Is Happiness Bad for Business?

According to Matt Haig, “happiness isn’t very good for the economy."

"If we were happy with what we had, why would we need more?

How do you sell an anti-ageing moisturiser?

You make someone worry about ageing.

How do you get people to vote for a political party?

You make them worry about immigration.

How do you get them to buy insurance?

By making them worry about everything.

How do you get them to have plastic surgery?

By highlighting their physical flaws.

How do you get them to watch a TV show?

By making them worry about missing out.

How do you get them to buy a new smartphone?

By making them feel like they are being left behind.

To be calm becomes a kind of revolutionary act.

To be happy with your own non-upgraded existence.

To be comfortable with our messy, human selves, would not be good for business”.

Advertisers, therefore, must be purveyors of misery?

Well, no; at least, not the clever ones.

Ads that do what Mr Haig is talking about are, for the most part, dull-witted and lack a creative spark.

In other words, they are forgettable.

But the real cut-through work does the opposite.

It puts its finger on a human truth and the recognition makes you feel joyful, inspired and alive.

Cadbury’s Gorilla sat behind a drum kit comes to mind.

Budweiser’s endlessly repeated “Whassup!” campaign.

Most John Lewis Christmas ads.

Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign.

Oh, and have you seen Coca Cola’s “Masterpiece” commercial?  

The world’s biggest brands haven’t become that by investing in misery. 

Miserable, anxious people don’t buy much.

They tend to sit on their money. 

Happy people on the other hand, spend like there’s no tomorrow.