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When to use humour in marketing
Humour in marketing is an interesting topic. There’s an age-old question in business which corporate giants and startups alike still struggle to answer – should you use humour in your business marketing strategy? There are many factors to consider when deciding if a campaign which relies on humour is right for your business.
While there are many examples of successful humorous campaigns, there are also times when humour may produce confusion, or simply not be as effective as a clear, concise, and straightforward informational campaign. Here’s a guide to using humour in your marketing.
Chasing the Viral Dream
In today’s media landscape, companies must be careful not to chase the elusive dream of a “viral” marketing campaign. While many companies have fine-tuned the process to achieve consistent results which spread like wildfire, there are thousands, perhaps millions more, which never reach the benchmark they set for themselves. Another factor to consider is the concrete success of sales and brand awareness in terms of viral ads.
Many companies which achieve viral fame don’t see a significant uptick in sales from their viral ads, as consumers are more infatuated with the ad itself than the product or service being advertised. While this attention is certainly great for the agency who made the ad, the company in question is left with the short end of the stick. Remember to keep your eye on the prize – concrete sales numbers and conversion rates.
Six Questions to Ask Before Choosing the Humorous Route
To truly determine if the copy you want should be humorous, there are a few questions you can ask yourself. Oftentimes, the great, hilarious copy won’t actually result in brand success, but there are a few key questions which can guide your pen and bring clarity to your particular conundrum.
- Does the humour add or detract from the message? People love to laugh, but laughter is oftentimes a distraction, which can be counterproductive in the business landscape.
- Is the humour clear? Consumers view ads to glean valuable information. Humour not only distracts but can take up space where that information would have gone in the first place.
- Will it alienate consumers? Much humour today is based on references to pop culture. Those who are in the know might find your ad funny, but will it confuse and frustrate those who don’t understand it?
- Is it offensive? Humour is often offensive, as it comes from a place of pain and sadness. People are easily riled up in today’s age, and ads which are successful are those which won’t offend the general population.
- Does it distract from the flow? In other words, would anything really be lost if the humour were taken out of the ad?
If you can answer “yes” to any of the above questions, it’s best to avoid humour in your marketing. You can also try to adjust the ad so that “yes” becomes a “no” but do be careful not to waste valuable time and resource restructuring an ad which simply might not ever work.
The Bottom Line
There are of course exceptions. Humour can absolutely be used to strengthen your ads and attract new customers to your company who may never have paid attention to your marketing. Some customers may even be attracted to more humorous marketing and there are brands which have made humour a firm pillar of their sales strategy. But these are indeed exceptions. If your company is usually formal and strait-laced, take careful consideration about adding humour to your routine, making sure your branding and message don’t get lost within the natural flow of the jokes.
