The Christian as well as the Hindu (Makar Sankranti) New Year has passed and the cold, crisp winter morning heralds the dawn of a new tomorrow. Is my heart filled with pleasure and dancing a la Wordsworth and his daffodils? Alas, no, as I read the prophesying newspaper dailies, which foretell gloom for aspiring business students as B-school sala-ries which are at a all time low.

The sports page makes me want to look for extra cover (pun intended) as I read about the hall of shame in Australia for the men in blue. And my heart despairs as on a cold and lazy Sunday morning a popular daily reports the lament from those waiting outside AIIMS, who wonder if death will occur from the biting cold rather than from the life-threatening cancer that inflicts some patients.
But the jingle of hope and happiness — umeedon wali dhoop sunshine wali aasha, rone ki wajha kam hai, hasne ke bahane jyaada, from the world’s most trusted brand Coca Cola could not have come at a better time. Happiness after all is the ultimate manna that we all strive to reach through our own individual paths. The timing of New Year, new anticipations and new pursuits are the right cue. And if one views this on the larger canvas of chaos and the grey backdrop mentioned above, it is the adrenalin kick which one needs to stride ahead, with conviction that chachu, aall izz well.
The bubbly drink is not the only one asking you to open the key to a happier tomorrow. The invitation is rendered by Britannia as well when it croons —khushiyon ke ghar naya mehmaan aaya. The advent of a new bride into a new home and life are in sync, both with the new Good Day chocolate biscuits as well as with the air of expectancy in the New Year. And if happiness is about good times, then the naughty, giggly kids who steer Dubey ji, their school bus driver through a winding route to reach a McDonald’s are on the right track. For at ‘McD’, it is happy times and burgers with the kids and joy for a grumpy Dubey ji as he celebrates his birthday.
So is happiness the winning formula? Is it the right key to unlock the cockles of the jaded consumer’s hea-rt? Elementary Dr. Watson, the clue, lies in the magical W’s:

Whom?: Happiness as a theme, actually works best for the non-essentials, be it Coca Cola, Cadbury or Mc Donald. The idea is to nudge out the guilt of consumption with the beatific joy of I am loving it… However, at times some mundane products also focus on the state of happiness as they take care of your dirty clothes (Surf Excel) — kyonki daag ache hain; and worries and mosquitoes (GoodNight) — push karo khush raho.

When?: Timing is critical and the song of happiness resonates and registers better when it is cued to the mood of the listener. Thus New Year, spring time and festivals are seasons of joie de vivre, so the brands can put on their dancing shoes and jig along. Thus songs of happiness and celebration, kyon ki pehli tareek hai or a happier tomorrow do wonders for brand connect. The rest of the year is to be treated with caution, unless the brand essence is “happiness-always” as the brand quizzes, kuch mee-tha ho jai.

Why?: Happiness is a magic ingredient which eternally works for those who sing dil se — whether the winning of a World Cup or the birth of Beti B, we are all looking for a khushiyon ka bahana. So whether it is with the swig of a Coca Cola or a chocolaty Good Day biscuit, zidd hai muskurayenge khush rehne ka hai waada.
And at the end of the day all roads do not lead to Rome, but to that utopian state that we all are in the pursuit of — happiness. So if the melody is about happiness, it never fails to touch a chord with the listener, because as the song proclaims tum dil se agar puchoge who khush rahane hi chahe….To mil ke khushi lutao…

The writer is professor, marketing, IMI, Delhi