Why You Should Use Humor In Marketing
Guess what: laughter brings people together, and humor is highly memorable. That’s backed up by science. So if you were wondering whether you should use humor in your marketing strategy, read on.
Whatever you say, Prof.
Professor Sophie Scott, British neuroscientist and professor at University College London, has dedicated her life to the scientific study of laughter. Scott says that the best technique to get a laugh out of someone in her lab is to show them a clip of someone else laughing or struggling to suppress a laugh. Laughter is contagious. Additionally, as humans, our first instinct when we see something funny is to share it with others. Bingo! What other marketing initiative can you think of where an ad could essentially share itself? Everyone has seen the Laughing Baby video on YouTube…it has over 26 million views, and over 56,000 shares! The fact is, in this social media driven world, well-placed, well-tailored humor has the potential to work wonders for a brand.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
Did you know that babies as young as seventeen days old have been observed laughing? We were born to laugh. It is a mechanism used for defusing tension and bonding with others. Society notoriously hates being pitched, but we love to be entertained. Subscribers may not be buying what you’re selling (yet). But, establish a humorous rapport with them, and you can bet they will open your emails more often. Eventually, they might just take action.
Pack leaders
If your brand can manage to stay top of mind with your customers, you’ve already beaten the competition. According to Forbes magazine, Americans are exposed to between 4,000 – 10,000 ads per day. So tell us, how many of those ads do you remember? Maybe a handful. This is exactly why brands have turned towards humorous messaging – because it’s memorable. A recent study by Chegg.com says that 65% of college-aged students polled, remembered ads that made them laugh. Advertisers like Allstate, Old Spice, Dos Equis, Hello Flo, PooPourri, Charmin, State Farm, USDA Organic, Groupon, Bark Box and Dollar Shave Club have successfully embraced this strategy.
Old dog, New Tricks
So, if you are considering infusing your marketing with some humor this year, we say, cheers to that. Just consider your audience, do your research, and have some fun. The best comedy is relatable, so don’t be afraid to base content around common industry occurrences. If you want to see how other brands are utilizing humor in their campaigns, click on some of those names listed in the paragraph above and watch their videos. Tip: you may need to warn your boss that you’ll be doing a little market research.
To learn more about how to improve your marketing strategies, give us a call at 210-392-1433!
