Study: COVID’s Left Aussies Miserable & 63% Say Brands Could Do More To Make Them Happy

While the past two years has changed what people value and prioritise, many Aussies are in pursuit of happiness, longing for “the good old days” and looking to brands to make them smile and laugh, according to the Happiness Report from Oracle and Gretchen Rubin, five-time New York Times bestselling author and podcaster. You can read the report in full HERE.
The research report of more than 12,000 people across 14 countries, including 1212 Australians, found that people are searching for new experiences to make them smile and laugh and will reward brands that embrace humour with loyalty, advocacy, and repeat purchases and walk away from those that don’t.
Aussies searching for happiness in new ways and are willing to pay a premium
It has been more than two years since many Australians last felt true happiness and they are searching for ways to be happy again:
- 69 per cent of people said the pandemic changed what it means to be happy and 48 per cent have not felt true happiness for more than two years.
- 32 per cent of Australians have forgotten what it means to feel truly happy, the second highest in the world after the UK (35 per cent). 63 per cent said it is harder to feel happy now versus before the pandemic.
- To feel just an hour of true happiness, many people would give up friends (55 per cent), part of their income (53 percent), showering (50 per cent), food (38 per cent) for a week.
- At 77 per cent, Australians are the least likely to look for new experiences to make them smile and laugh. People are prioritising personal connections (81 per cent) and health (71 per cent) to gain happiness.
- More than half (56 percent) wish money could buy happiness, with 73 per cent willing to pay a premium for true happiness. This is the third lowest compared to other countries, perhaps indicating that Australians still love a discount – even when it comes to their own happiness.
- Despite this, Australians were the least likely to prioritise financial wellness over happiness (27 per cent).
- 80 per cent of Australians attempted to find happiness in online shopping during the pandemic, least in the world. Only 38 per cent reported not purchasing when shopping online, indicating that Australians are the least likely to window shop and are likely to convert into paying customers at checkout.
- 43 per cent said that receiving packages made them happy, but 10 per cent struggled to remember the purchases they had made online.
Advertising, marketing, sales, and customer service interactions need to change
People around the world want brands to make them smile and laugh. At the same time, business leaders globally are scared of using humour in customer interactions for fear of being cancelled. While getting humour wrong can easily offend people – Australian consumers were found to be most forgiving when compared to the other countries surveyed – being least likely to cancel a brand due to being offended (33 per cent).
- 63 per cent of Australians believe brands can do more to deliver happiness to their customers and 83 per cent said they preferred brands to be funny; this number increased among Gen Z and Millennials (94 per cent).
- 86 per cent are more likely to remember ads that are funny, yet business leaders said that only 23 per cent of their brands general ads (TV, billboards) and 20 per cent of their online ads actively use humour.
- 71 per cent of Australians are more likely to click on a digital ad if it’s funny, and 68 per cent are more likely to buy from a salesperson that is funny. While this is the lowest of all the countries in the report, this is still a majority, so the fact that only 13 per cent of Australian business leaders reported their brands use humour to sell seems like a missed opportunity.
- 64 per cent of Australians would follow a brand if it’s funny on its social media channels, yet only 14 per cent of business leaders said their brand is humorous on social.
- 63 per cent of Australians would open an email from a brand if the subject line were funnier, yet only 25 per cent of business leaders said they actively use humour in email marketing campaigns.
- 59 per cent would prefer to engage with a chatbot/digital assistant that is funny, yet only 29 per cent of business leaders said their brands actively incorporate humour into robot communications.
Smiles and laughter pay dividends, but business leaders are afraid to joke around
Australians want brands to make them smile and laugh. They will reward brands that embrace humour with loyalty, advocacy, and repeat purchases and walk away from those that don’t.
- 39 per cent of Australians don’t believe they have a relationship with a brand unless it makes them smile or laugh and 34 per cent would walk away from a brand if it didn’t make them laugh or smile regularly.
- If a brand uses humour, people are more likely to buy from the brand again (77 per cent), recommend the brand to family and friends (76 per cent), choose the brand over the competition (69 per cent), and spend more with a brand (57 per cent).
- 86 per cent of business leaders see the opportunity to use humour to enhance the customer experience and believe that their brand can do more to make customers laugh or smile.
- 36 per cent of business leaders state that they do not have the data insights or tools to successfully deliver humour. Business leaders would be more confident using humour when engaging with customers if they had better customer visibility (55 percent) and access to advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (32 percent).
“We’ve all been through some very tough years, and happiness around the world is lacking. We’re starved for experiences that make us laugh and smile, but brands can help,” Gretchen Rubin, five-time New York Times bestseller author and podcaster. “For brands looking to contribute to the happiness of their target audience, it starts with data and knowing your customers. Only then, can you bring the appropriate mix of humour, personality and brand experience that will drive loyalty and brand advocacy.”
“People are ready to embrace the funny side of life and find joy and laughter in the world around them, which includes brand experiences,” said Christian Ludlow Hyland, senior director Customer Engagement Oracle APAC. “As our research shows, most business leaders want to make consumers laugh more but are fearful of getting it wrong. With the right technology, leaders can harness data and the insight to contextually deliver a happier experience that can then drive lifelong loyalty.”
Latest News

