Using humor in marketing campaigns has several benefits. It can work as a distraction, a cognitive challenge, and an intriguing element. Below, we will look at some of the most common types of humorous marketing strategies and their potential for virality. The main benefits of using humor in marketing campaigns are described below. Weigh the benefits and risks carefully before using humor in your marketing campaign to not only avoid goofing it up but to go about it most effectively! Also, consider the risks associated with offending your audience and how to use humor responsibly.

Effectiveness of Humor in Marketing Campaigns

Studies have shown that the effectiveness of humor in marketing campaigns varies from industry to industry. While humor can draw attention and enhance comprehension, some products are less compatible with it. For example, a humorous product for cancer-fighting creams may offend some individuals. A study by Weinberger & Gulas and Fatt (2002) found that the effectiveness of humor in marketing campaigns varied depending on the type of product or service being marketed and the level of risk.

Humorous campaigns work best for products that sell and are already perceived to be funny by people. They grab attention more easily, and people tend to remember them longer. Naturally, there are some brands that do not want to use humor in advertising for, let’s say, status products. But humor is best when a brand wants to stand out from the crowd and has a strong personality. But using your message in a humorous way can pay best when you are communicating your message to an audience you know very well, and which already has a relationship with your brand.

Facebook and Snapchat ads are excellent methods of finding out more about your customers and what ruffles their feathers. While a lot of humor-based use research is done in the context of television commercials, there are broad principles of selling humor that can be applied to many other media. Humor has been employed by both a $5 million Super Bowl spot and in tweets from large chain business companies! It’s always challenging, of course, to employ humor in such a manner as to attract the customer’s attention naturally. That is why you must get accustomed to talking in this manner so that you can create the most highly desired impacts.

Unlike incongruity-based humor, or humor that is centered around paradoxical statements, relatable humor has a strong effect on consumer attention. Products that last consumers a long time and that they interact with regularly, such as a large kitchen appliance, for example, would be a great candidate for using relatable humor. Additionally, it helps increase brand recall in your audience with less effort.

Some audiences will be much more responsive to a humorous approach than others. Some channels or niche groups within the same audience can even respond differently. Regardless of the direction you take, humor in advertising campaigns depends on the response of individuals. Advertisers have a greater chance for better humorous campaigns when they interact with consumers in a unique way.

In addition, studies reveal that humor can really be able to shift the moods of individuals. It is also able to render brands identifiable amongst competitors. Of course, the angle and timing must be appropriate enough not to offend! Previous studies of the effectiveness of humor in advertising have generally found that it does not increase the effectiveness of serious messages. 

However, when it comes to a more lighthearted stage, one-line jokes have been shown to improve message comprehension, support information processing, and improve operant conditioning. With findings like these, the effectiveness of any of your previous humorous campaigns can improve with a few adjustments. 

Risks of Offending Your Audience

Using humor in marketing campaigns can be a dangerous gamble. If your target audience does not appreciate the irony of your jokes, you may end up alienating them. Using humor in advertising for health and insurance companies was once considered taboo. Then, a famous slogan from Allstate read, “Are you in good hands?” or “Like a good neighbor,” prompted the insurance industry to change its approach.

While the use of humor can make your brand more recognizable, if used improperly, it is able to cause damage to your brand’s image. While it may be able to put people on notice and leave a good impression, should your target audience find your advertisements offensive, then perhaps it is time to find another way. The most effective application of humor in marketing campaigns is when jokes point directly to the product or subject being marketed. (Better yet, when they highlight already existing jokes or norms of a subculture in that particular industry!) If they are not appropriate, the audience may see them as irrelevant or offensive and will make a personal association of staying away from your brand.

Potential for Virality

If you are launching a new advertising campaign, you are going to have to think about the viral status of your theme of choice. The internet is a great resource, and the use of humor effectively can make any brand more visible and prominent. While negative sarcasm is seldom tolerated, positive and clever sarcasm has the opposite effect.

All the social media sites that are most commonly used have adopted the adoption of humor in their advertisements. Basically, social media users utilize social media in order to share something entertaining with other individuals and their fans. By adopting humor in what you post, you are likely to get more engagement. People love laughing, and by making sure your content is funny, your visitors are going to share it with other individuals. That is how viral content gets shared. Once someone shares your video on their social media, it can continue to get exposure and growth.

The primary benefit of humor is its ability to engage customers. When used correctly, humor evokes strong emotional reactions and strengthens brand recognition. It also stimulates memory parts in the brain. When analyzing data, humor makes a lasting impression. This is great for viral marketing. Moreover, funny content is memorable and more often shared. A popular brand that presents an example of this is Dollar Shave Club, a shaving subscription service that has garnered over 25 million views with humorously optimized videos.

While using humor in a marketing campaign can be effective, the misuse of it can backfire quickly. The potential of virality for humor used in marketing campaigns depends on the content, risks, creativity, and quality of the content being created. Be sure to stay away from sensitive topics! If your campaign can be humorous and popular simultaneously, then your audience will share it and your marketing message will become viral!

Social media humor is a great means for communicating with your audience and grabbing attention but not for all situations. If you are calling out for a serious social cause, you need to switch to a softer tone to express empathy and compassion along with your content. Humor is a good asset on social media, but used in excess, because then your business will be perceived as insensitive and aggressive when it’s being misused in large quantities.

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Humor in marketing. This approach certainly calls for a lot more planning and important things to consider than your average knock-knock joke. Listed below are what we define to be the positives and negatives of using humor in marketing your product or service:

Pros

Attention-grabbing

A great campaign not only sells your brand and ideas, it sets the tone of your company memorably. After grabbing the consumer’s attention, it plants a seed that will stick with them through their entire buyer’s journey.

People love to spread laughter

We live in a fast-paced world equipped with short attention spans. We want what we want and we want it now. That being said, something people still slow down for is a good laugh. It makes the most sense that you engage them with humor and who knows, you might have a chance to go viral.

Funny brands are more relatable

Laughter is universal, even though all people find several different types of things funny. Laughing is about reacting to the things we find funny, whether it takes thought or not. More often than not, the reason we find something funny is that we can relate to it. The more it “clicks” with us, the stronger our reaction will be.

Humor in marketing is linked to higher recall

A connection becomes even stronger when we also experience an emotional reaction to what is engaging us. The less control we have over that reaction the more impactful it will be! If you make them laugh, they will no doubt remember you.

Cons

Cracking jokes just for attention

Most of us can sniff out a fake, and it just feels wrong when we do it. It can leave an awkward air about the whole situation. So if you making jokes just to jump on a bandwagon, your consumers might be turned off by it.
You may find your brand more estranged from your audience than before you engaged them! There is a reason why not all body wash companies sell like the Old Spice commercials.

Humor Can Communicate Immaturity

Some industries should stay away from comedy to maintain a more clinical approach. For instance, healthcare companies, or other industries that deal with life-and-death situations, would want to avoid using humor in marketing. They can more easily preserve and convey their professionalism.

Humor Can Be Outright Offensive

Particular niche audiences can appreciate a humorously offensive approach. These audiences require the most authenticity and can best receive you when there is a strong foundation of brand loyalty. You might attract more flies with honey than with vinegar, but certain animals can appreciate the remedies vinegar provides.

With as many opinions and approaches to communicating the ideas you want your consumers to get on board with, it is important to make an online reputation for yourself that can succeed. Choose OCGnow to market your product or service and build advertising that will resonate. Give us a call today at (904) 600-3600 to learn more.

This post was originally published on 8/8/2019 and updated on 4/19/2022 for accuracy and a larger scope of information.