Why Joy First® Marketing Can be More Profitable Than Fear-Based Selling
This might sound a bit mad, but I once spent eight pounds on a stick of butter. Not a month’s supply — just one single block. My husband picked it up out of the fridge, saw the sticker I forgot to remove, and said, “Eight quid for butter?”
He was right to be confused. We already had perfectly good butter in the fridge — the standard Lurpak, always on offer at Sainsbury’s. It spreads, it melts, it does all the normal butter things.
But at the farmer’s market, I’d seen this small-batch, perfectly salted butter from a local farm. The woman selling it let me taste it on a tiny piece of sourdough. I swear I heard angels singing.
She didn’t tell me I had a butter problem.
She didn’t agitate my pain.
She didn’t position it as a solution.
She just described it — the grass the cows eat, how the taste changes with the seasons.
I love great butter, especially on homemade bread. It’s part of my morning ritual — like great coffee or loose-leaf tea or baking the perfect sourdough. So it mattered to me.
Did I need £8 butter?
No.
Did I buy it anyway?
Obviously yes.
And every morning that week, I savored it. I thought about it. I was present for it. £8 extremely well spent.
Joy First Purchasing: Meaning Over Necessity
We all make emotional decisions, but some of us are more intentionally emotional in our buying. Joy first purchases aren’t about cost — they’re about meaning, desire, and connection to what matters.
My regular foy first purchases include:
-
Local artisan goods (like the butter)
-
Cut flowers (built into my weekly budget)
-
New gel pens, sharp coloured pencils, and fresh crayons for my kids
-
The perfect French notebook I buy once a year — a memory from Provence
Think about it: What are your regular or bucket-list joy first purchases?
These experiences fuel our creativity and confidence as business owners.
The Marketing Lie We’ve All Been Taught
Most marketing advice boils down to:
Step 1: Identify your customer’s pain point
Step 2: Agitate it, make it feel urgent
Step 3: Present your solution as relief
And yes, this works. Brilliantly.
If your boiler bursts at 2 a.m., you want the person who can fix the leak now, not someone selling you the joyful experience of hot water.
Same with:
-
cybersecurity
-
health insurance
-
emergency vet care
But…
What Happens If You Don’t Sell Solutions to Pain?
Not all purchasing decisions are problem-driven.
Think of the last time you bought something expensive simply because:
-
it sparked joy
-
it was made by an artisan
-
it was for a good cause
-
it made you feel like the best version of yourself
That decision came from desire, not desperation.
Research shows that aspirational, hedonic purchases command higher profit margins because people moving toward pleasure are far less price sensitive.
They’re not bargain-hunting.
They’re meaning-hunting.
Why Creative Entrepreneurs Struggle With Pain-Point Marketing
I hear it all the time:
-
“I can’t figure out how to make what I do sound urgent.”
-
“Pain-focused copy feels inauthentic or manipulative.”
-
“I don’t know what transformation I’m supposed to be promising.”
Maybe you’re not the problem.
Maybe the pain-solution framework doesn’t fit your business.
If you’re selling:
-
beauty
-
transformation
-
delight
-
connection
-
identity
-
joy
…pain points may never feel natural.
The good news?
If this resonates, you already have Joy First® instincts.
Yes, Fear Works… But Joy Works Too
Fear-based marketing works because humans are twice as motivated by avoiding loss as gaining pleasure.
Fear:
-
activates the amygdala
-
creates urgency
-
triggers resistance
-
increases price sensitivity
People in fear mode want the cheapest fix.
But Joy activates the brain’s reward center:
-
anticipation
-
excitement
-
connection
-
value focus over price focus
And according to USC research, happy people make more exploratory, generous purchasing decisions.
Joy expands.
Fear contracts.
This is why luxury brands never say:
“Tired of feeling invisible?”
or
“Sick of handbags that fall apart?”
They lead with:
-
aspiration
-
identity
-
beauty
-
belonging
They sell who you become.
Who Joy First® Marketing Works Best For
Joy First is ideal if your work falls into:
Premium or Luxury Services
If clients are seeking the best, not the cheapest.
Art & Creative Services
People buy meaning, not “solutions.”
Lifestyle & Identity Brands
Fashion, home décor, beauty — these are emotional categories.
Experience-Based Businesses
Travel, retreats, coaching, hospitality — transformation is the point.
Wellness & Self-Care
Yoga, meditation, spa — people are moving toward expansion.
Passion Purchases
Hobbies, collections, craftsmanship, slow living.
If you’re struggling to create pain-point copy, that’s a sign Joy First® may be your method.
How to Know You’re Using the Wrong Approach
Look for these clues:
-
You can’t articulate clear pain points
-
Problem-focused copy feels manipulative
-
You naturally talk more about positive outcomes
-
Your work is inherently joyful
If your gut says it’s wrong… it probably is.
Joy First Marketing in the Wild
John Lewis Holiday Ads
Every year, people wait for the John Lewis Christmas ad like it’s the holiday itself. These ads are tiny emotional masterpieces — not product pushes.
The 2025 ad features:
-
a father
-
a record
-
a memory
-
a reconnection with his child
It’s emotional, moving, joyful.
It goes viral every year.
And it drives sales without selling pain.
White Stuff’s “Walkies” Campaign
Real customers. Real dogs. Real joy.
This campaign isn’t:
-
“What to wear on your dog walk”
-
“Solve your clothing problems”
It’s:
-
connection
-
identity
-
lifestyle
-
we get you energy
A perfect example of Joy First storytelling.
Ryan Reynolds: Joy First Entrepreneur
Reynolds built an empire through joy, humour, authenticity, and storytelling — not fear.
Highlights:
-
10-year struggle to get Deadpool made
-
leaked test footage to create demand
-
$58M budget that turned into $780M
-
Aviation Gin sale
-
Mint Mobile sale
-
Revival of Wrexham and an entire town
-
Maximum Effort marketing studio
He says: “My job is storytelling.”
Joy first storytelling.
Why Joy First Can Be Hard to Implement Alone
It’s not that you don’t know your work.
It’s that:
-
You’re too close to your own genius
-
DIY branding creates overwhelm
-
Positioning and psychology are complex
-
You don’t have the framework for emotional resonance
This is why I created Citrus: the 48-hour AI-powered brand refresh — to give founders clarity, consistency, and joy… fast.
Your Joy First Marketing Homework
1. Notice your own purchases this week
Which came from joy rather than necessity?
2. Audit your marketing
Is it fear-based or joy-based?
3. Identify your top three Joy Codes
What are the three emotional experiences your clients have with you?
4. If you're ready to translate Joy First into your actual brand…
Consider joining Citrus or Founder’s Circle — the places where we help you build a joy first brand and business.
A Final Word
Joy First isn’t fluff.
It’s not naive.
It’s not “cute.”
It’s profitable.
Because when people are buying to feel something, price becomes less relevant.
And in a world saturated with fear, urgency, scarcity, and noise… joy is a relief.
Joy is hope.
Joy is your competitive advantage.
Your work matters.
Your joy matters.
And the two are more connected than you think.
