In the Spring of 2023, we had a hunch. Maybe the key to advertising and marketing was stupidly simple. Maybe it boiled down to one point: Does your brand get credit for helping people lead better lives?

We began to obsess over this question. Then, a year ago, we dedicated our entire agency’s purpose around unleashing Brand Joy. For such a simple idea, understanding how people seek joy—and the roles brands play in creating it—has been quite complex.

In recognition of our one-year anniversary in the life of joy, we worked with our dedicated intelligence team in the Brand Joy Lab to identify the top five learnings coupled with a bit of advice from our leaders for brands to use this knowledge to their advantage.  

1. Joy Drives Choice

Insight: Brands that spark joy are more likely to be chosen. In fact, 63% of purchase intent is tied to the joy consumers experience through a brand’s marketing communications.

Our advice:

"Sometimes thinking about bringing emotion to a functional brand or category can be overwhelming—so start small. Think about the connection your brand has to people. When has it made someone smile or share content?"  

--Michelle Edelman, Partner | CEO

"Ask: What experience does your product unlock? That feeling is the real story. And that’s where you’ll find your unfair advantage—your Brand Joy."

--Eli Haddow, Associate Director of Marketing

"Think not only about what your brand does but what it feels like to live with it. This requires strategists and creatives working together to unearth and express those most essential joys in ways that deliver brand love and business results."

--Amy Hubbell, Director of Intelligence

"Make the brand inseparable from the joy moments it creates at every communication touchpoint. Package the moment, not just the product, and reflect on the joy factor instead of a product feature (like 'Cozy Morning Blend' instead of 'Medium Roast'). "

--Kristy Baird, VP | Account Director

"In today’s marketing landscape—every dollar is fighting for its life, but also—for its purpose. Investing in Brand Joy is also an investment in helping consumers choose joy."

--Dave Damman, Chief Creative Officer

2. Joy Sparks Optimism (and Vice Versa)

Insight: Over a year of tracking emotions, we’ve seen that joy and optimism rise and fall together. And while both matter, joy is the easier lever for marketers to pull—making it a powerful starting point.

Our advice:

"Moments of joy create a sense of grounding. What might have seemed fragmented disappears for a moment; what gives you satisfaction comes into focus. So, with that momentary grounding—which brands can and do bring—comes a brighter outlook."  

--Michelle Edelman, Partner | CEO

"Feeling positive is better than feeling negative. Duh. Joy rarely induces negative outlooks, and when brands are behaving as optimistic, it’s reflected in the fans of the brand."

--Dave Damman, Chief Creative Officer

"Joy and optimism fuel one another, but for marketers, joy is the more actionable starting point. When people associate your brand with joy, they may become more optimistic—about life, perhaps, but (more importantly) about your brand and what it can deliver. By spotlighting and celebrating the joy people already experience, brands can shape how they are perceived in the long-term."  

--Amy Hubbell, Director of Intelligence

3. Joy Is Divided—But It Can Be Shared

Insight: Since the 2024 election, we’ve seen a lasting split in Americans’ joy levels along political lines. But even among those struggling, the most common joy sources stay consistent: loved ones, pets, faith, and nature.

Our advice:

"Oxygen, water, sunlight—all basic requirements to sustain a healthy existence. Joy is right there with them. We all need it, and it might be the only thing we can agree on some days. Brands that are in service to that basic need will be in high demand."

--Dave Damman, Chief Creative Officer

"Joy is a cumulative game. The more joy moments, the more the long tail of joyful feelings exists. If brands can bring repeatability of joy to their audiences, they can help people even out their sense of doom even from powerful outside forces."  

--Michelle Edelman, Partner | CEO

"Brands have the power to bridge divides and uplift us all by tapping into universal drivers of joy: connection, nature, beauty, purpose. Strategic brand work should seek to elevate shared joys. In doing so, brands can move from being culturally passive to culturally healing—offering meaning, common ground, and emotional renewal."

--Amy Hubbell, Director of Intelligence

"This should be a relief for brands to hear. In a divided media landscape, opportunities abound to unite people—and what better place to start than our shared sources of joy? Focus on the fundamentals and find ways for your brand to facilitate connection to these things we love most. You’ll be rewarded by people of all persuasions."

--Eli Haddow, Associate Director of Marketing

4. Joy Comes in Seasons, But the Fundamentals Are Timeless

Insight: We see a lot of shared joy triggers in seasonal moments, like spring, fall, and the start of a new year. But across the calendar, five key emotional needs that fuel joy— loved ones, stability of home life, financial stability, health, and connection to a higher power—remain stable.

Our advice:

"Most marketers struggle trying to boost business in traditionally lower seasonality. Basing communications in the more fundamental—rather than fleeting—joys can unlock and inject life into a low seasonality period, particularly for brands resigned to the belief they can’t boost sales in low periods."

--Adam Blankenship, Partner | Director of Client Engagement

"Brands should shift from reacting to the calendar to reinforcing their core emotional promise throughout the year. Use seasonal energy to amplify—rather than define—your message. Ground your communications in enduring emotional value: The seasonal pull toward hope in January, freedom in spring, or belonging in fall is fed by the same emotional promise all year long."  

--Amy Hubbell, Director of Intelligence

5. Joy ≠ Happiness

Insight: The most joyful purchases include things like vacations—but also home internet, insurance, and groceries. People find joy not just in indulgence, but in stability, connection, and control.

Our advice:

"Remember that joy is a powerful emotion that can be evoked many times a day. People will give long stories on social media about their journeys within your category/industry; read them and take note of the trigger points. Those are all moments you can tap into with ideas, content, or innovation to give people those moments."

--Michelle Edelman, Partner | CEO

"Get to know your audience. What makes them tick? Emotionally, culturally, personally. Build partnerships that can bring value and experiences right to them, work with personalities that personify their specific joy, engage with outlets and platforms that can communicate that joyful message. If your consumer is Gen Z that derives joy from nostalgia, take the leap. A 90s clothing collab? Partnership with a 2000s-era TV drama? Nab that adorable kid from the sitcom of yesteryear as your spokesperson."

--Breck Rochow, VP | Director of Marketing and Public Relations

"Joy isn’t a synonym for happiness—it’s more dimensional, sometimes more fleeting, and can emerge in moments of quiet, even moments of struggle. Brands should explore types of joy: peace of mind, belonging, discovery, delight, relief, even transcendence. When marketers understand the specific joys their brand can enable, they move from superficial smiles to soulful relevance."  

--Amy Hubbell, Director of Intelligence

"Humans. We are simply a sum of our experiences—so every moment of joy in our lives contributes to our personal growth and happiness. The simple equation of brand joy relativity? Brands that deliver those moments of joy, both big and small, are the brands that we feel are responsible for our happiness."

--Dave Damman, Chief Creative Officer

"Brands should start by identifying the specific version of joy their brand enables (security, pride, nostalgia, etc.). Then find ways to root that joy in real-life context and human stories—stories that are relatable and memorable. Abstract joy is forgettable. But memorable moments around real-life events strengthen the connection between that specific joy moment and the brand."  

--Kristy Baird, VP | Account Director

"Joy and fulfillment are often seen as separate—one fleeting, the other long-term—but they’re more connected than they seem. A spontaneous adventure can ignite joy, just as a steady plan can ground us in fulfillment. If you’re having a hard time seeing how your brand is connected to joy, try looking at the idea of fulfillment and where your brand lies in that world."

--Margot Bienvenu, Creative Lead

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