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Insights:Is this supposed to be funny?

September 29, 2018

Humor in marketing is more popular than ever. With the Internet’s ravenous appetite for more content, a good joke, funny thought or amusing image can be a quick way for companies to connect with their customers. Humorous posts also have a higher probability of being shared. That’s because if someone finds something amusing, there’s a good chance his or her friends will think it’s funny, too.

Of course, humor in marketing isn’t easy and it’s not universal. What one demographic group thinks is hilarious another may find insulting or off-putting.

Funny can also fall flat or worse, insult the audience, which no brand wants to do.

When planning to incorporate humor in your brand messaging it’s vital that you be true to who you are. The style of humor you’re using should feel natural coming from your organization.

There are many different types of funny, including:

• Slapstick – Just plain goofy and clumsily physical.

• Parody – Extra cheesy always hits the mark for fans of this style of comedy.

• Satire – Built on sarcasm, ridicule and irony, a satirical approach can be risky for brands to pull off without appearing insulting.

• Deadpan – Also known as dry humor, delivering humor in an impassive way can often be a big hit, that is of course, if people recognize that you’re being humorous.

• Self-deprecating – Making fun of yourself can make your brand feel very approachable. It can also encourage others to make fun of you, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

• Toilet humor – For a certain demographic, nothing’s funnier than bodily functions. Just ask any pre-teen boy.

Naturally, there are many more varieties of humor that brands can adopt, but the key is to find the one that fits your brand tone and resonates with the demographic your brand is targeting. Using social media to research your target audience’s taste in humor is a good place to start.

The benefits of integrating humor into your marketing are many, the potential downsides, however, are nothing to joke about. Speaking of which, an ad person, a water buffalo and a tardigrade walk in a bar and the bartender says….

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