Three Customer Retention Strategies That Can Help Australian Businesses Build Long-Term Loyalty
In this opinion piece, Patrick Sim, senior vice president for the APAC and MEA regions at Epsilon (pictured above), talks about ways companies can go about building lasting relationships with their clients. If there’s one thing that companies have learnt from the pandemic is the importance of keeping customers happy and having them continuously come […]

Meta Says There Are ‘Serious Times Ahead’ For Its Workers
Everyone's CFO says the exact same thing after he finally finishes shredding tax documents.

“Call Me Bruh!” Kanye West Threatens Legal Action Against Aussie Burger Joint
The temptation to make a gold digger joke here is strong, but thankfully we aren't witty enough to think of one.

Your Wish Is Our Command! More Time To Enter Best Of The Best Presented By Finecast
Think your better then everyone? But, it's awkward to bring up in meetings! We have the outlet for you.

The Growth Activists Help Bassike Reach B Corp Status
In exchange for helping bassike reach B Corp, TGA expects free invites to the inevitable party celebrating the status.

Enero Announces Two Key Acquisitions In ROI DNA And GetIT
It's very challenging to take Enero group seriously when their ASX tag is literally just 'EGG'.

Seven Moves To Terminate Broadcasting Partnership With Cricket Australia
Imagine not wanting to show a full season of cricket where each game can easily go on for around four hours!

New Study From Redcat And Impact Data Finds Customer Marketing Sweet Spot
The study makes no mention of how many times you can drunk dial a customer before they start blocking your number.

Thursday TV Wrap: Leigh Sales Farewells 7.30 With 572,000 Eyeballs Watching
With Sales signing off, Tracey Grimshaw might now be the offical Queen of blazers and looking slightly concerned.

Charlie Short Appointed As Head of Growth At Revolut Australia
Revolut appears to have gotten most of the way through revolution and then given up right at the conclusion.

Transforming C-Suite Leaders into Empathy Officers Can Deliver Unmatched Business Success
If your management style is modelled after Cruella de Vil. You can keep your coats, but you should try being nicer.

News Corp Australia Increases Its Investment In Medium Rare Content Agency
Much like betting on horses, News Corp realises that since they're in for eighty, they may as well be in for a hundred.

“Bittersweet!” Nelson Aspen Hands In His Two Week Notice To Sunrise
Aspen now calling in sick, stealing office pens and finally telling the cash cow what he really thinks of him.

Non-Alcoholic Brand Lyre’s Goes Live With ‘Make It A Lyre’s’ Campaign Via The Kinetic Agency
Non-alcoholic is a term guaranteed to cause moans in the B&T team, but the animals in the ad are cute, so this one's ok.

