Tools

They say laughter is the best medicine, and for your marketing strategy, that just might be true. Many businesses—small and big alike—try to avoid humor in marketing for fear it might turn sour with the public. But if used appropriately, humor can be a great marketing tool to help grow your company. Still not sure? Check out some of these ways humor can help your marketing campaigns, and even a few tips to get you there.

Clients Remember Your Business
When a person finds something funny, their brain triggers endorphins that encode the joke into their memory, which is why adults can remember things they found funny in their childhood. If a business utilizes humor or “AHA!” moments in their marketing strategy, consumers automatically recall that event much easier than other marketing campaigns.

An “AHA!” moment works like the punchline of a joke—you’re thinking along one line, when suddenly the joke switches course completely. For example: “What type of bow can’t be tied? A rainbow!” In this joke, one is initially thinking of bows in terms of yarn or string, but then the “AHA!” moment occurs when the line of thought switches to a rainbow.

Humor in your organization’s marketing campaign can help you be more memorable to potential clients. One tip to accomplish this: Deliver company data with a punchline. Poke a little fun at yourself or your business, while still being sure to market your products and services.

Clients Trust Your Business
When clients find humor in your marketing strategy they’re prone to smiling and laughter, which makes them associate happiness with your company. This causes clients to like your business even more, which then leads to trust in your products and services.

Using appropriate jokes in marketing can lighten difficult situations, add joy to usually boring topics and create a sense of mutual humor. When clients have a shared happy experience with your organization, they will be more likely to trust your knowledge and expertise in the field.

For example, take the brand Clorox and one of its recent commercials. A little boy carries his potty trainer down the hall (and spills its insides everywhere) to show his mother how proud he is that he went potty. Using a situation that consumers can relate to, adding humor to it and then telling how your product can help, will lead clients to be confident in your business.

Clients Align With Your Business
Just like with trust, using humor can build a relationship between your business and the consumer. It creates an alignment between both parties: You have the same struggles, experience the same surroundings, enjoy the same pastimes etc. Ever met someone funny who seems to get along well with everybody? Yea, just like that.

Pop-culture references can be a great way to align yourself with consumers. This can be a fine line, so be confident that marketing jokes are appropriate and cannot be taken out of context before utilizing them. For example, many companies have been taking advantage of the current presidential race to showcase their products (e.g. Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts and their commercial of pop-tarts campaigning for president).

Having a mutual joke to share between your clients and your business builds the relationship and encourages a sense of unity. Consumers believe that you understand them and therefore want what’s best for them.

When it comes to your marketing campaigns, set your business apart through humor. Not only will consumers remember your brand, they’ll also trust and align themselves with your company. After all, a little laughter goes a very long way.