The Rise of the Happiness Brands JANE M C GONIGAL, PhD INSTITUTE FOR THE FUTURE

What humans crave: 1. satisfying work to do 2. the experience of being good at something 3. time spent with people we like 4. the chance to be a part of something bigger

The Quality of Life Index The Happy Planet Index “ Gross National Happiness” Subjective Life Satisfaction The Canadian Index of Well-Being World’s Most Livable Cities The Vanderford Riley Well Being Schedule The Authentic Happiness Inventory

The Quality of Life Index

The Happy Planet Index

“ Gross National Happiness”

Subjective Life Satisfaction

The Canadian Index of Well-Being

World’s Most Livable Cities

The Vanderford Riley Well Being Schedule

The Authentic Happiness Inventory

A future forecast ( 2013 ): the rise of the happiness brands

Quality of life becomes the primary metric for evaluating ALL consumer brands, services, environments, and experiences.* *see TARA HUNT – “Happiness is your new business model”

Quality of life becomes the primary metric for evaluating ALL consumer brands, services, environments, and experiences.*

*see TARA HUNT – “Happiness is your new business model”

Positive psychology is increasingly a principal, explicit influence on interactive design and development.

Positive psychology is increasingly a principal, explicit influence on interactive design and development.

Communities form around different visions of a real life worth living .

Communities form around different visions of a real life worth living .

A brand is defined by how great an increase in real happiness, or well-being it generates – because happiness is the new capital .

A brand is defined by how great an increase in real happiness, or well-being it generates –

because happiness is the new capital .

So: Are you in the happiness business? YES YOU ARE!!!

So: Are you in the happiness business?

YES YOU ARE!!!

But how do we invent interactive systems that generate happiness? What we need to become next: happiness engineers .

But how do we invent interactive systems that generate happiness?

What we need to become next: happiness engineers .

Games work better. Better instructions Better feedback Better community Better emotions

Games work better.

Better instructions

Better feedback

Better community

Better emotions

What humans crave: 1. satisfying work to do 2. the experience of being good at something 3. time spent with people we like 4. the chance to be a part of something bigger

Multiplayer games are the ULTIMATE happiness engines .

Multiplayer games

are the

ULTIMATE

happiness engines .

Compared to games… Reality is broken.

Compared to games…

Reality is broken.

“ We are witnessing what amounts to no less than a global mass exodus to virtual worlds and other online gaming environments.” – economist Edward Castranova

“ We are witnessing what amounts to no less than a global mass exodus to virtual worlds and other online gaming environments.”

– economist Edward Castranova

It’s a quality of life problem.

It’s a quality of life problem.

How can we bridge the happiness gap between games and reality?

How can we bridge the happiness gap between games and reality?

Happiness in the 21 st C.= passionate participation with systems with care about. In other words, happiness = engagement

SATISFYING OUR DESIRE FOR ENGAGEMENT . * 100 million mental hours  WIKIPEDIA 5 days of World of Warcraft

100 million mental hours  WIKIPEDIA

5 days of World of Warcraft

Q: By 2013 , which brands will become the leading-edge of happiness engineering? A: Whoever best turns reality into a game , and consumers into players .

Q: By 2013 , which brands will become the leading-edge of happiness engineering?

A: Whoever best turns reality into a game , and consumers into players .

“ Alternate realities ” make gameplay as ubiquitous as language.

“ Alternate realities ” make gameplay as ubiquitous as language.

“ An alternate reality is another way of experiencing existence.” G. S. ELRICK, 1978

Q: How can brands engineer happiness for consumers? A: Create an alternate reality that engages consumers better than unbranded reality .

Q: How can brands engineer happiness for consumers?

A: Create an alternate reality that engages consumers better than unbranded reality .

official partner

Q: How can alternate realities change consumer behavior? A: By turning real life choices about what to consume , where, and how, into an adventure .

Q: How can alternate realities change consumer behavior?

A: By turning real life choices about what to consume , where, and how, into an adventure .

World Without Oil *

Q: What technologies will drive alternate realities in the future? A: Let’s find out!

Q: What technologies will drive alternate realities in the future?

A: Let’s find out!

So what’s important?

Reality is broken. Games work better. REAL happiness is the new driver of consumer behavior.

Reality is broken.

Games work better.

REAL happiness is the new driver of consumer behavior.

The Rise of the Happiness Brands [email_address]