Social Motive Gives Tangle Teezer Australia A Fresh New Do On Social Media
Social Motive could have been the name for a new branch of the climate change awareness movement. Missed opportunity.

InMobi Integrates Mobile Supply With Yahoo’s Demand-Side Platform For Direct Advertiser Access
It seems like the good people at InMobi have finally decided to go all Yahoo on us.

From “Little Things” Big Change Happens; NSW Government’s Multi-Partner Media Campaign Via UM
Here at B&T we like our medical advice from our footy stars and our spiritual advice from our reality stars.

“Very Proud!” Neighbours’ EP Jason Herbison On Saying Goodbye To Ramsay St
Neighbours will be there for one another! Until someone makes a noise complaint then Grimshaw gets a call.

First-Ever D&AD Shift With Google In Sydney Ends With Showcase By Google, Adidas And Kua
We can only assume the Sick Bay mural is more Banksy inspired than Pepper Pig. Though the pig has more cache than Banksy

It’s Not Too Late To Apply For The Shopping Category At The Australian Impact Awards Powered By Wavia!
Think you've missed your chance at fame, glory and Linkedin bragging rights. Think again.

Dynata’s Latest Economic Crossroads Report Shows Consumer Trends From Around The Globe
Across the world, rising costs are causing anxiety and financial struggles for consumers. The worldwide impact of inflation is affecting their outlook and behaviour. More than half of consumers globally are struggling financially because of inflation and the increasing price of fuel, housing and everyday goods. Russia’s war on Ukraine intensifies their concerns around supply-chain […]

InMoment Bring Major Updates To Their XI Platform For Greater Customer Experiences
Making people's lives easier one update at a time. Because nowadays it's all about accessibility, right?

US FCC Commissioner Wants Apple And Google To Take Down TikTok From Their Stores
Anyone who wants to ban TikTok clearly doesn't understand how cool Anna Paul is.

Fullbright Scholar Teams Up With CQUniversity For New Opportunities In Queensland
It's nice to know the Sunshine State might finally be using said sunshine for something productive.

“Talk About Soft!” Mark Levy Blasts The Project Over Interview With Climate Change Activist
The world is actually burning, but sure let's be mad at the protestors.

Best Of The Best Judge, Ben Pellow Nabs Group Sales Director Role At Forbes Australia
Here at B&T, we love to remind you about all the fancy friends we have. Mainly because they never cop to it in public.

Visit Victoria And Endemol Shine Australia Announce New Partnership
The new series will allow Sydneysiders to appreciate Melbourne from their couches, just the way we like it.

Sydney Set To Host South By Southwest Festival For 2023
This comes as part of a wider plan to steal Texan culture, with Sydney set to take on plentiful Cowboy boots and rodeos.

Nine’s Big Dog Mike Sneesby Announces EOFY2022 Bonuses For Permanent Staff
Bonuses were decided after staff declined MAFS merch as a thank you.

Tony Armstrong Reveals The ABC’s Reaction To His OnlyFans Account
Armstrong proving that even a Logie can't save you from boring meetings with your bosses.

Wednesday TV Wrap: MasterChef Owns Demos But Nine Dines Out On The Night
Thank you MasterChef for normalising cooking while crying.

FutureBrand Australia Grows, Makes Two Senior Appointments
Bringing the "future" to Australia's business industry.

Sedona Lands Cinnamon Darvall As Executive Producer
If Sedona can acquire some Milk, Eggs and Flour as well, they'd be on their way to a nice crepe recipe in the C suite.

Jaywing And Frank Digital Nab Rai Campbell For Commercial Director Role
Campbell will be called to drive the Jaywing to success. That's not a phrase out of a sci-fi series by the way.

Are Media Launch Body Positivity Initiative ‘BODFest’ With OGX Haircare
Cause there's nothing that will make you feel better about yourself than seeing Em Rata on stage.

Quantcast Launches New Advertising Solutions For Marketers
With the rate at which Quantcast is attempting to solve problems, Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea may need to get in touch