Harmony Labs

🚨 ICYMI: How did #TeamWater raise $40M in 31 days with 15,000 creators—and can the model be replicated? Join us Tues 5/12, 3pm ET for a panel + Q&A with campaign co-founder @fitz350, creator @oligilpin, and @wateraid CEO Kelly Parsons. Register now: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

#TeamWater raised $40M in one month — the largest creator-led fundraiser to date. Join us May 12 @ 3 PM ET with #TeamWater co-founder @fitz350, @oligilpin (creator of MrSpherical), and @wateraid CEO Kelly Parsons on the future of fundraising. Register now: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

What does it look like to use AI to give voice to the responses of real people? We're building new audience intelligence tools, starting with a persona and focus group tool that inhabits audiences' realities and helps make our research far more accessible: harmonylabs.org/news/audience-…

Brian Waniewski and Riki Conrey explore why the work of change isn't about rewriting people's stories, but about fitting your story inside the one they're already living: harmonylabs.org/news/the-deep-…

In year one of our Narrative R&D Lab, we built the infrastructure—audience mapping, content testing, creator tools—tested live with media partners including @BuzzFeed, @nowthisimpact, and more. Here's what we learned, and why it's pointing us toward AI: harmonylabs.org/news/building-…

Our new report with @democracy_2076 analyzes the streaming behavior of 116,000+ viewers and finds that there's no single “pro-democracy story”—audiences seek different hero types that signal how they want systems to change: harmonylabs.org/news/democracy…

✨ In 2026, we're ready to do work that is more responsive to rapid shifts in culture, media, and technology; more global in scope; and more transformational in its contribution to a positive, pluralistic world: harmonylabs.org/news/2025-year…

Explore our latest Climate Audiences research, updated with profiles across 8 audience zones with fresh creator examples and storytelling tips, plus new insights on what’s shifting in climate culture and what that means for communications going forward: harmonylabs.org/news/climate-n…

We’re honored to be named a 2025 #DataForGood grantee by the @NLSNFoundation! Their support helps us power our partners with data-driven storytelling strategies and reshape how audiences engage with climate narratives. Learn more about all the projects: nielsen-foundation.org/2025/12/15/nie…

Our four design principles grew out of years of research and collaboration with partners working to reach real audiences in a noisy media landscape. Listen to our team break down the principles and what they look like in practice: harmonylabs.org/news/design-pr…

🎬 What does racial equality look like onscreen? Our new report examines how over 100,000 viewers engaged with nearly 2,000 streaming shows and movies in 2024, revealing what makes stories about racial equality connect across audiences. Full report: harmonylabs.org/racial-equalit…

If you're going to @RaceForward's Just Narratives convening this week, we're excited to be in conversation about how to build narrative power for multiracial solidarity. In prep, we surveyed 600 Americans about how solidarity actually works. Full piece: harmonylabs.org/news/solidarit…

Harmony Labs maps how different values-based audiences engage with media. Our new report finds that audiences across values choose TV/film that present racial equality as a systemic issue. Big thanks to our advisors and creative partners in this work: harmonylabs.org/project/racial…

Our principal scientist Riki Conrey joined our friends at @WeAreRALLY on their podcast What If We? to unpack what audience identity really means—and how shared values and lived experiences can make persuasion more human and more powerful. Check it out: bit.ly/3Ldst5O🎙️

Understanding the stories that people consume define them better than any demographic segment ever could. On today’s In Reality, @brianwaniewski of @harmonylabs explains how the stories we follow today–and the ones we tell–reveal the direction of our democracy. Listen here: in-reality.fm/understanding-…

"The unit of meaning for a human being is really a story." 🎙️Brian Waniewski joins Eric Schurenberg on In Reality to discuss how Harmony Labs uses a narrative-driven approach to understand how audiences connect across media. Listen now: in-reality.fm/understanding-…

12K+ creators. Billions of views. $40M raised. #TeamWater—led by @MrBeast & @MarkRober—showed us what’s possible when creators mobilize. We’re working with @fitz350 to explore what the record fundraiser means for the future of organizing & storytelling. 🌎 harmonylabs.org/news/teamwater…

What do Lincoln, MLK Jr., Jesus, & Katniss Everdeen have in common? We asked people who their “democracy heroes” are, and found a shared vision for a representative, responsive govt that protects everyone’s rights. Check out our latest Deep Story Dispatch: harmonylabs.org/news/democracy…

Stories about lithium, copper, and nickel today could shape energy policy for decades. Our new research reveals stark narrative shifts, toward urgency and scarcity, away from climate and rights. Check out our findings summary, available in 5 languages: harmonylabs.org/project/etm-na…

Narrative change requires patience, collaboration, and ongoing learning. We launched the Narrative R&D Lab for Economic Mobility and Opportunity, a three-year initiative using research to reshape how America understands poverty and flourishing. Learn more: harmonylabs.org/news/rewriting…