Life is far too short to not treat yourself and others to a chuckle or two…and needless to say, brands across all industries have become major proponents of utilizing humor marketing strategies.
In essence, a brand relies on a humor marketing strategy to leverage brand familiarity
Why?
Well because humor is direct. And to quote Leonardo Di Caprio’s character from Inception “Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it becomes impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed, fully understood sticks deep in there somewhere.”
And the man was hands down right, because the fastest route to that intricate maze in our brain is through wit and humor.
So, how does humor help in marketing? Let’s find out!
Table of contents
- How Humor Is Used In Marketing
- 3 Brands That Hit a Home Run with Their Marketing Strategies
How Humor Is Used In Marketing?
The key to it lies in using humor right off the bat and connecting the joke to the brand image.
Humor marketing strategy is a brilliant tried and tested way to sell your brand or product without directly selling something, as consumers don’t want to feel like you’re taking money right out of their pockets.
Try tapping into a consumer’s sense of humor and striking the perfect chord of relatability.
This results in heightened engagement and an unforgettable impression.
For a humor marketing strategy to be successful, especially when every other brand out there is competing, neck to neck for audience attention, the content you churn out to your audience must be interesting, memorable, and most importantly shareable.
Numerous factors go into making a brand “followable” on social media. Look at it from your perspective…why do you choose to ‘like’ or follow certain brands on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter?
Either it could be for valuable insights, or probably for aesthetics or it gives you access to exclusive content, or let’s be honest, you find it crazy funny.
Credit: TENOR
Truth be told, the best brands to follow on social media will have a blend of all those characteristics. But I’ll take a shot in the dark and say that many of you follow a brand simply for its entertainment value including myself *guilty as charged*.
But even here there is a catch. For a humor marketing strategy to work as an advertising technique, the trick lies in finding the right kind of humor to connect with the audience for your product.
3 Brands That Hit a Home Run with Their Humor Marketing Strategy
1. AVIATION GIN:
The Aviation Gin ads are absolute genius because it compels you to watch it right till the end and props to them for keeping it witty and super relatable. Their noteworthy and oh-so-refreshing deadpan humor and witty quips from Ryan Reynolds make these, even more, hilarious.
The one that had me in splits was their father’s day special campaign, where you can see the Deadpool star stirring up a glass of ‘Vasectomy’…yes you heard that right!
The video indulges in a chuckle-worthy monologue by Ryan with a few bloopers thrown in, talking about celebrating the refreshing “pleasures” of fatherhood while delivering his trademark quips.
What works for them is that instead of making dry, informative videos they market content that relates and tickles your funny bone. Such is the dynamic of their marketing that instead of having their advertisements forced on me, I now willingly go looking for these commercials purely for entertainment purposes.
2. DOLLAR SHAVE:
Unconventional humor is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if there’s one brand that does a bang-up job when it comes to out-of-the-box humor, it would have to be Dollar Shave Club.
It all began with a viral video that featured founder Michael Dubin. The video starring Dubin garnered 27 million views on youtube.
However, once you’ve won over millions of fans with a funny video, you need to keep the laughs coming— and DSC has delivered on that front. The campaign that struck a chord with me as a father of two was the Magnifique-dad bod campaign.
A perfect example of how to target, speak and relate to your demographic. Giving a complex topic like inclusivity and body positivity a comic spin, this campaign was an absolute winner.
This fun tribute to the dad bod opens with the word “Magnifique,” a unique adjective that defines the magnificence of usually overlooked male body types, oftentimes the bodies of dads or as we know it “dad bods.”
Truth is, men too can feel just as self-conscious as women when it comes to their appearance. This video seems like the perfect way to give dads a big shout-out for all they do and let them know that it doesn’t matter what they look like, they’re just as perfect and they’re all part of the club!
3. DENNY’s
Usually bizarre, and always funny, Denny’s brand interaction on Twitter shows that not only do they have a finger on the pulse of its audience, but they can react with whip-smart efficiency.
They understand the vitality of staying relevant and that is why it chooses to feed its audience something other than (boring) business as usual.
Their 180-characters-or-less wisecracks on Twitter often cause a stir with their audience and they effortlessly embed their brand in every joke they make.
There is no doubt that humor marketing strategies take serious spontaneity, but it doesn’t always take a big-budget ad campaign to grab your audience’s attention. Sometimes, a well-timed interactive joke could make all the difference in having your message resonate and Denny’s has that down to the ‘t’.
A perfect example of this is one of their Twitter posts, where they ask their audience to find out how soft and fluffy their pancakes are, but in order to do that, you need to zoom in.
Image Credit: Denny’s
When you take a close look you’ll see a couple all snug and cozy on the pancake as if it were a soft mattress…So that’s how soft those pancakes are…If that isn’t a great depiction of your product, I don’t know what is!
Also what makes this post even more interesting is they make their audience interact with it by asking them to zoom in, were you able to spot the cozy couple without zooming in?
Instead of sending out robotic, informational tweets all the time, they make it a point to have a little fun with their brand.
KEY TAKEAWAY
In conclusion, wit and humor are not just lighthearted elements in marketing; they are serious business. By creatively using humor, marketers can distinguish their brands, effectively connect with consumers, and leave a lasting impact that goes beyond the advertisement.
Embracing wit and humor in marketing is a powerful strategy that can lead to increased engagement, brand loyalty, and ultimately, business success.
So, don’t underestimate the power of a good laugh – it’s a game-changer in the world of marketing!
Are you tired of the same old boring marketing strategies that fail to captivate your audience?
Now, elevate your brand with Nico Digital’s humor-infused marketing strategies, a breath of fresh air that captivates audiences and leaves a lasting impression.
