Shake up the happiness – it doesn’t have to be Christmas time! Learn all about the benefits of joy marketing in this report by LO:LA.
Remember the "Shake Up Christmas" Coca-Cola ad?
I bet I can get you to sing that Train song, right now, no matter the time of year. For me, at the time of writing, it's summer and it's just slightly over 100 degrees, yet here I am singing a Christmas song.
No, the heat did not get to me (yet).
It's just hard, if not impossible, not to sing this freakin' song cuz it's just so happy. It gives you the warm, fuzzy feelings - and that's by design.
This strategy, called joy marketing, has been used by major brands like Coca-Cola, Nutella, Airbnb, McDonald's, and Oreo - but Coca-Cola may well be the champion of joy marketing.
From "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" to "Share a Coke", Coca-Cola has been spreading joy and happiness through marketing for decades.
And it's easy to see why. Joy marketing, aside from spreading joy (duh!), also helps brands create an emotional connection with their audience and in turn, drive sales.
Now, you may think that this current hellscape isn't ready for joy marketing, and you'd be wrong. In fact, 2022 saw the rebirth of joy marketing and many experts believe that, in today's 24/7 cycle of bad news, it's more important than ever for brands to create moments of joy and happiness.
If you're ready to give it a shot, check out this report by LO:LA - just visit https://www.thelolaagency.com/2023/03/31/spread-more-joy/
Still with me? Still singing "Shake Up Christmas"? Good and not good, respectively.
But let's talk joy marketing. Who knows - maybe it will help you stop singing.
✔️ Sell Experiences, Moments, Memories - Not Products & Services
Traditional marketing is good for selling products and services - but it's also boring, sometimes annoying, and at other times so annoying it's counter-effective.
Joy marketing, on the other hand, is all about selling experiences, moments, and memories. You're not just describing the features of your yard maintenance service; you're showing your customers how they can create happy family memories in a yard that's both beautiful and functional.
That's what Airbnb did in "Live There". They basically showed people what it would be like to live in and explore all these amazing places around the world. It was all about creating and promoting an experience - and it worked. Airbnb bookings went bonkers.
Your small business may not have the kind of budget Airbnb does, but a huge marketing budget isn't a must. You can create a successful campaign on a reasonable budget. Just look at Oreo's "Daily Twist" social media campaign - it was simple, fun, inexpensive, and it made them tons of money.
✔️ Joy in Times of Crisis: Necessity, Not a Luxury
Sure, the world is not the happiest place at the moment. But in all that doom and gloom, wouldn't it be nice to see, hear, and read something positive every now and then? I avoid the 24/7 news cycle of hell as much as possible. But you know what I don't avoid? Funny cat videos. Relatable memes. You know - stuff that brings me joy.
And your brand could do that for people. You could be creating moments of joy and happiness for your customers right now, in these times of crisis and other times of crisis.
Joy shouldn't be something we share only when times are good; it should be something we cling to when times are bad. Joy helps us see the world, such as it is, in a more positive light. It gives us the energy and the optimism to go head-to-head with our problems.
I think LO:LA said it best, so I'm gonna steal this part: “When we prioritize joy, we create a society that is more just, more sustainable, and more compassionate.”
So more joy, please.
✔️ Dip Your Toes in Joy
As a small business, it can be hard to do all this marketing brainstorming stuff in-house - because you probably don't have a marketing expert on your team. You don't have to just wing it and hope for the best, though. LO:LA can help. They can develop marketing and branding strategies that align with your brand values. They can even develop your whole brand for you.
If that's something you'd be interested in, check out https://www.thelolaagency.com/2023/03/31/spread-more-joy/
