s emotional response to advertising has a bigger impact on their intent to buy than the content of the ad itself. Happy consumers are like bees to honey, drawn to brands that spark joy rather than those that merely fulfil a need. It’s like choosing between a dentist appointment and a surprise party. It’s not really a question, is it?

“...those who were feeling cheerful recalled 52% of ads, whereas those who were unhappy remembered just 35%.”

— Richard Shotton, author 'the choice factory'

Cheerful folks are also more likely to remember an ad than grumpy ones. But there’s no need to cross all your fingers and toes and hope your content reaches people when they’re feeling especially chipper. Brands that shout their joy from the rooftops are often more successful at connecting with their audience and fostering a positive brand image.

It’s about building feel-good brand associations that outlive any single campaign. Think the Old Spice guy on a horse. Think the Cadbury Gorilla. You know that one friend who’s always a blast to be around? Make your brand that friend and you’ve earned customers for life.

Can you really measure mirth?

“But how,” you ask, “do we measure this magical marketing happiness?” Fear not for we have the answers. Or at least some optimistic guesses. Customer feedback forms now feature smiley faces instead of numbers. Social media analytics track LOLs, ROFLs and even the occasional HAHAHA. It’s not an exact science but then again, what in marketing is?

We’re just riffing here—but a tiny country in South Asia has already cracked this code. In Bhutan, a happy population is more important than wealth. How? In the ‘70s, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck created the Gross National Happiness Index, literally making happiness the country’s North Star measurement of economic health. GDP? King Wangchuck doesn’t know her. So let’s take a jewel from his crown and pay the happiness index forward, in our personal and professional lives.

The happiness feedback loop

Imagine being excited to go to work every day. Out with jobs that give you the Sunday scaries. In with waking up happy to collaborate with everyone in your orbit. Because happiness doesn’t just infuse your customer relationships with rainbows and unicorns—it can shower your B2B relationships, business partnerships and employee experiences with glitter bombs too.

“The more you moved away from rational messages to pure emotion, the more effective advertising was.”

— Les Binet, author, 'The long and short of it'

Clients who give us the warm and fuzzies (and vice versa)? All-star employees that turn us into real-life heart-eyes emojis? That’s the good stuff. To keep joy front and centre, we run regular pulse surveys for our internal teams and external customers. It’s not just because 85% of employees will stay with an employer that invests in their well being—it’s that healthy, happy people are more engaged, productive and inspired to do their best work. (Not to toot our own horn but we’re a 2023 Campaign Magazine Best Place to Work).

Sir Richard Branson said it best: “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” By extension, happy clients, armed with outrageously enjoyable creative, will have more cheerful customers too. It’s a happiness feedback loop where joy becomes the ultimate renewable resource that can spread from businesses to employees to consumers and beyond.

The proof is in the (joyful) pudding

Consider a campaign for a dog rescue that features a catchy ditty and cartoon video about the wild things people do for their four-legged friends. The ROI? Unprecedented levels of adoration from the most devoted dog owners! Free social media buzz! Over-the-top shareability! All powered by the sheer joy of being understood. (Yes, we just used three exclamation points in this paragraph because JOY! Make that four.)

Or how about a campaign for a charity that supports young LGBTQ+ people, promising hope, happiness and health for the next generation? Not through more cliche Pride glitz or sentimental survival story ads, but through eye-popping graphics and the words of LGBTQ+ icons such as Sir Ian McKellen. Because people don’t need more reminders that the world is scary—they need pure, unadulterated #QueerJoy and optimism for the future.

Now, you may think these tales are fabricated but spoiler alert: we’re the masterminds behind them. (Got you there, didn’t we?) But the biggest brands have been doing this for decades. The words “Taste the rainbow” immediately conjure delightful visions of Skittles explosions. “Open happiness” can make even the saltiest person crave an ice cold Cola. Regardless, the lesson is clear: happiness sells.

The name of the happiness game: authenticity

Of course, not every attempt at joy-inducing marketing will hit the mark. There’s a fine line between delightful and cringe-worthy—one that brands will need to tightrope-walk with the skill of a circus performer. But in a world that’s often too serious, the risk of spreading a little happiness might just be worth it.

As our journey into this lovely land comes to a close, we admit that we’ve made claims so lofty they might just float away. But in the centre of this blue-sky dream is a dollop of truth: happiness connects us, lifts us and, yes, even convinces us to buy things. So here’s to the marketers bold enough to believe that happiness can be the most valuable metric out there. That’s where we’re headed—are you coming?