Someone is paying attention to the overwhelmed voice of America, and it’s not our nation’s leaders or the news media. The prevalent anger, negativity, and loneliness have made us a weary nation. Yet, we should not lose hope. There are cures for what ails us.
“National Temperature Check”
The proof is in the poll. Johnsonville (yes, the sausage company) ran a poll for 5 days early this year. They learned a lot about how people in our nation are feeling. It looks like we all have more in common than we realize.
Over 2,062 people over the age of 18 answered the poll. Here are some of the insights:
· “80% of people feel exhausted by the anger and negativity they see in our country”. 2
· “84% feel that the elections in the U.S. have not brought out the best in people”. 2
· “89% would like to see less negativity in the news as well as on social media”. 2
· “88% say seeing positive news online makes them feel better about the world”. 3
· “92% say seeing others doing positive things for someone else, makes them want to do those things as well”. 3
· “75% agree that people are mostly good”. 1
· “80% of people are wanting to reconnect with people whom they are missing”. 2
· “71% feel enjoying a meal they love makes it easier to hang out with people who have a different point of view”. 1
· 91% feel they don’t have to agree on every issue with another person and they would still be able to enjoy a meal with them”. 2
As a result of the poll, Johnsonville has launched their campaign of positivity, focusing on bringing people out of isolation and back into relaxed connection.
Jamie Schmelzer, Johnsonville Senior Marketing Director, is listening. The “Keep it Juicy” commercial they created makes great use of juxtaposition. They contrast anxiety-inducing, negative social media content with fun summer get-togethers. Over Johnsonville “brats”, of course.
Schmelzer related the company is not pretending to be able to save America with their fare. They concede “We know the world is full of serious problems that sausage can’t solve”. 1 2
Instead, they are tapping into America’s need of finding connecting threads that bring us back together again. As the ad says:
“We believe that most people are mostly good, and they should be treated that way. And that means less trolling and more tailgating, less doomscrolling and more dinner parties”.
Watch Johnsonville’s positive video by clicking on “Keep it Juicy” .
Life’s Good”
Johnsonville is not the only company reading the pulse of America. LG Electronics is a company whose slogan, “Life’s Good” is all about positivity. The company explains that their brand slogan is “ a reminder to the world that while life’s not always perfect, Life’s Good”.
LG is seeking to change the landscape of social media’s negativity. They are working with the very algorithms that social media uses to create your personal feeds. Their answer to a feed full of negative posts is the “Optimism your Feed” campaign.
The campaign asks people to share their optimistic moments on their feeds. You can get on board by posting your positive moments using the hashtags: Lifesgood and Optimismyourfeed.
Additionally, LG released a positive playlist. The more you interact with it, the more positive posts you will see in your feed. In the three weeks since it started, the playlist has had over 1.2 billion views.
Watch LG’s “Optimism Your Feed” video by clicking “Here”. To learn how to join the “Optimism your Feed” movement click on “Join”.
“Long Live the Lazy”
Not to be left out of the positive shift, La-Z-Boy updated their marketing to better help people slow down. The brand that’s all about relaxation has launched their “Long Live the Lazy” campaign.
La-Z-Boy recognizes that life these days is overwhelmed with being busy. People need moments of down time to restore themselves. Their ad ‘invites you to stand up for your right to be lazy “by sitting down and reclining back”’. 7
The company’s research reveals a concerning trend. Many of us zone out on social media in our free time, which seems to be increasing our stress and anxiety. Social media is filled with ads depicting perfect homes, jobs, and families. Most of what we are seeing is pushing us to be and do more.
La-Z-Boy is finding that Americans need to do and be a little less. Their laid-back ad gives everyone permission to enjoy some much-needed rest. It emphasizes that we don’t need to be doing and achieving all the time.
Watch La-Z-Boy’s “Long Live the Lazy” by clicking “Here”.
Healing Ourselves: Possible cures for what’s ailing us
Based on the information in The Harris Poll, and the trajectory of newer marketing, it’s time to heal ourselves. Here are some ideas to move, instead of forward, maybe back to a simpler and happier time:
1. Turn off the news and take breaks from social media.
2. When you’re on social media, look for and share positivity.
3. Don’t take someone else’s opinions personally.
4. Get together in person with people you like, respect, and/or love. Appreciate the differences as much as the common ground.
5. Forgive. Life’s too short to carry around the weight of anger and disappointment.
6. Recharge your batteries with some rest and relaxation.
7. Gift simple acts of kindness. They create good for both the giver and receiver.
8. See the good in others.
The marketing world is recognizing how exhausted and stressed Americans are today. Perhaps we need to tune in as well. Based on their research, it may be time to return to the way things used to be.
We need interaction, fun, togetherness, rest and relaxation. Let’s be part of the movement that brings us back together in the best ways possible.
Note: Neither the author nor The Latest View have been compensated by the brands noted in this article.
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