The emotions that can save 300 billion euro

Several weeks ago a strange and grim article in Sole24Ore reported on the economic costs of pathological types of sadness in Japan: suicides and job loss linked to illness seem to be worth as much as a fiscal stimulus maneuver. Perplexed business economists and other economists who wonder about the relevance of emotional variables in the economic sector should get over their initial disbelief when faced with the Japanese economy's loss of 300 billion euro over the past 12 years due, precisely, to depression. The Japanese government ran for safety by launching a task force to prevent the illness, with preventive measures that also involve...marketing leverages! A communications campaign was planned, interpreted by a famous testimonial: Kengo Nakamura, a cherished midfielder of Kawasaki Frontale.
In general, the search for happiness is our society's pipe-dream - and even one's right - at least according to the U.S. Declaration of Independence. And while we may smile at the spaces dedicated in bookstores to manuals which instruct us on how to reach happiness, as marketing scholars we cannot help but seriously reflect on these clamorous editorial successes and on what makes us happy or sad.
If it is true (and scientific research proves it) that money and materialism do not buy happiness, it is also true that what does make us happy – usually individual creative pursuits and relationships with others – are pervaded by a consumerist dimension.Regarding relationships with others, a recent study conducted in the U.S. claims that one of the most joyful parts of the day are after-work opportunities for socialization, such as watching a soccer game with others.
Happiness can also reside in the activity itself, rather than reaching a goal, such as individual activities where we immerse ourselves in a creative process. We feel happy when we are able to realize ourselves in an activity which fully expresses who we are. The execution of a choreography for a person who loves to dance, the preparation of a special dish for a gourmet, writing a book or interpreting a musical piece can all represent happy moments for those who engage in these activities. The Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defined this state of total immersion which accompanies creative activities as "flow", the expression of a talent rather than the execution of a challenging task: in this sense happiness can be considered as the first consequence of this state of immersion.
These opportunities for sharing and personal realization do not exclude a consumerist dimension.A purchasing experience which is distinguished by strong positive emotions not only makes the client happy, but also the company promoting the experience as well. A recent inter-sectoral study conducted by CERMES (Valdani, Soscia, Zarantonello, ExTra: Experience and Trust), which involved 32 corporate realities and more than 2,000 consumers, verified how the realization of an experiential dimension generates a trusting relationship between clients and companies which supported it.And so, a clever but cautious management which utilizes persuasive marketing leverages and a mindful client can become happy companions in a memorable consumer experience.