SEASON 3 | EP. 1
During the Great Depression, Cosmetic Sales Rose 28%
While banks failed and bread lines formed in 1929, the beauty industry became the fourth largest in North America. In 2008, as the economy collapsed, Lego achieved record profits. During the 2020 pandemic, the pet industry exploded with 16% growth.
What did these industries have in common? They weren't selling products... they were selling joy.
Today I'd like to introduce you to something trend analysts are calling the 'Joyconomy'... which is about to reshape how every successful business operates. This isn't another marketing trend you can ignore. This is the fundamental rewiring of how humans make buying decisions in our anxiety-driven world.
For 20 years, I've been building Joy First brands: my clients compete on delight rather than desperation. While everyone else was optimizing for pain points and fear-based tactics, I was obsessed with feel-good brands that made people's lives better through their products, services, social impact and yes, even their marketing.
That "soft" approach? It just became the hardest competitive advantage in business.
Forbes declared the Joyconomy a major trend for 2025. Research shows Joy First brands are outperforming traditional competitors across every metric that matters. But here's what most people don't understand: this isn't just about happy marketing or feel-good campaigns.
In this episode, I'm breaking down the five dimensions that separate Joyconomy winners from fear-first businesses that are about to get left behind. I'll show you why luxury brands use 40% more positive emotional language than mass market competitors, how one Italian car company made a radical decision that defied decades of industry wisdom, and why the whole basis of Web3 culture points to a massive shift away from individualism.
This is your roadmap to the future of business. The question isn't whether the Joyconomy is coming: it's whether you'll be ready for it.
What You'll Learn:
- The five dimensions every brand must master to survive and thrive in the Joyconomy
- Why fear-based marketing is becoming less effective (and what works instead)
- The surprising psychology behind why luxury brands never use problem-solution frameworks
- How to use colour as a competitive advantage when everything has gone grey
- Why community and collectivism are about to disrupt the influencer economy
- The real reason health is becoming the new hustle (and what this means for your business)
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- VML Intelligence: Joyconomy
- Forbes Joyconomy trend report 2025
- Patagonia's "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign
- Fiat's "Operation No Grey" campaign video
- Things are Getting Greyer: Science Museum Group Digital Lab study
- CVS tobacco ban
- Harley Davidson HOG community model
- My book "Million Dollar Dog Brand"
- Chantel Levesque Pet Photographer
- Before & Afters of Joy First brand projects
- Lanana Creek Farms
- The Ad Girls
- Book a Call with Nic
- Get the Free Brand Assessment
The Joyconomy isn't a trend – it's our future. And that future is being built by entrepreneurs who understand that businesses can be purpose-driven, profitable, and rooted in joy instead of fear.
