There is a chilly wind of discontent and unhappiness around so many of the world’s news outlets today; I feel it’s time to split the media into two sides: positive and inspirational vs. negative and unhappy.

I can see a number of struggling publications and channels – once the bastions of respectability – that have made the choice to go down kicking and screaming. Unfortunately, between them, the Brexit vote and the USA election have created the perfect unhealthy breeding ground for these noisy outbursts. How can these same organisations wonder why their businesses are not doing as well as they used to? Is it not plain to see? It doesn’t take a forensic media analysis to realise that the only positive stories in a newspaper today are the obituaries.

Ink write, produce and sell the advertising space for some of the largest magazines in the world. Maybe we are not a daily news company, but we are consumed by millions of people every day – maybe it’s time the industry put a greater store in the power of positive media? Maybe we should spend more time acknowledging the importance of expanding people’s minds and delivering inspiration, knowledge and insight? Just a thought.

It’s at times like these I am reminded of research conducted by the University of Amsterdam, which concluded that print readers remembered 28% more ads when they were in a good mood than when they were in a bad one. Zenith Optimedia ran a similar test – showing people ads after being exposed to happy or sad stimuli – which proved that those exposed to the happy stimuli were 9% more likely to say they were likely to use the advertised products in the future.

Advertisers not only need consumers’ attention, they also need them to be in the right mind space. To do that they need a positive space to showcase their products and brands. And that is what we offer. If I were a media buyer or a brand manager, I know where I would direct my precious advertising dollars, pounds or euros.

I know for a fact that there is about to be a tide of good and experienced writers journalists fleeing the very cornerstones of UK journalism, demonstrating that the backlash to funding hate is on the rise.

This rising tide of bile, allied with the increase in programmatic advertising, where neither advertiser nor publisher are necessarily aware of the content surrounding an ad, can lead to some unfortunate placements.

Ask yourself, would you rather see your expensive and carefully planned campaign end up in an informative, contextual, controlled environment or the butt of a joke as seen here?

So I propose it’s time to annex those negative spaces from your lives and hop onboard for an inspirational journey.

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