After the 18 months we've all had, it shouldn't be a surprise that consumers are actively clamouring for good news. A unique piece of research has now explored quite how influential positivity in the media can be, challenging marketers and media teams to adapt the thinking that underpins their campaign planning.
For the first time, publisher Hearst, in conjunction with a specialist team of media researchers at Bournemouth University, has been able to demonstrate that engaging with magazine, website and social media content inspires a range of positive emotions, which create the right conditions for people to be more receptive to advertising messages.
The publisher – owner of titles including Cosmopolitan and Men's Health – has long championed the mantra of positivity in its editorial content. But it wanted to go a step further and quantify the effects on its audience. What it couldn't have predicted was quite how timely its study would be.
The research was conducted between 6 November and 28 December 2020 – just as UK consumers were hurtling back into a second lockdown and responding to another wave of bad news. Bournemouth University academics used an app that tracked 156 users' feelings before and after consuming Hearst content (digital, social or print). They then pinged questions over to respondents in the hours and days that followed in an attempt to gauge the tone and duration of emotional responses.
This style of study – known as Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM) – is used primarily for psychological research. It is successful because it gives a much more immediate, and thus accurate, picture of people's feelings than more traditional media research methods.
Feeling good
. 82% of consumers reported an immediate feeling of positivity after engaging with Hearst content, reflecting the intentional tone of the titles. 79% said they felt enthusiastic, while 73% experienced an increase in happiness. Different titles elicited varying feelings appropriate to their particular style – the audience of Men's Health reported a rise in determination and enthusiasm, for example, whereas engaging with Cosmopolitan brought about feelings of excitement.
These emotions were also apparent when researchers checked in on people up to 24 hours later. In fact, there was a fascinating cumulative effect to the emotions promoted by the media consumption, with positivity levels rising on average 29% between the start of the study and the end. The data also revealed that the more content people saw, the higher they reported their feelings of positivity.
For advertisers, the really good news is that all these positive feelings translate directly into behaviour. Of those consumers who reported an immediate feeling of positivity, 83% said they would 'take positive action' as a result of the content they had engaged with. Over half intended to talk to someone about what they had learned, with a third planning to investigate the subject further. Crucially, 23% said they would 'buy something new' as a result of their time engaging with a Hearst title.
It's clear from psychological research that , and this new data now shows exactly how that is applied in a media setting. “There's a clear contrast to the '' kind of media consumption we have seen a lot of recently, which only leads to more scrolling,” says Faye Turner, head of commercial strategy and insight at Hearst. “Our content is empowering users into action, which creates a virtuous circle for them and unlocks advantages for our advertisers.”
Attune with the content
Hearst has been working with its clients to capitalise on these demonstrable effects of consuming its content. Philips is sponsoring the second year of its campaign, aimed at raising British women's sense of confidence in their bodies. The editorial stretches across a range of Hearst titles and is fully supported by the Dutch multinational. Not only has this had a clear impact on how women feel about themselves, it has also translated into a doubling of purchasing intent for Philips.
Hearst has seen a significant uplift in revenues from this kind of editorial partnership activity over the past 12 months as advertisers see the potential in tapping into the halo effect of positive content. The key, says Hearst head of partnerships Mark McCafferty, is to “demonstrate that you are giving back in an emotional sense. Humour and empathy work particularly well. It's all about honesty in your tone and not trying to oversell”.
Understanding the full value of what Hearst has termed the 'positivity pay-off' also raises questions about the way media is planned and traded. Is reach really such an important metric if editorial context is proving so influential?
Hearst has even adopted an emotional uplift metric as a result of its new insights from the research. This has been tested across six campaigns, with a view to rolling it out for all advertisers.
“We're certainly challenging planners to think beyond the traditional ways of assessing media,” says Turner. “This research adds to the argument that not every eyeball is created equal and attention metrics are a more valuable benchmark of success.”