The Three Types of Happiness: How Products and Services Can Bring Joy

Over?two?decades?ago, a new movement called positive psychology emerged. Its proponents argued that simply studying and focusing on the negative aspects of life was not enough. Instead, they believed that exploring how people can grow, fully actualize themselves, and live rich lives is essential. While the concept is promising, it can be limiting, as positive psychologists tend to focus on the little things in life that make people happy. These typically include social interactions, family, and vacations. However, they often dismiss the idea that possessions, materialism, and shopping can bring happiness.

I hold a masters degree in Positive Leadership and Strategy from IE Business School,?and?I disagree. Products, services, new media, innovations, and campaigns can bring us joy if they are marketed the right way. But can we group them systematically and design happy products and brands?

The Three Types of Happiness

Positive psychologists argue that there are three types of happiness: pleasure, meaning, and engagement.

1. Pleasure Happiness: This type of happiness involves creating positive feelings and experiences that people can savor. Examples of products that can create pleasure happiness include the W Hotel, which offers unusual surprises and experiences that differentiate it from a typical hotel.

2. Meaning Happiness: Meaning happiness involves appealing to people's values. When products or services relate to the customer's values, it can make them happy. The Prius is an excellent example of a product that appeals to environmental values. Similarly, the Brita water filter makes people happy because they feel they are doing something good for the environment.

3. Engagement Happiness: Engagement happiness involves immersing customers in an activity, differentiating a commodity, and involving the user. This type of happiness can be achieved through community experiences.

Creating Happy Products

The message to positive psychologists is that shopping, materialism, and possessions can bring happiness, but it's a matter of how they are marketed. Marketers can create happy products by focusing on the three types of happiness:

●???????Pleasure: Get people to pay attention to the little things and savor them.

●???????Meaning: Appeal to people's values.

●???????Engagement: Create immersive, community experiences.

By creating products that appeal to these types of happiness, marketers can design happy brands that bring joy to their customers. It's all about how we do it, not what we do.

Take it to the Next Level and Sign Up for One of Our Programs

For a deep dive into the topic of positive leadership and personal development, opt for one of our open enrolment programs. My company Wisselbanck works together not only with the world’s best scholars from top business schools, but also with the largest banks, leading strategy consulting firms, and most influential industry thought leaders to ensure industry relevance, to bring you a unique portfolio of executive programs. From?leadership?to?strategy, from?innovation?to?transformation, we help you and your organisation to flourish. Check out our open enrolment programs below, or contact us for a customised program for your organisation.

Morten Kriek is the founder of?Wisselbanck ?? , co-founder of?The Banking 50 , and holds a Masters Degree in Positive Leadership and Strategy from?IE Business School ?in Madrid. He also completed on-campus executive programs at some of the world's leading business schools including?Columbia Business School ,?Yale School of Management ,?The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth ?and?Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management . Morten is also a certified Positive Psychology Coach from the?Wholebeing Institute .