Can I use humour in my marketing?
Did you know that 53% of consumers prefer advertisements that make them laugh?
The world may be full of disheartening news and difficult life events, but if you’re able to crack a smile every once in a while, then it doesn’t always seem as bad. That’s probably why consumers prefer and are more likely to remember, ads that are funny.
Humour or fun copywriting certainly has a place in some brands’ marketing. It can also make your brand more approachable and trustworthy. But that doesn’t mean that it’s right for your business.
Is humour right for my marketing?
Humorous campaigns, whether it’s silly social media copy, quirky email copy or funny web copy, do have a place in marketing. We’ve got a few pointers to help you work out if humour is right for your brand:
Be true to your brand’s personality and values
The first thing you need to ask yourself is what is your brand’s personality and values? If your brand is light-hearted, then using humour is a great way to connect with your customers. However, if your brand is more serious, humour might not work as well. Remember that your customers expect you to be consistent with your brand’s tone of voice.
Think about your audience
Using humour in your marketing is a great way to make your customers laugh (and hopefully, make you more memorable to them). But you need to make sure your jokes, funny puns or comical visuals land – otherwise, you might put your customers off. Think about your customers and always make sure your humour caters to all of your audience.
Don’t be offensive
And while you’re thinking about who your customers are and what they might find funny, remember to avoid being offensive. You don’t want to insult any of your lovely customers so avoid using stereotypes, don’t ridicule other people (or brands) and always check your humorous marketing with a variety of people from different backgrounds (such as age, race, gender, ethnicity, social class etc) before publishing it.
Brands who successfully incorporate humour in their marketing
Do you think humour belongs in your marketing? Great. Make sure you jot down the above tips, and above all else, remember to have fun with it. Think outside of the box, let your creative juices flow and see what kind of campaigns you can come up with. Need some inspiration?
Innocent Drinks
Innocent nail their light-hearted, fun and quirky copy and marketing.
This brand is probably a little more out there than many other brands, but it really works for them and means that they’re certainly a memorable brand. This piece of social media copy perfectly captures the playfulness of the brand.
We love how much fun they have with all of their marketing.
Oatly
Oatly is another great example of a quirky and fun brand. They’re known for their advertising that makes fun of advertising – by drawing attention to the fact that they know they’re trying to sell products, customers are invited to laugh along with the brand (which makes them feel more human). Oatley really does like to have unapologetic fun with their marketing.
BBC News
Heck, even BBC News likes to have a bit of fun from time to time! Anyone for an ice cream pun? #Igot99problemsandaflakeisone It certainly made me crack a smile.
Use humour when it’s appropriate
Humour, funny puns and anything that makes your customers or audience crack a smile is never a bad thing. Being playful with your marketing is often a sure-fire way of being memorable and standing out from the crowd.
But always remember to consider whether using humour is appropriate and how it might be perceived by your customers and what they find funny. Above all else, make sure the humour doesn’t take away from clearly communicating what it is you want your customers to know or do.