Ed Lawson, Head of Content at The Retail Hive, spoke to Rachel Mercer of Benefit about defining joy on customers’ terms, why team happiness shows up in the work, and how to make digital feel personal.
Discover more insights below…
Rachel Mercer
Ed Lawson
‘Joy’ is having a cultural moment. How do you define it at Benefit?
For us, joy is tangible. Discounts fade from memory, but the way a brand makes you feel stays with you. Our language has always been playful and positive. ‘Laughter is the best cosmetic’ isn’t a slogan, it is how we show up.
Where does that start internally?
With our teams. If your people feel joy, it comes through in the messaging and the service. Listening is key. Ask customers what would actually help, prioritise a few things, and get those right first.
Small touches in tone and timing do more than gimmicks.”
How does that translate into loyalty?
We wanted the app and communications to feel like hearts jumping out of the screen, but it is not about shouting policies. It is about living them, so customers feel the difference. Convenience is part of joy too. A frictionless experience saves someone ten minutes of their day. That matters.
Can digital feel human?
It can, but it is easy to get wrong. People remember how you speak to them. Small touches in tone and timing do more than gimmicks. If you rely on tricks that never reward anyone, that erodes trust. Keep the human element front and centre.
Joy often starts by removing the little frustrations that get in the way.”
If a leader wants to bring more joy into customer communications tomorrow, where should they start?
Go to your customer care team. Listen to what customers are actually saying this week. Solve the problems they are raising most often. Joy often starts by removing the little frustrations that get in the way.
Have your say…
We’ll be diving into this topic and many more key areas at our CX Exchange next year. Will we see you there?
When? 1st-2nd October 2026
Where? Venue to be confirmed, but you can expect sumptuous surroundings as usual!
Who? This meeting is exclusively for CX, Digital Marketing and eCommerce leaders, with the opportunity to meet best-in-class solution providers
