The power of positivity

Hearst is a beacon of positivity and trust, with premium brands that deliver best-in-class content and experiences that help our audience take action, improve their lives and feel positive. But what does this mean for advertisers?

It’s good to be positive. 

Positivity is good for people, it's good for publishers and it's good for advertisers.

There is a wealth of evidence that suggests being positive is a damn fine thing to be. The likes of Barbara Fredrickson tell us that having a positive mindset means you are more likely to feel happier and healthier, enjoy better relationships, reduce stress, be more purposeful, try new things, be more productive and take more action. Who wouldn’t want this?

Keen to know more, we commissioned research on positivity from independent consulting and research business, Theobalds Road and we found that:

• 77% of people with a positive disposition took some form of action after consuming media, compared to only 67% of those who were feeling more negative. This is a 15% increase.
• Positive people respond more favourably to brands they see advertised, with an 18% increase in brand favourability being achieved amongst positive people compared to 3% amongst negative people.
• Positive people are 90% more likely to try new things and 35% more likely to buy an advertised product.

With the research, we launched the UK’s first media positivity index which charts how positively different media types- magazines, newspapers, social media, tv and radio- are viewed by consumers. 

Hearst brand Men’s Health was ranked the most positive brand in media, while Hearst brands, including Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, ELLE and others, grouped together netted the highest positivity ranking amongst all media; higher than TV, newspapers and much higher than social media.

We also analysed Hearst's audiences and found that:

• Hearst audiences are more positive (69%) than the average UK media consumer (58%) 
• Hearst audiences represent more than £155bn in spending power
• And, Hearst audiences are much more likely to take action or change their behaviour than consumers of other media channels

Positivity matters.

Looking at the picture the research paints, it's clear: Hearst audiences are more positive; positive people take more action and they respond more favourably to advertising.  So, why not invest in positivity? It's a good thing for everyone.