Sending Good News

It was great seeing a bunch of you (virtually) last week and talking about how to match your response to what’s happening around us all to your brand purpose. 

If you missed signing up for a check in with us last week, shoot us an email and we’ll get something on the calendar.

In other news, fans of The Office got a special surprise with the release of Some Good News with John Krasinski. Did you see it? 

I was struck by how covering the positive human side of the news of the day provided some much needed hope. And hope is a powerful thing.

Let’s talk about what’s behind that for a sec. 

While there are challenges with identifying basic human emotions, many behavioral theorists circle around the original six universal emotions that Paul Ekman identified in the 1960s: fear, sadness, disgust, anger, surprise, and happiness.

Notice anything weird about that list? Yep—all except happiness conjure up negative responses. (Except if you’re having a surprise party, of course.)

How can you apply this to what’s happening in our world?

Putting yourself in your consumer’s shoes is the first step. By imagining the fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, and anger they are feeling, you can see the opportunity for connection and support in the remaining emotion: happiness.

And there are all sorts of ways into happiness—hope, love, joy, encouragement …

Choose the approach that is most authentic for your consumer and brand. We all know brands that feel gross—like they’re using this current crisis as a cheap marketing ploy. You won’t be like that.

I encourage every Constructive Brand to support your consumers as they feel negative emotions swirling all around. How can you acknowledge their realities, while bringing more happiness into their lives?

Your response will show who you are and what you value. And the connections you forge will allow your brand to remain strong through all of this.