Happiness the new marketing mantra?
It is not a new marketing mantra. There are probably just more brands with big budget campaigns using the platform directly and advertising at the same time, so it appears that way. There are many shades and layers to happiness; a million ways to communicate it.
What makes happiness so attractive to consumers?
It’s a basic emotion; the most fundamentally positive. Many a times, when there’s nothing interesting to say about a product (especially a casual purchase product) or advertisers have already said all they have to in the past, then, brands resort to another approach and try to own that fundamental position (in the minds of the marketing people at least). Of course, the way they interpret happiness via the campaign—the final creative pieces will then be the differentiating factor. If they are clever, interesting or engaging, the campaign may work. I don’t think the consumer really believes it will make him happy but, the brand will over time try to create a special place in the consumer’s mind—one which is positive, fresh, engaging and relevant. When there’s nothing much to say, it’s how you say that ‘nothing much’ that matters.
Brands that are worst suited to sell happiness, but still do...
Brands want to sell their product. Happiness may be a device or a treatment. Yes, some (brands) may be better suited than others but others may have specific features to sell versus happiness itself. Who doesn’t want to create a positive picture in the hearts and minds of consumers?
Packaging happiness to the youth
I think Bollywood manages that pretty well although it may damage a few million grey cells in the process. I wouldn’t package happiness unless I’m specifically needed to because young people are increasingly seeing through advertising clichés. I would try to be relevant or useful or as engaging as possible. Young people have a million things to do and probably don’t have much time to ponder over an ad. Copywriters tend to slip into formulas in advertising and assume that young people want to listen to their messages. They don’t. This is usually perpetuated because the reference points for advertising are usually other ads versus art or real life.
Delivering happiness...
Often, when there’s nothing much to say about a product, the advertising of a brand will look at creative solutions within their communication and campaigns to stand out. The history of advertising is a graveyard of empty promises, mostly all packaged with positivity. They may be six feet underground but are brimming with happiness! Remember, each campaign is produced against a backdrop of thousands of old ones. The task of the advertiser now, more than ever before is to engage the consumer—they are competing for his time and attention, not just with other advertisements.
Advertising is changing. Media is fragmented, consumers are more cynical and to engage people, marketers will need to use many more devices. Happiness per se is a small piece of the overall communication in some cases...a backdrop in other cases...a fundamental truth at times...or the core of an advertising campaign which tries to stand out in others. There are layers to each human emotion, including happiness—it doesn’t have to be manifested every time by running under rainbows or skipping through the house with a window cleaner dancing to super jhankar beats. This is where the creative team’s skill at communicating those layers is important, although the mighty minds of the marketing team will usually destroy their happiness, given half a chance. Sadly, making the client happy is too often the first task of
an agency.
“{Happiness} doesn’t have to be manifested every time, by running under rainbows or skipping through the house with a window cleaner dancing to super jhankar beats”
