Featured image via Foodnited States
Some of the most memorable ad campaigns in history have been funny ones. Everyone loves being entertained but almost no one likes being “sold” to. That is why humor, when used in the right way, in the right place, and at the right time, can be an effective way to engage potential customers and keep your brand on their minds for days, weeks, months, or even years to come.
Humor Advertising Stats
While most marketers feel that an effective ad campaign requires capital to buy data in order to see what is working in today’s environment, humor has stood the test of time and is as effective today as it was since radio hit the airwaves back in 1937.
In a recent marketing study performed by Chegg, a textbook rental service, it was found that children remember ads that make them laugh more than any other form of marketing.
What about adults, though? Do they also remember humorous advertising as much as kids do? Well, in the same study Doritos, the famous, nacho-flavored chip company, led the top of the list in most memorable ads, and as the company is known for being loved by both the young and relatively-old alike and are always running some of the most humorous commercials out there, it is pretty safe to say that everyone enjoys and remembers a good joke, be they young or old.
Why Use Humor?
There are many reasons for this, but for the sake of brevity, we shall list what we believe to be the top three:
Humor makes your brand more personable
Of course, this depends on what your brand is all about, but if the topic or industry is not too “serious” in nature, cracking a joke here and there shows people that there are human beings operating behind the scenes and not just cold-blooded marketers trying to get into their wallets.
The frequency and depth of the humor will definitely depend on the product or service you are offering, so if you are touting games and toys, the sky's the limit. If you are selling respirators for people with severe breathing problems then humor is probably not the right marketing tool to use.
Brand Recognition
As almost everyone remembers a good joke, so associating one with your brand will also help people remember it as well.
The key to linking humor with your brand, and therefore building brand recognition through humorous advertising, is to be unique. One of the reasons to employ humor from time to time is to break the advertising monotony — everyone is hearing, seeing, and experiencing the same forms of advertising, albeit disguised in different brands ad infinitum. Humor helps separate one brand from the other but only if it is unique humor and has not been advertised in the same way many times before.
Viral Content
One of the best ways for a campaign to go viral is through the use of humor. With the advent of social media, funny pics and videos get shared across thousands of profiles and accounts on a daily basis.
In this case, even if you are using some form of paid advertising to promote your funny pic or video, the free shares are what is going to make this particular campaign boost your ROI through the roof. If you are using organic methods to advertise your humorous content, then the free shares will turn your “organic” advertising into a “virus” and infect thousands of happy eyeballs.
Recap
So should you use humor to boost your brand? First off, figure out your clients' needs. If humor fits in well with what they want and need, then ask yourself do you want to provide them with content that not only engages them but entertains them as well? If so, then “humor advertising” may be the way to go.
Humor makes your brand more personable, more memorable, and gets shared a whole lot more than other forms of advertising.
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