When you’re scrolling through social media, do you find your attention drawn more to a lengthy ad or a funny meme? You probably prefer the ideas, jokes, and trends shared through images, videos, or text that say something clever about a common experience.
Memes help a brand connect, communicate, and build relationships with its audience. They increase brand awareness and recognition and create a goldmine of opportunities.
Why Memes Can Be a Legitimate Marketing Tool
Memes work in marketing for many reasons:
- Attention: Memes help brands stand out, show their personality and values, and humanize their marketing.
- Relatability: Memes use shared experiences to personally connect with people and make them feel seen and understood.
- Emotion: Relatability and humor evoke positive feelings that encourage people to laugh, remember the experience, and engage with the brand.
- Inclusion: Using humor and pop culture references to help people feel included fosters a positive brand image and increases customer loyalty.
- Shareability: Sharing funny or clever memes is free, fast, effective organic marketing.
- Brand exposure: Memes that go viral increase brand exposure, reach, and awareness, generate leads, and drive conversions.
- Cost-effectiveness: Understanding the audience and developing creative ideas help create low-cost, impactful memes.
Brands with Engaging Memes
These businesses use memes to connect with their audiences:
- Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” commercial inspired viral memes.
- KFC blended its “finger-lickin’ good” slogan and images of celebrities licking their fingers to create memes.
- Dos Equis commercials featuring “The Most Interesting Man in the World” became a popular internet meme that increased brand awareness and recognition.
- Wendy’s frequently uses popular memes and internet slang to respond to customer inquiries and make jokes on social media.
Tips for Using Memes in Marketing
Successfully creating memes involves understanding your audience and balancing humor with your brand’s messaging:
- Understand your audience: Use what your target market can relate to and what makes them laugh to create memes that speak their language.
- Focus on trends: Find ways to align your brand with what’s trending.
- Be authentic: Good memes transparently fit your brand voice.
- Stay simple: Effective memes are quickly and easily understood.
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