The Harmony Institute (HI) is a research center dedicated to revealing the influence of entertainment. HI believes that mainstream media, combined with the power of strong storytelling, can be instrumental in producing lasting social change.
HI looks beyond traditional indicators (such as box office and audience size) to reveal entertainment’s social return on investment. Collecting and assessing information from diverse data sources, using a range of research methods, allows HI to take numbers and create narratives that illustrate entertainment’s influence.
Our History
Founded by John S. Johnson (BuzzFeed, EYEBEAM, and the Screenwriters Colony) in 2007, HI was organized out of a desire to see entertainment create a positive impact on many of today’s most pressing social and environmental issues. After years in the film industry, Johnson recognized the potential for mainstream entertainment to do more than amuse audiences, and today HI serves as a bridge between the worlds of mainstream media and science.
The entertainment that HI researches and advises on connects with viewers on an emotional level while offering information on alternatives to existing policies and practices. By integrating cutting-edge scientific research methodologies with entertainment experiences, HI assists communicators in assessing and delivering narratives that bring forth change.
In June 2010, HI released its first publication, FTW! Net Neutrality For The Win: How Entertainment and the Science of Influence Can Save Your Internet. The guide offers a concise overview of the policy debate surrounding “net neutrality,” as well as a communication strategy derived from the social sciences that assists communicators looking to influence the discourse.
In July 2010, HI was featured in a New York Times profile titled, “Adding Punch to Influence Public Opinion,” and the following December, HI received a grant from the Ford Foundation to further develop its innovative methodology with the evaluation of one of 2010’s most widely discussed social documentaries, Waiting for “Superman.”