Findings published by Oracle reveal that 88% of consumers actively seek experiences that bring laughter or smiles, with 78% of them expressing their willingness to pay a premium for true happiness. Despite these compelling statistics, 95% of business leaders remain hesitant to integrate humour into their advertising strategies, citing perceived risks, especially for well-established brands.
Can the universal language of laughter be effectively used as a potent tool in the serious world of business?
A well-executed joke has a unique ability to capture attention because it is often perceived as fresh and unexpected, particularly when it comes from businesses.
When people encounter content that makes them laugh, they’re more likely to share it with others, whether through social media, word-of-mouth, or other channels. Funny advertisements, especially those posted online, often ignite conversations about the company, thus providing a higher engagement rate and brand awareness.
Employing humour in digital marketing campaigns helps humanise the brand, making it more relatable to consumers. It also helps release positive emotions such as happiness, joy, and amusement. When consumers associate these positive emotions with a brand, they are more likely to develop a strong attachment to it, which can lead to long-lasting relationships with the brand.
Before applying humour to your marketing plan, make sure to fully understand your target audience. Since people have different points of view and sensibilities, what seems funny to one may not be funny to the other. It is always best to conduct research and tailor comical marketing campaigns that suit your target audience’s characteristics and preferences.
Exercise sensitivity and avoid making jokes that target specific individuals or groups, as they can be perceived as offensive or discriminatory. Ridiculing individuals or groups of people, even those outside your target audience, can easily backfire and damage your brand’s reputation.
Make sure that your humour aligns with your brand identity and reflects your audience’s personas. If consumers are scratching their heads because they don’t get the joke or can’t connect it to your brand, then the humour isn’t serving its purpose effectively.
While it is great to apply humour in your campaign messaging, relying solely on it can do more harm than good. Too much comedy can detract from your credibility and professionalism, making your brand appear immature and unprofessional.
As part of an effort to reduce railway-related accidents, Metro Trains Melbourne launched this incredibly captivating campaign video featuring animated characters that encounter all the deranged ways a person could die. While audiences were left laughing, the campaign was able to successfully deliver its message: to promote safety around trains.
Snickers’ tagline, “You’re not you when you’re hungry,” has been the focus of its advertising campaigns. The brand has never failed to delight audiences, as it shows how individuals transform into different personalities when hunger strikes.
As the coronavirus lockdown restrictions began to ease across the world, different brands were encouraged to advocate for social distancing as they promoted the reopening of their physical stores. While some opt for a straightforward messaging, Burger King Italy has taken a humorous route by introducing the Social Distancing Whopper, a Whopper with extra onions to “keep people away from you.”
As these examples demonstrate, when done right, using humour in marketing is more than a punchline; it is a roadmap to success.
